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..

Thermophilic Algae

PARKS GET ROYALTIES ?

Voice Your Opinion
park camping down
yellowstone river
recycling.nps photo.

.. After over 15 years of poking around in Yellowstone's thermophiles, the government has decided to explore the ramifications of commercial exploitation of thermophilic bacteria. This has been expanded into a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for all of the National Parks. Not just the algae and bacteria of Yellowstone are addressed, (though they are the driving force,) but all of our park's resources are included in the EIS.
.. The National Park Service news release finally asks for public input. It's available HERE. It's reproduced below. The prefered alternative is:

"The preferred alternative would require researchers to enter into an agreement with the NPS before using their results for commercial purposes. Researchers would have to qualify under the strict standards for a park research permit before any discussion of a benefits-sharing agreement could begin. The agreement would require researchers to provide some benefit back to the park, such as staff training, new research equipment, royalties or money to be used to support resource conservation and management. Researchers would still be prohibited from selling specimens or samples collected in parks. Researchers would not be given any special privileges just because their research may result in a commercial application."

.. Yellowstone National Park is the lead agency in this review process, (as if they had so little to do already,) and the complete EIS information is available through the "Benefits Sharing DEIS Team, Yellowstone Center for Resources, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190." A Hard copy on CD is available.

NPS NEWS RELEASE

National Park Service News Release

For Immediate Release:
September 25, 2006
Contact(s): Al Nash, 307.344.2010

Gerry Gaumer, 202.208.6843

National Park Service Releases Draft Environmental Impact Statement On Benefits Sharing For Public Review

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addressing whether the National Park Service (NPS) should benefit from commercial applications arising from research in the parks has been released for public review and comment.

The Servicewide Benefits Sharing Draft EIS addresses the occasional circumstance when researchers who analyze small genetic or biochemical samples discover commercially useful scientific information. The alternatives in the draft EIS do not change the way research permits are issued or the way research is conducted in the national parks. The alternatives only change the obligations some researchers would have to parks as a result of their use of the research.

The alternatives address whether the NPS should benefit in some way if the outcome of research conducted in the parks can be used for commercial purposes, known as benefits-sharing.

The preferred alternative would require researchers to enter into an agreement with the NPS before using their results for commercial purposes. Researchers would have to qualify under the strict standards for a park research permit before any discussion of a benefits-sharing agreement could begin. The agreement would require researchers to provide some benefit back to the park, such as staff training, new research equipment, royalties or money to be used to support resource conservation and management. Researchers would still be prohibited from selling specimens or samples collected in parks. Researchers would not be given any special privileges just because their research may result in a commercial application.

The Draft EIS and an electronic form to submit comments on the internet can be found at the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. You need to select “Washington Office” and then click on “Benefits Sharing”. The Draft EIS is also available on CD or in hard copy by writing the Benefits Sharing DEIS Team, Yellowstone Center for Resources, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 82190.

Written comments may be submitted through the PEPC website, in person, or by mail. Comments will not be accepted over the phone, by fax, or e-mail. All public comments must be received or postmarked by midnight, December 15, 2006.

-www.nps.gov -

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..nps photo..
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.."Let's face it: It's hard to protect the parks if no one is interested in them," said Park Service statistician Butch Street. This quote from a news story about why park attendance and camping is down. Read it HERE.

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.. The Helena Independent Record reminds us of the Yellowstone River and its central role in Yellowstone. Read about it HERE.

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.. Recycling is a key topic in Yellowstone these days. "Five years ago, nearly 90 percent of the trash from Yellowstone's 3 million visitors each year found its way to the landfill. Now, about 65 percent of the trash is recycled." ''Twenty years ago, we were throwing everything in a garbage can and taking it to a landfill,'' said Steve Iobst, the park's chief of maintenance. ''That's not practicing what we preach.'' Read it HERE.

YELLOWSTONE DELAYED !!

HOW USUAL

JUST LIKE A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY
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. Well folks, after all the hoopla the "SOOPER VISITORS CENTER" at Old Faithful has been delayed.

