Three Active Fires

DOAN, BEACH, SLOUGH

Two Being Fought

-- There are three fires burning in Yellowstone National Park:

==> Doan Mountain,

==> Slough Creek,

==> Beach.

-- The Slough Creek and Beach fires are being actively fought. The Doan Mountain fire is smoldering and being monitored.

-- For complete information go to the InciWeb Yellowstone Page.

That's A Hot Name

OUT OF THE PAST

"Bear With Me"

.. Via National Parks Traveler, comes this YouTube gem. 'Them Were the days.'

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Madison Arm Fire

FIRST BIG FIRE

Coordinated by USFS
the elk are happy

.. The news wires and the blogs are all atwitter with the news of the Madison Arm Fire. Rightly so, if you are a wildfire fan. The fire is currently about 10% controlled. You can follow the progress at the Incident Information System Web Portal (InciWeb.) Updates are posted as the incident commander sees fit; usually every four hours or so, depending on the situation.
.. There are maps and other details about this and other incidents throughout the nation, (including prescribed burns.) The site is an excellent resource for those folks in areas where wildfires are a regular occurrence - we use it frequently.
.. The fire has been ascribed to "probable human activity." That makes sense since there has been no rain or thunder for a week or so. The investigators are on scene.
.. One thing not reported in the media has been the relationship between the aggressive stance of the Gallatin National Forest in closing forest roads and the problems of early access to small fires. The West Yellowstone town meeting produced a heated exchange between some community members and the fire officials.
.. There is still some confusion about what constitutes "official notification" of a fire, the exact time of the notification, and the response made to the notification. Some community members have opined that they reported the fire as early as 9:30 or 10:00 AM. The "official report of a fire" is listed at 1:00 PM.
.. All involved parties acknowledge the difficulties of "finding the fire" and gaining motorized access. You can bet that this will become more of an issue if the fire reaches into Yellowstone National Park.

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.. Current incident map:

.. Google Map:

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.. One notable thing that happens when a mature lodgepole forest burns is the production of forage and habitat for species that could not live in a forest.
.. After the 1988 fires in Yellowstone a curious feeding behavior was noticed in the Madison Elk Herd (PDF.) Charcoal from the burned bark was being consumed by the elk in quantities never before observed. It's an interesting story.
.. Of course the additional light also lets grasses and forbs proliferate. This makes the elk even happier: - elk hunters too, since the burned area is in the out migration route for part of the Madison Herd.
.. Additionally, the Three Toed Woodpecker is happy. So are voles, squirrels, wildflower photographers, and salvage timber operators. We look forward to seeing how this affects the attitudes of those folks that weren't here in the aftermath of the 1988 fires.

Wolves & Bears - - Disney & Pornography

PUT IN YOUR $0.02 WORTH
Bears Still Not Out Of The Woods
And Now Disney?

.. The public comment period for the final wolf delisting will end on May 9, 2007. That's less than a week from today. If you are concerned about the wolves, their future, and how they will be managed; now is the time to comment.
.. In the February 8, 2007, Federal Register, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published its proposal to delist the gray wolf in the northern Rocky Mountains. It can be viewed HERE.
.. Public comments can be electronically mailed to NRMGrayWolf@fws.gov, hand-delivered to USFWS, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, MT 59601, or mailed to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wolf Delisting, 585 Shepard Way, Helena, MT 59601.
.. There are still concerns about the Wyoming plan to deal with wolves and the courts will have this portion of the delisting for quite some time. You can read the brief story in the Cody Enterprise.

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.. There has been much to read about the recent Grizzly Bear delisting. An article in the Billings Gazette sheds some light on the problems the bears will face as global warming causes the world to heat up.
.. From the possibility of fewer winter-killed elk to the changing behavior of Yellowstone's Cutthroat Trout, a variety of changing conditions will affect how the bears will have to adapt.
.. One adaptation that is receiving little attention is the adaptation to human presence. An essay in Carnivoria points to this very real situation and the continuing threat it poses to both the bears and humans. Yellowstone National Park will certainly have to deal with this more frequently as time goes by.
.. Earth Justice has been on top of the issue from the start, and feels that the recent delisting violates the original USFWS guidelines. This issue is still not resolved.

