Of Weather, Wolves, & Webcams

AMMONIA FALLING ON YELLOWSTONE

Wolf Game & Wolves Game

webcams going all frigid

Yellowstone and Glacier are among nine parks where "significant worsening trends" of ammonium in the air were found, according to a recent National Park Service report on air quality trends from 1996 to 2005.

.. Mike Stark of the Billings Gazette reports about a study showing the continuing increase in air-born pollution in Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, and other areas of the Rocky Mountain West. Pollinating insects and plants could be the first elements affected. Rocky Mountain National Park has the highest levels of ammonia and scientists are noting the replacement of wildflowers with grasses. This could happen in Yellowstone and Glacier too. There is a possibility that the intensity of the ammonia fallout is ameliorating in Yellowstone.

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.. Wolf Quest, a free downloadable-game developed by the Minnesota Zoo and Eduweb, has caused such interest that the downloads crashed the server. The game's first episode is titled "WolfQuest: Amethyst Mountain," and allows the players to take the perspective of wolves in Yellowstone National Park. Downloads are outstripping the ability of servers to keep up. You can read the AP report HERE & HERE. (Map of Amethyst Mountain.)
.. The real wolves have a game of their own. They have found some more easy vittles near Dillon, Montana. Two incidents were confirmed by the Montana State Wildlife Services. In one instance two sheep were killed, in another a cow calf was killed. Traps were set in the first area in an attempt to capture the wolf, collar it, and determine if it's a lone wolf. A shoot on sight permit was issued to the rancher in the second incident. Read it HERE.

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.. The streaming webcam at Old Faithful, mentioned previously, is still in BETA. It's experiencing some icing problems and the views are intermittent as the cold weather invades Yellowstone. When it's good, it's very very good, and when it's bad . . . . . .
.. You can read about the woes of the webcam in the Casper Star Tribune HERE. You can view it yourself HERE. (Turn the narration off!)
.. If you are into wecams of the region go to the regional webcam links on Ralph Maughan's site. Many to view. (P.S. The Tetons are glorious today!)

nps photo

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.

Of Bears, Wolves, Elk, & Plastic Bison

BEARS ON THE RUN
Wolves Causing Stir
bison in fiberglass

.. Tomorrow, (Monday, April 30, 2007,) is the last day for Grizzly Bears on the endangered species list in the Yellowstone region. Already a lawsuit is being drafted. LINK.
.. Montana Officials say that they will stop monitoring grizzly bear activity in NW Montana unless federal agencies pay for the program. LINK.
.. Visit Yellowstone To Yukon to see where grizzlies can live in the proposed corridor of this conservation effort.
.. Wolves too, are now a different class of animals and, parallel to the grizzlies are much maligned and hated. The situation becomes one of human adaptation as well as animal adaptation. See the story in CDA Press.com for an interesting Idaho perspective.
.. Elk & Bison both carry brucellosis into Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming. This is becoming a real point of contention between Yellowstone National Park and the states and other federal agencies. The rift in approach to controlling and eradicating the disease is detailed in a story by BRODIE FARQUHAR in the Casper Star Tribune.
.. West Yellowstone has a different perspective on bison, and is painting a herd of plastic buffalo to attract visitors. It seems that real bison are just not enough for the merchants of snowmobile central. This is just one more illustration of the mentality of this tiny tourist trap.

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.. Plan now - do it now! For just $2,600 - or more, (no air fare,) you too can enjoy Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Link. Link.

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 !!!!

Interesting Notes From Ralph & Other News

.. Ralph Maughan's Wildlife News is an invaluable source about the happenings of wildlife. Although primarily dedicated to wolf news, the web of life demands a far more catholic approach - he provides it.
.. With a just year under its belt, ( it replaces his old site,) the blog has become a definitive site for reference and information about our wild neighbors and their interactions with the social environment that surrounds and confines them. It has become a "must click" for us. Dr. Maughan is also the president of the Wolf Recovery Foundation. Click on over to both sites for good insight and good information. Be careful, you can be sucked right in.

