Good News for Yellowstone’s Bison

Adult bison and calf in Yellowstone National Park. Photo: Arturo de Frias Marques.

Some people travel to kill the wildlife. Others travel to admire the same wildlife living in its natural habitat.

Most readers will surely be aware of the mass slaughter of the American Bison during the 1880s, when bison herds numbering in their tens of thousands were reduced to giant piles of bleached white bones in just a few short years. Thankfully, enough bison survived the slaughter to begin the reintroduction of this magnificent creature to some of America's national parks, including Yellowstone National Park.

In a previous post (Ending The Elephant Slaughter), I wrote about the campaign to end the continuing slaughter of this great animal for its ivory. In this post I am reproducing an article from the American Defenders Of Wildlife organisation that fights for the survival of many ever diminishing species on the North American continent, while also championing the reintroduction of threatened species to their former natural habitat.

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It’s getting better all the time for Yellowstone’s bison. 

Under Gov. Steve Bullock, the state of Montana is at last allowing bison that leave Yellowstone National Park to roam free year-round on almost 400,000 acres. And the National Park Service announced in January it is moving forward with a plan to relocate some of Yellowstone’s bison to tribal and public lands rather than send them to slaughter.

Bison wander at will when they stay inside park boundaries. But when snow falls in Yellowstone’s high country and grazing becomes difficult, bison often trek to lower ground outside the park. In the past, they were allowed only a tiny portion of public land during winter when cattle are not present. Not all bison leave the park, but those that did risked being rounded up and sent to slaughter in years when their numbers exceeded an arbitrary cap of 3,000.

Last year, some 900 animals were killed—just for searching beyond park boundaries for food. Defenders has long opposed the slaughter and advocated for wild bison restoration to the Great Plains as a much-needed alternative. 

In recent years, Defenders helped the Assiniboine, Gros Ventre and Sioux tribes of Fort Peck and Fort Belknap Indian reservations bring Yellowstone bison back to their ancestral lands. 

The latest relocation of 130 genetically pure bison (no cattle genes) occurred last year. These bison were the first “graduates” of a 15-year effort to study the feasibility of quarantining and testing bison for brucellosis. This contagious disease originally spread to bison and elk from Old World cattle in the last century. Ranchers often opposed bison grazing outside the park because brucellosis can cause cows to miscarry. However, there has not been a single documented case of bison transmitting the disease to cattle in the wild in Montana. 

“Yellowstone’s bison are our nation’s most genetically valuable bison,” says Steve Forrest, Defenders’ senior representative for the Rockies and Plains. “They are essential in our efforts to restore the species across North America and for too long they have been needlessly sent to slaughter. We are delighted with the governor’s new rule that gives bison room to roam. It finally acknowledges that bison are wildlife, not livestock, and recognizes that their seasonal, age-old winter migration routes know no political boundaries. Further, the park’s proposal is a win-win for bison and for the American public. We are so proud to see all our hard work paying off.” 

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Only select articles from Defenders are available online. To receive 4 issues annually of the full award-winning magazine, click here to become a member of Defenders of Wildlife!

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Protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Some good news out of Washington, DC. President Barak Obama’s Administration has moved to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, widely considered one of the most spectacular and remote areas in the world.

The Department of the Interior is releasing a conservation plan for the Refuge that for the first time recommends additional protections, and President Obama announced he will make an official recommendation to Congress to designate core areas of the refuge – including its Coastal Plain – as wilderness, the highest level of protection available to public lands. If Congress chooses to act, it would be the largest ever wilderness designation since Congress passed the visionary Wilderness Act over 50 years ago.

“Designating vast areas in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as Wilderness reflects the significance this landscape holds for America and its wildlife,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “Just like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is one of our nation’s crown jewels and we have an obligation to preserve this spectacular place for generations to come.”

The President’s decision builds upon years of public engagement by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to revise the Comprehensive Conservation Plan and complete an environmental impact statement for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as required by law. The plan will guide the Service’s management decisions for the next 15 years.

