Biodiversity: Yellowstone bison get more room to roam

Posted on January 8, 2013 by Bob Berwyn
bison, buffalo

A bison grazes near a highway in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — A long-running battle over Yellowstone bison was at least partly resolved this week, as a Montana judge upheld a state policy allowing the animals to roam outside Yellowstone National Park without facing harassment and death.

The state rules were challenged by ranchers opposed to allowing bison to graze in the Gardiner Basin, just north of the park, important habitat in the winter and early spring. Federal and state biologists decided last year to allow bison seasonal access until May 1 of each year, opening critical foraging lands when higher elevations in the park lack spring grasses for bison and other grazing animals.

“Today’s ruling represents a victory for all those who want to see wild bison as a living part of the Montana landscape,” said Earthjustice attorney Tim Preso, who defended the bison policy in the case on behalf of the Bear Creek Council, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, and Natural Resources Defense Council. “The Yellowstone region’s bison herds are the descendants of the last wild bison in the American West, and today they stand as some of the last genetically pure bison in the world.  The court rejected the idea that the law requires slaughtering these magnificent animals whenever they cross the park boundary.”   (more…)

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Yellowstone NP wants more input on winter-use plan

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Park extends current guidelines through the end of this winter

A snowcoach passing bison on Yellowstone’s South Rim Drive. Photo NPS/JimPeaco.

By Summit Voice

FRISCO — After years of litigation and politically driven changes in policy, the National Park Service is inching closer to adopting a long-term winter use management plan for Yellowstone.

Winter travel via snowmobiles and snow coaches has been hotly disputed, as local business owners advocate for more access, while the park service and conservation advocates focus on trying to reduce impacts to wildlife and air quality.

For now, Yellowstone has decided to extend the current use plan for this coming winter, with a mix of snow coaches and snowmobiles, while the agency finalizes the long-term plan. (more…)

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Yellowstone slammed for cell tower plan

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Yellowstone webcam, courtesy National Park Service.

Watchdog group claims park service didn’t follow its own rules in approving a new location

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY —Despite some internal objections, Yellowstone National Park will move ahead with plans to install a fifth cell phone tower to provide coverage in the developed Lake Village area.

The tower could be approved sometime in the next few weeks, pending objections by a watchdog group claiming the tower plans were not subject to required public scrutiny and may violate National Park Service policy and the park’s own wireless plan.

Yellowstone developed a wireless plan in response to a poorly conceived proposal to add cellular service in the Old Faithful area. The changes were aimed at boosting public involvement. (more…)

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New plan for Yellowstone NP snowmobiling released

Posted on July 2, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Snowmobiles in Yellowstone. Photo courtesy Carlton University. Click to visit Carleton’s Yellowstone info page.

National Park Service looking for public comment on latest plan for managing over-snow use

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — If you thought that the National Park Service long ago settled issue of managing snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park, guess again.

The agency continues to struggle with developing a plan that’s strict enough to fulfill its legal obligations to limit air and noise pollution, while allowing enough wiggle room to meet the economic needs of nearby communities.

At one point, the park service was prepared to ban snowmobiles altogether, but that plan drew howls of outrage and a lawsuit from businesses and snowmobile fans.

At issue are impacts to wildlife, the overall visitor experience and potentially even to water quality, as some measurements have shown increased levels of carcinogenic compounds in the snow where snowmobiles travel. (more…)

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Wildlife: Yellowstone grizzlies are waking up

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Bob Berwyn

Grizzly bears. PHOTO COURTESY DR. CHRIS SERVHEEN/USFWS.

Park officials wary after two deaths last summer, will beef up info on use of pepper spray

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Yellowstone National Park rangers are warily watching as hungry grizzly bears start emerging from hibernation following a year when two hikers were killed in the park. Park officials are advising hikers, skiers and snowshoers to stay in groups of three of more, make noise on the trail and carry bear spray.

The number of human-bear encounters has spiked in the last few years, probably due to a combination of more human backcountry recreation and what is being called a food insecurity issue by wildlife managers. (more…)

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Yellowstone National Park sets winter-use plan

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Snowmobile, snowcoach use remains unchanged for now

Wolves surrounding a bison in Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO COURTESY DOUG SMITH/NPS.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — National Park planners say finalization of an environmental study for Yellowstone National Park will enable the park to open for motorized oversnow travel as scheduled on December 15.

This Final EIS will be available online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. The National Park Service intends to issue a Record of Decision selecting only the transition year from the preferred alternative, and then publish and implement a “One-Year Rule” for the upcoming 2011-2012 winter season. More on snowmobiles in the park at the Greater Yellowstone Coalition website.