Recent informative posts include:
Fewer Elk to be fed on National Elk Refuge
Global Warming 'very likely' Man-Made
Is momentum building to rip out salmon and steelhead-killing dams?
Montana bill favors wolf, grizzly hunts
The Jarbidge bull trout

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.. Captivating take on wolves by Ben Mackintyre: "What Big Teeth You Have! Ideal for the Highlands."
.. From the High Country News: "Don't Part Out Our National Parks."
.. What does Yosemite have that Yellowstone needs? Check This.
.. Great Falls Tribune notes about Wolf Delisting.
.. From Scientific American: "Climate Change Science Moves From Proof To Prevention," "Science by Committee: Wrangling Over Climate Change in Paris," "Global Warming: As Paris Blooms in Winter, Scientists Debate Climate Change."

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.. From New West: "Montana Sues Wyoming Over Water," "Why It's Hard to Hail Wolf Delisting," "Geothermal Energy Controversy in Central Oregon."
.. From Grist: "Gore's New Flick (from last May,)" "Sarah Silverman on 'An Inconvenient Truth' - a must see!
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Of Wolves And Railroads

ARE GERMAN WOLVES

LIKE AMERICAN WOLVES?

ARE CANADIAN WOLVES

LIKE AMERICAN WOLVES?

What's Going On At The Grand Canyon?

Are They Red Or Are They Not?

Yellowstone's "Buddy Boulders"

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.. Thanks to Stephen Bodio's Querencia, we were directed to an L.A. Times article about wolves in Saxony and their behaviors, that are similar to those in Yellowstone. The behaviors and attitudes of their human neighbors are also similar.
.. Wolves are excellent at making a living, as are dogs, and cats and coyotes and cougars. If it's smaller &/or weaker it is potentially food. And if it's available to a pack, it's just plain food.
.. In the more densely populated German countryside the wolves are both hunter and scavenger. They enter the villages, they roam the pastures, and they make a living on the bounty of the land. They have become habituated to humans. Germany also has a social & economic system that recompenses farmers and ranchers for lost livestock similar to the one in the United States.
.. This year because of climatic and other environmental circumstances the wolves are taking a lot of elk calves in Yellowstone. The early winter elk survey shows that there are fewer bulls and more calves, and with the lack of snow cover it's just easier to make a living off of tender meat.
.. We all know about Little Red Riding Hood. We all know about the 3 little pigs. These ancient stories have meaning and truth to them, as do most parables. We all know how the wolves have been vilified in ancient tales and nursery rhymes. But what we seldom hear about are the contemporary tales of wolves attacking people. The attacks are rare and usually due to special circumstances, but they do occur.
.. Last September King's Outdoor World Blog posted a note about an unusual wolf attack. The attack was by a lone wolf, that proved to be in poor health. It was just trying to make a living in a Canadian provincial park. The wolf was just trying to make a living off of tender meat in the easiest way possible.
.. Six people were injured, from ages 3 to 14. The attack was in daylight and among a small crowd of people enjoying a holiday outing at the beach.
.. Are these "foreign" wolves like American wolves? They are. And, as the area around Yellowstone National Park becomes more densely populated, we can expect to have incidents and encounters with wolves. As time passes wolves will discover the easy meals; the tender meat. And, as the American Gentry move to the country there will be more encounters.
.. The discussion forum at King's Outdoor World Blog has a string of factual and other tales that help illustrate an overriding concern of ours. Will we lose all of our Poodles, Dachshunds and Jack Russel Terriers to wolves in the coming years?
MORE:
INTERNATIONAL WOLF CENTER
TOP SECRET ANIMAL ATTACK FILES