.. HERE'S the AP press release:

Plans to build a new visitor center near Old Faithful geyser in Yellowstone National Park have been delayed at least a year. The park received only one bid for the project this summer, and park officials say it was too high. They're re-examining the project, to see if there's any way to trim the cost to match their 26 (m) million dollar budget. In the meantime, demolition is poised to begin at the existing visitor center at Old Faithful. Yellowstone spokesman Al Nash says it's not unusual for a large project to be delayed, especially in times of high materials costs and brisk construction business. About 85 percent of Yellowstone visitors go to Old Faithful. During the peak summer season, five-thousand to six-thousand people a day wait on the boardwalk for an eruption. And when it's over, they go to the nearby visitor center. (Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

.. Of coures there is still no YNP news release to share with you.

PARKS & ELK & WEDDINGS

nps photo by ken wilson ->

GENES TO BE MIXED
A Pertinant Point Of View
smokey mountain weddings

.. The ongoing fiasco of elk, genes, shoot-em-up, and poor law enforcement is making more news in the southwestern corner of Yellowstone National Park and the adjacent portions of Idaho; from whence cometh the herds.
.. KBCI in Boise tells us a bit about the story, so too does NWCN. Now we will have more debate about purity of genes and the pros and cons of genetic diversity. Well . . . . . . if you mess with Mother Nature . . . . And of course there is the the hunter fall out. New West is right on top of all of this.
.. As the winter approaches, and the sure revival of the winter access debate looms, there is an interesting article by Mark Dowie, in the High Country News. Maybe civilized discussion could be had if "the other person's shoes" were walked in for a spell.

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.. Right on the heels of our post about the exploitation of park facilities by religious ceremony's and the abuse of public facilities by the wedding industry, comes an announcement from the Smokey Mountains. Fees will be raised and implemented due to the costs associated with the wedding industry. At least someone in the National Park Service is paying attention. LINK.

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In the "Don't say your weren't warned," department.

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OF RLIGION & WEB CAMS

Get Married In A Park

Giant & Old Faithful Caught Together

.. Two of the most lucrative aspects of profiteering in the National Parks are: 1) the wedding business and, 2) the "FREE" use of park facilities for religious services. You won't hear about this from conventional news sources. You won't hear about it from members of congress. You won't hear about it from the National Park Service. You won't hear about it from the gateway communities.

<-nps photo
.. Weddings and wedding tours start in the neighborhood of $2,500 and go up from there. These take place in Yellowstone, Glacier, Yosemite, Arches, Grand Tetons, etc. They are often run by the same concessionaires that peddle you around the park in exhaust spewing luxury vans, and buses, and limousines. Some use helicopters or horses or rafts. What a kick. (Arches has a $50 wedding permit fee.)
.. Glacier Park, Inc. promotes it's weddings and charges for the services. They even include a 2.75% utility surcharge for staying in any of the five properties in the park.
.. Even more surprising is that the permit to hold religious services in Yellowstone is free - although if it's a wedding, the commercial photographer must pay a fee. This includes the chapel at Yellowstone.
.. Scheduling is a problem because there are already established special interests that have tied up most dates. There must be some kind of exclusive access that allows the perpetuation of "established" ministries to continue year after year. Of course free-will offerings and collections are allowed!
.. We wonder why the whiners who decry the commercialization of our parks ignore this aspect of filthy lucre? We refuse to speculate.
..We do know that maintenance, heating, & electricity in park facilities are expenses that could be offset by fees. We also know that the National Park Service was not created to subsidise weddings or religion. And, we doubt that these functions - IN ANY WAY - protect or preserve the resources. So; what gives? We've received no answers to our inquiries.
.. The Deseret News just ran an article under religion and ethics about this very situation. The piece includes many glowing remarks from religious entrepreneurs & praises for the parks. Although The NPS is charged with oversight for the public structures at Yellowstone; General Ranger Daven Hafey is quoted as saying that ". . .he doesn't know how many people attend because the Park Service doesn't get involved."

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WEB CAM COMES THROUGH

.. The Old Faithful Web Cam has just caught another wonderful "double." On screen is Friday's simultaneous eruption of Old Faithful & Giant Geysers. Giant, you may recall, has been surprisingly active throughout the Summer, and now that Fall weather and moisture have returned to the region there is hope that this behavior will continue.

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.nps web cam photo.

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