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.. There are a couple of items that relate to the Disney Corporation that may interest Yellowstone fans. A Step Apart comments on the expansion of the Disney Tour Company and the possibility of Disney Tours in Yellowstone. The comments are about a story originally published in the Miami Herald.
.. And children, who were expecting some Disney Channel cartoons were recently treated to a bit of a peep show as a cable provider substituted a pornographic segment for the family entertainment. From Trenton, New Jersey, to Seattle, to Great Britain, this story has made big news. Even Yahoo and MSN have carried a version of the story.
.. This bit of obscenity is probably not near as bad as what may happen if Disney really decides to provide tours in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and other National Parks.

Spring News Briefs

IT'S WARMING UP IN YELLOWSTONE

nps photo

Grizzly Delisted: N.Y. Times, Ralph Maughan, Ralph Maughan, National Parks Traveler, USA Today, Environmental News Network, Chicago Tribune, Local News 8, Denver Post,

East Entrance Access: New West, Yellowstone National Park (PDF), Yellowstone National Park (PDF), Ralph Maughan, Helena Independent Record, Cody Enterprise,

Bison Debate: Local News 8, KIDK News, KTVB News, National Parks Traveler, The Westerner, Casper Star Tribune, The Westerner,

Snowmobiles: Casper Star Tribune Net, Local News 8,

Wolves: Standard Net, Seattle Post Intelligencer, But That's Just My Opinion, C/NEWS, Casper Star Tribune, Black Bear Blog,

Global Warming: CAUSED BY TOURISTS !!!!

Global Warming: A Silver Lining ?

NOW WE NEED THE WHOLE STORY

.. The news media and the blogsphere have masticated the first blush report on Global Warming from the IPCC. The warnings are dire, and that may be a sugar-coated view.
.. National Parks Traveler has a peek into what the future may hold for the parks. A Step Apart has a bit more detailed view that details Yellowstone's possible future. All the major on-line sources are atwitter with the news, and there's no need to list links here.
.. There may be good news in all of this: genetic diversity. In September, 2004, Stanford University reported on research that they had been conducting in Yellowstone's Lamar Cave near Cooke City, Montana. The research entailed excavating a 30-foot deep rodent midden and identifying the remains. The pocket gopher and the Montane vole were the focus of the research. It took over seven years just to excavate the midden.
.. The results suggest that global warming contributes to genetic diversity. And the inference for today is that genetic diversity will prove to be adaptive during the stress of climate change. We wonder if the current buffalo herd is showing this as well? The elk? The wolves? The pines? The firs? The rangers?

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.. Interesting Reading:
- Stanford Research - report of findings,
- Science Blog - report of findings,
- Do Genes Respond to Global Warming? -- PLoS Scientific report,
- Holocene Climatic Optimum - Wikipedia,
- World Temperature Record - Wikipedia,
- Paleoclimatology - Wikipedia.

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.. Besides real estate speculation for ocean front property, we wonder what else we've missed in the rush to doom? After all, similar events about 6,000 years ago may have given rise to the socio-cultural structures that produced the phenomenon in the first place.

The Return Of Yellowstock

Infrequent though the posts are, they continue to inform us of things we should have seen here first. Welcome back Yellowstock.
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-- We're a bit late on this, but it deserves mention: Dirk Kempthorne has been doing a competent, (albiet low profile job,) in his post as Secretary of Interior. We were skeptical, however he has again surprised us by requesting the listing of Polar Bears as a threatened species.
-- It is even more surprising because of this quote from the USFWS page:

"Department of the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne announced that the Fish and Wildlife Service will propose listing the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The primary threat to polar bears is the decrease of sea ice coverage due to climate change."