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.. It Must be coincidental. The book store at the Grand Canyon is attacked by PEER, the bloggers have a field day, truth turns out to be stranger than fiction, then Xanterra buys the Grand Canyon Railway, and Joe Alston decides to quit rather than accept a position in Washington D.C.
.. We really like these sorts of coincidental timings. They breed speculation. They fire the imagination. They provide words for blogs.
.. We suspect, however, that there is probably not too much to these events piling up on one another, (or is there?).
.. Joe just can't stay in one place too long. He never has, and he has stayed at the Grand Canyon, in the SES, longer than most would have stayed. PEER always needs Headlines, and bloggers always need words. And, as we all know Xanterra is busy monopolizing and privatizing the parks as fast as they can, (along with Delaware North.)
.. Xanterra even believes it already owns some of the parks:

"Xanterra properties include those at Death Valley, the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and the prestigious Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa Valley, California."

.. In-holdings are always a sore spot, but whole parks? This subtle tyranny of words is either intentional, or ignorant - either way it should rankle conscientious citizens.
.. The monopolistic concessionaires really enjoy the opportunity to gang up on the park service as they have done in Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. They are constantly talking about the 'economies of scale' and the efficiency of size. Should this sound just a bit thin, we direct you to an excellent post by Scott Silver at Wild Wilderness. The unholy alliances are all around us, and are going to continue.
.. For a pile of money as deep as the Grand Canyon, "Xanterra Parks & Resorts will take over the assets of the railroad company, including the trains, rail route from Williams to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, an RV park, restaurant and several real estate parcels in Williams." This is beginning to sound like the Disney Corporation.
.. The deal is final ----- pending National Park Service approval ----- HA. Wan'na' bet? How 'bout a ride on the rails? Want to see how the other half enjoys the Grand Canyon? CLICK HERE. And we bet that nobody complains that Xanterra is lying to children about going to the North Pole on their new "Polar Express."

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.. The not so wild elk that recently escaped from an Idaho game-hunting farm have been declared "Genetically Pure" by the members of the Idaho Elk Breeders Association.
.. This announcement comes as the Idaho State Legislature is considering eliminating the tame-elk hunting ranches. An escaped cow elk was killed and genetic tests showed probable Red Deer genes, based on a Canadian laboratory report. For the members list of the Idaho Elk Breeders Association visit their members page.

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.. A nifty bit of natural history has been reported by The San Francisco Chronicle. The phenomenon of buddy boulders is explored in a news essay "Like A Rock" wherein trees and their buddy boulders form a life-long symbiotic relationship. Examples of this are visible across Yellowstone.
.. Boulders can shade seedlings from harsh elements and the result is "buddy rocks", as seen especially in the flat known as "Little America" above the east bank of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone National Park. <<Photo by Mollie Rights.>>