Currently, over 7 million acres of the refuge are managed as wilderness, consistent with the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act of 1980. However, more than 60 percent of the refuge – including the Coastal Plain – does not carry that designation.

Based on the best available science and extensive public comment, the Service’s preferred alternative recommends 12.28 million acres – including the Coastal Plain – for designation as wilderness. The Service also recommends four rivers – the Atigun, Hulahula, Kongakut, and Marsh Fork Canning – for inclusion into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is home to the most diverse wildlife in the arctic, including caribou, polar bears, gray wolves, and muskoxen. More than 200 species of birds, 37 land mammal species, eight marine mammal species and 42 species of fish call the vast refuge home. Lagoons, beaches, salt marshes, tundra and forests make up the remote and undisturbed wild area that spans five distinct ecological regions.

The refuge holds special meaning to Alaska Natives, having sustained their lives and culture for thousands of years. The Gwich’in people refer to the Coastal Plain of the refuge as “The Sacred Place Where Life Begins,” reflecting the area’s importance to their community, maintaining healthy herds of caribou and an abundance of other wildlife.

Since Congress is the only authority able to designate Wilderness areas and Wild and Scenic Rivers, one can only hope that Republicans and Democrats can put aside their differences long enough to turn this dream into a reality.

More information will be available at www.fws.gov

Crater Lake Under the Stars

Screenshot of the Star Trail home page

Ben Canales describes himself as “...an East Coaster, transplanted to the gorgeous Pacific Northwest,” where has taken to shooting stars with a passion, as can be seen in the time-lapse video below shot at Crater Lake National Park.

Ben writes: “This was certainly a demanding trip in all aspects: before/during/after, financially, and relationships. But, damn, the results are one of my favorite so far from the years I've been shooting stars.”

“My photography is about wonder. As adults we’ve lost the child-like wonder our world was beaming with when we were younger. I believe it is still there to be seen one just needs to work a bit harder to find it. My images are purposed to show the wonder of the sky as if you were standing under it yourself looking up.”

The time-lapse motion in the video is made possible by using the Dynamic Perception Stage Zero dolly system.

Ben maintains his own Star Trail website from where you can view and purchase a range of great images and see more videos. Music used in the video is by Joshua Radin.

At a length just 90 seconds, the video gives no idea of the real hours that must have gone into capturing the images, but the film gives city dwellers are real taste of exactly what it is they are missing out past the city lights.

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Crater Lake Under the Star -Reprocessed from Ben Canales on Vimeo.

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Lonely Planet Deals with Discount Codes

~ I recently wrote about a bunch of free iPhone applications being offered by Lonely Planet through the iTunes site. While that amazing offer has since ended, from time to time the company continues to offer good deals on some of their many other products.

For example, Lonely Planet are currently offering 30% discounts across the entire Gifts to Inspire category; and 30% discounts on all their National Park and Wildlife guides. You can also pick up a free Latin American or European phrase book with the purchase of the Peru country guide, or the Discover Europe guide book. And lastly, you can now buy the USA Book for just $19.99.

What's the catch?

These offers are available for a limited time only, and only if you use individual coupon codes with each purchase.

The 'good' news?

I just happen to have those coupon codes right here! So if you are planning a trip to Europe, Peru, or the USA (and are planning to visit some of America's great National Parks), then why not save yourself some money by following the links below and using the codes at the check out stage of your purchase to save some money.

Click here to Save 30% on Lonely Planet's entire Gifts to Inspire category. Use coupon code LPMOTHER

Click here to Get The USA Book for only $19.99. Use coupon code MEMUSA at checkout

Click here to Get a FREE Latin American phrase book with the purchase of the Peru country guide. Use coupon code NEWPERU at check out.

Click here to Get a FREE European phrase book with the purchase of Discover Europe guide book. Use coupon code SPEAKEU at checkout

And finally, click here to Save 30% on all National Park and Wildlife guides. Use coupon code PARKS at checkout

Note: Image for illustration purposes only