-- The press release can be viewed HERE.
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-- The Helena Independent lets us know that a group of 41 bison was hazed into Yellowstone National Park from nearby Church Universal and Triumphant lands

Blind Cougars

STD's TO BLAME?
Bison vs. Elk
new bureaucrats

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.. Last year we posted a note about Yellowstone Cougars with bubonic plague. Now we note that just a few hundred miles to the east of Yellowstone National Park blind cougars have been found. The cause of the malady may be the STD CHLAMYDIA.
.. Researchers in South Dakota are examining two blind cougars to verify the suspicion that sex causes blindness.
.. Dear Old Dad warned us of a similar human condition.

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.. Bison are competing with elk in a serious way on the National Elk Refuge south of Yellowstone National Park. Biologists are concerned that the range is being hammered beyond repair.
.. There are ". . . way too many bison," according to Doug Brimeyer, wildlife biologist for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department in Jackson.
.. An EIS is currently being prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service to examine the situation and hunting as a means of control. An article in the Casper Star Tribune details the current situation.

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Yellowstone National Park has found the resources for two Deputy Superintendents.

<<-- Christine Lehnertz will be D.S. for resource management and business practices.

Colin Campbell will be D.S. for ranger operations and facilities management. -->>

The NPS Press Release details some of their qualifications and backgrounds.

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Yellowstone Cougars Have Plague

A WORD TO THE WISE

.. A note released by NBC, (via Reuters,) lets us know that the cougars of Yellowstone, (and Grand Teton,) have BUBONIC PLAGUE.

"In a little more than a year, four area mountain lions have died from the disease and several domestic cats have tested positive, said Ken Mills, a professor of veterinary sciences who diagnosed the cats’ disease in his University of Wyoming laboratory."

.. We pass this on to those of you intending to pet the big cats that you see hunting in Yellowstone this winter .
.. Here's what to look for and how to look for it.

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... This is probably a good time to direct your attention to an older story by MSNBC about the heavy pressure that our parks are under. The story has a couple of nice (?) slide shows of the problems in our parks.

Yellowstone's Winter Wordland

WINTER BRINGS WORDS

There's Much News Hereabouts

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Snowmobiles Continue To Make News

L.A. Times favors snowmobile ban.
Montana Standard Echos L.A. Times.
Even Aussies want 'em gone.
Some like them.
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Bison Get Top Billing Elsewhere

Missoulian reports escape from capture facility.
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Idaho Elk Fiasco Continues

Hybrids (red deer x elk) to invade Yellowstone?
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Bear Delisting Noted In Chicago

Chicago Tribune - good straight story.
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New West Leads The Charge

Real reason parks in decline.
Cabela's coming to Montana.
Sometimes it's O.K. to break the law, (truth in parables.)
Other reasons parks in decline.
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Ancillary Notes

Deny Yellowstone access from the east entrance?
Yellowstone returns skull.
Ancient court room rules Yellowstone.
Explosions vs. eruptions - new USGS proposals.
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It's About Time Department

A peoples history of Yellowstone?
See, also: Yellowstone Newspaper.

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Still Busy Yellowstone

WOLVES - BISON - WEBLOGS - MORE

New Yellowstone Electronic Field Trip, (HOT STUFF!)

news release

LYNX GET THEIR OWN SPACE, (but not in Yellowstone)

A surprisingly Rational Yellowstone Blog

(Yellowstone & Bison)

The Distaff Side Of Yellowstone

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.. We've learned that the National Park Service is making little progress in discovering who vandalised the safety fence at Arum. There are rumors and suspicions. If there is not a press release soon we'll report more details.
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IT'S BUSY IN YELLOWSTONE

What about the wolves?

ARE THEY DECIMATING ELK? . . . Find out HERE.
ARE THEY DESTROYING RANCHES? . . . Find out HERE.
ARE THEY SPREADING LIKE WILDFIRE? . . . Find out HERE.

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IS THERE A LAND BOOM AROUND YELLOWSTONE?

.. Are ranches becoming weekend retreats?
.. Can you fish where your dad did?
.. Too many fences?
.. Where are the cattle?
.. Is a scenic ranch good for the environment?
.. Find out HERE. Or, get more scary news HERE.

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YELLOWSTONE WILDLIFE

.. Want to Kill an elk? Try this site.
.. Want to know about wildlife disease in Yellowstone? Try this one.