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Bits & Pieces

YELLOWSTONE SUPPORTS

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.. GREAT PHOTO of a wolf doing its thing at the Outdoor Life Photo Gallery.
.. THE FEDS & WYOMING may be close to reaching an agreement on wolf management. The dispute revolves around what to call the animals, and where they can be called that. Check the AP article by Ben Neary for the latest complete details.
.. THE WORRY over the NPS view about book selling has spawned an interesting commentary in the form of a magnificent altered book by the Four Eyed Bat.
.. NEW WEST has published an unseemly first person advertisement under the guise of news. The guest writer is busy exploiting the new trend toward giant snow buses in Yellowstone. This is the first time they have stooped so low. Read the feature called "Critical Outfitter Now Embraces Yellowstone’s New Winter Tourism." My, my, my how the mighty have come to grovel.
.. AVALANCHE & TRAIL NEWS for snowshoe, ski, and snowmobiles in and around West Yellowstone and Yellowstone National Park is available at Yellowstone Snow and Trail Report. It is updated on Tuesdays and Fridays.
.. BUSY IS THE LOBBY, as The Blue Ribbon Coalition is rounding up pro-use citizens for its many endeavours. The Sno-Tracks page is getting lots of use lately. SnoWest Magazine is also getting in on the act with blurbs about the winter use planning process. Their last trip to Yellowstone was compliments of Yellowstone Arctic-Yahama. We're not a bit surprised: If New West can do it; so too the sledheads.
.. BIODIESEL is being strutted around by reference to the NPS use of it in Yellowstone National Park. The bedroom is getting crowded with Conoco-Phillips, TMCnet, Trucks World, The Yellowstone Park Foundation, Visa, Toyota, Unileaver, Coca Cola, Canon, and the NPS.
.. MURDER - SUICIDE is the verdict for the father & son deaths in Yellowstone National Park in September, 2005. Read the details in the Star Tribune coverage.
.. YELLOWSTONE IS RECRUITING for YCC. This is your chance to sign up for 8 weeks of residential work in Yellowstone National Park. Learn about it. Sign up for it.
.. ENOUGH SAID: Amadeus Selected by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts to Provide Fully Integrated Revenue Management Solution: Solution will enable Delaware North properties to better forecast demand and optimize revenue generating opportunities across all revenue streams.
.. TOYOTA RECALLS 9.3 million vehicles. These are critically important safety issues. Check your VIN!
.. MARY BOWMAR SAYS: "The National Park Service will increasingly look to outside sources in an effort to help maintain parks . . . we're much more business savvy than we used to be . . . it would be inappropriate to discuss the issue of snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park . . . There is no decision made on the snowmobile issue."
She said even more -- Read It Here.
.. ELK ARE IN THE NEWS - AGAIN, as the Idaho State Legislature has been prompted to action by the genetic contamination of the Yellowstone elk herd by Red Deer genes in a game farm outbreak. The issues are shooting elk in fenced enclosures, and regulating the 6,000 elk kept for "HUNTING?"
.. A WORKER'S POINT OF VIEW: this is what Yellowstone is really all about.

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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Yellowstone's Bears, Bison, Wolves, & Rich People

BEARS POPULATION EXPLODING
BISON HAVE RICH FRIENDS
Yellowstone can be bought - Yosemite can't
WOLVES EAT BEEF
Yellowstone is now 100% commercialized in winter!

.. Just because Yellowstone slammed shut it's doors to prepare for 100% commercial tours in the winter, doesn't mean there's no news.

.. Wolves kill elk on steps of Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel.
.. 108 luxury cabins planned for Yosemite stifled by judge.
.. Wolves solidifying gained ground - disperse slowly.
.. Tester vs. Burns - Stay tuned!
.. Grizzlies off threatened list?
.. The joys of shoulder seasons past and present.
.. Tourism gaining ground.
.. Kobuck the bear - trash can tester.
.. Wolf conservation vs. wolf control.
.. Patagonia Loves Bison Billboards.

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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.

BANNED FROM YELLOWSTONE ?

SNOWMOBILE UPDATE

-- Exceptional post by Neo Commons: YELLOWSTONE: A QUIET LANDSCAPE ?
-- Another by: The Retread Ranger Station: STILL ON THE ENEMIES LIST, I GUESS.

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Other Exciting Stuff

-- Test your administration.
-- Sound Data From Snowmobile Study Published, (PDF)
-- Save A Park - Lease A Building.
-- Snowmobile History.
-- Yellowstone Tourism Holds Steady.
-- Elk Attack In Yellowstone.
-- Yellowstone Earthquake Swarm.
-- Russia's Yellowstone, (geysers, great fishing, and all).
-- Earthquake preparedness.
-- A Frenzied Fall In Yellowstone.
-- Wolves: "If I see one, shoot it!"
-- Firmicutes - Bacteria found living two miles underground.
-- You too can be cremated in Yellowstone.
-- Subliminal nudity focuses mind.
-- Petoffleashia - Ranger Gord Strikes again!