Under the temporary one-year rule, up to 318 commercially guided, best available technology snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches a day will be allowed this winter into Yellowstone National Park. (more…)

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Yellowstone National Park: Rangers and biologists still searching for grizzly bear that killed hiker in late August

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Grizzly bear attacks are rare, and hikers are encouraged to carry pepper spray to deter attacks. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.

Aug. 25 attack the second deadly grizzly bear incident of the summer at famed park

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Rangers and wildlife biologists are still investigating last week’s a fatal bear attack in Yellowstone National Park, the second such attack in the park this summer. Daily reconnaissance flights over the area have resulted in very few bear sightings, the National Park Service said in press release.

The body of 59-year old John Wallace of Chassell, Michigan was discovered Friday, Aug. 26, along the Mary Mountain Trail. The investigation and autopsy results confirm that Wallace died Thursday, August 25, of traumatic injuries from a grizzly bear attack.

In the first fatal attack this summer, Brian Matayoshi, 57, was killed July 6 while hiking  with his wife, Marylyn, on the  Wapiti Lake Trail, which is located off the South Rim Drive, south of Canyon Village and east of the park’s Grand Loop Road. (more…)

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Yellowstone grizzly bear attack victim identified

Posted on July 7, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

Grizzly bear attacks are rare, and hikers are encouraged to carry pepper spray to deter attacks. PHOTO COURTESY U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.

Wife survived by playing dead; early investigation suggests bear acted to defend her cubs but killing will be reviewed by an interagency panel

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Yellowstone National Park officials released the names of two hikers who were attacked by a grizzly bear this week, and said that an initial investigation showed that the female bear acted in a purely defensive nature to protect her cubs.

In a press release, the victim of the fatal mauling was identified as 57-year-old Brian Matayoshi, who was hiking Wednesday morning (July 6) with his wife, Marylyn, on the  Wapiti Lake Trail, which is located off the South Rim Drive, south of Canyon Village and east of the park’s Grand Loop Road.

The couple was hiking west back toward their vehicle at about 11 a.m. when they walked out of a forested area and into an open meadow where they spotted the bear about 100 yards away. The began to walk away and when they looked back, they saw the bear running down the trail at them.

The couple began running, but the bear caught up with them, attacking Mr. Matayoshi. The bear then went over to Mrs. Matayoshi, who had fallen to the ground nearby. The bear bit her daypack, lifting her from the ground and then dropping her. She remained still and the bear left the area. (more…)

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Grizzly kills hiker in Yellowstone National Park

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Bob Berwyn

An adult grizzly bear in the brush. PHOTO COURTESY THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE.

Rare attack is the second bear-caused fatality this year in the North American wild

SUMMIT COUNTY — A hiker in Yellowstone National Park was killed by a grizzly bear sow Wednesday morning (July 6) after surprising the bear and her cubs along the popular Wapiti Lake trail.

It was the first time since 1986 that a visitor to the park has been killed by a grizzly, according to a press release from the National Park Service.

Altogether, about 28 people have been killed by bears in the past 10 years. Bearplanet.org maintains a listing of known bear attacks.

Last summer, a camper was killed by a grizzly in late July in Montana’s Gallatin National Forest. Several other campers were injured in the same incident, when a bear bit or tore through several tents. (more…)

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Are beetle-killed forests more flammable – or not?

Posted on September 14, 2010 by Bob Berwyn

‘Bugs and fires are neither good nor bad, they just are.’

How fire-prone are Summit County's beetle-killed forests?

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Using satellites to map beetle-killed areas and forest fires in the West, a team of researchers say they are not finding much evidence that large fires occur more often or with greater severity in forest tracts with beetle damage.

The findings are in line with other recent studies that examined the relationship between beetle-kill and fires. There is strong evidence that, in some cases, beetle-killed forest swaths may actually be less likely to burn.

According to conventional wisdom, beetle-killed forests are fire disasters waiting to happen, but it may not be quite that simple — especially because some forest managers and fire officials have been hanging their hat on the pine beetle-fire danger link for quite some time. Some tend to shrug off research that runs counter to their message, which, at best, is overly simplified. At worst, it’s dangerous, because it confuses the critical safety message that trees — whether dead or alive — need to be cleared and thinned well away from homes, neighborhoods and important infrastructure in order to prevent fire damage. (more…)

Filed under: Environment, forest fires, forests, pine beetles and wildfires, Summit County Colorado | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

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