Jane,
I have the Executive Summary of the EIS and have gone over the
alternatives.  There is so much to look at and take it.  However it
tends to boil down to the fact that Montana does not want to take on
any responsibility of managing their cattle herds.  They want the
Park Service to pay for over 90% in all the alternatives.  The
alternatives also continue to support the hunting of the bison in
various phases.  I feel that the US Gov. needs to tell Montana to
back off and to take responsibility for their over grazing, putting
cattle on Nat'l Forest leases to early in the season, and not taking
the cattle off the leases earlier enough in the season.  The
alternatives do address vaccines for the bison at US taxpayer
expense, but they still call for the slaughter of female bison in
some cases when there is no real need to do so.  It is really hard to
address this without having the FEIS in front of me.  Shall I bring
it to the Dinner?

There are several other issues that are being addressed at the same
time as the bison issue, which are closely tied together.
*One is the issue of Snowmobile use in our parks.   The study of
snowmobiles in Yellowstone is due to be made public in November.
Once the study comes forth we should see the need/and facts/ to end
the use of snowmobiles in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons.  There
was a call for ending the snowmobile use in most parks.  Herbert
Hoover in Iowa, Yellowstone and the Tetons were included.  But due to
the curent study underway, they are holding off on their final
decision in the Greater Yellowstone area.
*A second issue is the continuation of the Wolf Restoration in the
Northern Rockies.  There are calls to de-list the Wolf from the
Endangered Species Act.  This would be a premature de-listing.
However, ranchers and republicans are pushing for this to occur.  The
US Fish and Wildlife Agency (and possibly Bruce babbitt) is be
supporting this effort as well.  This all affects the Greater
Yellowstone Ecosystem. Then there is also the Grizzly Bear issue and
concerns over roads.

I have sent in additional comments after the the FEIS came out.  I
didn't go with any one single alternative.  I sent in a modified
version very similar to the Greater Yellowstone Coalitions.

Here is the Bison Final EIS summary.
http://www.nps.gov/planning/yell/bisonfinal/

Here is the Greater Yellowstone Coalition website
http://www.greateryellowstone.org/
Here is the GYC lastest newsrelease
http://www.greateryellowstone.org/bison_newsrelease.html

Hope this answers your question.
Rex


>Rex -- have you heard anything about this yet?  Jane C.
>
>
>GOVERNMENT'S FINAL YELLOWSTONE BISON PLAN IGNORES PUBLIC CONCERNS:
>After receiving more than 67,000 comments on its Draft Environmental
>Impact Statement, nearly all of which opposed the government's preferred
>bison management alternative, the federal government has developed a
>modified preferred alternative that fails to provide any significant
>protection to Yellowstone's bison. Letters are needed by October 17.

--
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Rex L. Bavousett
Photographer
University of Iowa
Our old name:  University Relations - Publications
Our new name:  University Communications & Outreach - Publications
100 OPL, Iowa City, IA 52242

http://www.uiowa.edu/~urpubs/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
voice: 319 384-0053
fax: 319 384-0055
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT
to [log in to unmask]