WOLF AWARENESS WEEK

OCT. 15 - 21, Wolf Awareness Week

HUG A WOLF TODAY

Get all annual wolf reports for Yellowstone in PDF format HERE.

-- LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION --

International Wolf Center
Wolf Park
Yellowstone Wolf Tracker
Grizzly Discovery Center
Mission: Wolf
Wolf Education & Research Center
The International Wolf Center
Behavior, Evolution, Ecology of Wolves

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone Association Institute Yellowstone's partner in education since 1933 Yellowstone Park Foundation Dedicated to the protection and preservation of Yellowstone National Park Greater Yellowstone Coalition Doing much to keep the Yellowstone ecosystem stitched together Yellowstone Ecological Research Center Pioneering research in the Yellowstone ecosystem Wonders of Nature Images and stories from Yellowstone Park area including wolves, elk, scenery, and other wildlife Wolf Information & Organizations Defenders of Wildlife Leaders in wolf recovery and keepers of the livestock depredation compensation fund Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report up-to-date, detailed information on wolf recovery issues in the west, bison controversy, and other conservation issues. Yellowstone Wolf Project Report the National Park Service's report on wolves in the park U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service government reports on wolf recovery throughout the United States Southern Rockies Wolf Restoration Project a coalition of regional and national conservation organizations with one mission: ensuring the restoration of wolves to their ecological role in the Southern Rocky Mountains Das Wolf Magazin geht online ! Germany's voice for wolves in print and online The Wolf Recovery Foundation the first organization in Idaho completely dedicated to the restoration of wolves in the Rockies. Timber Wolf Alliance The Timber Wolf Alliance promotes and assists in achieving a sustainable population of wolves through public education in the western Great Lakes region with special emphasis in the Lake Superior basin. Wolf Clan of North America CLAN is the first and only organization in Quebec dedicated to protecting wolves. CLAN's objective is to expose the many aberrations and injustices surrounding the trapping of wolves and other animal species by trappers in Quebec’s wildlife reserves. TwoSocks supports the non-profit efforts of individuals, groups and associations which protect and preserve the habitat and future of wild wolves The Wolf Society of Great Britain Helping wolves in Europe through progressive means to build economies based on sustaining natural resources. Wolves and other Carnivores of Norway The Norwegian Carnivore and Raptor Society post information about the on-going plight of wolves in Norway. The Wolves Ontario! Project Created due to the dire situation facing wolves in Ontario, Canada. Wolf and Woods of Minnesota a collection of photos, books, videos and stories about one of my favorite subjects: the wolves and woods of northern Minnesota.

Yellowstone News Roundup

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.Park Seeks To Be Secret.
.Bison Hunting.
.Big Reward.
.Get Ginchy.

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.. The Draft EIS reported in our last post has been scrutinized by the Seattle Press Intelegencer and they report on the secret mission of the National Park Service to withhold information from the public - READ IT HERE.
.. The Helena Independent Record reports on the Montana Bison Hunt. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks have issued 124 licenses - READ IT HERE.
.. They also let us know about a wolf report. There are approximately 1,229 wolves in 158 packs in the Yellowstone area. This is an increase of 20% over the last year - READ IT HERE.
.. Cody Enterprise.com informs us that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has documented 34 cattle that were killed by wolves in Park County during the last year - READ IT HERE.
.. Yellowstone National Park is offering a big reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction for burglary - READ IT HERE.
.. The podcast is upon us. Read how the ipod can replace rangers in Yellowstone National Park at ParkCast.com. As the advertisement says, "Find Your Way The iPod Way."
.. The Olympian reports on the meeting between civic and business leaders & Yellowstone Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis, in Cody, Wyoming. The super says; that the parks need to launch a ". . . no child left inside" program - READ IT HERE.
.. For sensible thoughts about the restoration of predators visit VERBENA-19. A refreshing and sensitive look at ourselves from Canada.

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iPOD IMPACTS - READ IT HERE
..OR HERE..