--- begin forwarded text
From: Buffalo Folks <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Buffalo face DOL Spring Insanity...
Sender: <[log in to unmask]>
* Brief hi from the Field! DoL out in full force harassing buffalo
(no cows due in area for months....)
* Mother's Day
* Spring Calf (born on day of last hazing) Dies Outside West Yellowstone
* Banner Hanging Activists Released On Their Own Recognizance
* Department of Livestock Hazes 30+ Buffalo; Activist Arrested
________________________
Friends of the Buffalo,
Facing our most hectic week of the year, we've faced four of our
friends being jailed in the past two days in our work to protect the
Yellowstone buffalo herd and make their plight known to the world.
Even as I write, the radio buzzes with transmissions from the field.
The DOL is out in full force, hazing more than 30 buffalo along
Highway 191. It looks as though they're trying to chase them to the
capture facility at Duck Creek.
Because we're so busy, and we need to get this out to you today, this
week's update will take the form of recent press releases, including
today's.
Tuesday's rally in Big Sky (see press release & web page), in which a
20x50 foot
banner was hung from a ten story building, was funded entirely by the
activists who organized it.
If you would like to help, please send a donation care of the Buffalo
Field Campaign and say you want it to go toward reimbursement for the
Big Sky action, it would be appreciated.
Thanks for you continued support. It really does keep us going. And
remember - if any of you can make it out to work with us before May
15th - you'll have a warm bed and good meals and some quality time
with some buffalo!
For the Buffalo,
Dan Brister
Buffalo Field Campaign
(formerly Buffalo Nations)
PO Box 957
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070 phone
406-646-0071 fax
mailto:[log in to unmask]
http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo
__________________________________
A Mother's Day and Women's Rally is being planned for Thursday May 11
at 2:00 PM in front of the DOL building in Helena. This is to honor
the spirit of our sister buffalo and to bring attention to the
tragedies and difficulties they face each spring when it is time for
their calves to arrive. Anyone who would like to participate is
welcome. Please feel free to contact me with any ideas you have for
activities that could take place during this rally. I would like to
see it be peaceful and respectful. I plan to offer up a prayer for
the buffalo. Children are more than welcome.
For the Buffalo....
Contact Flo for more info at mailto:[log in to unmask]
___________________________
Spring Calf Dies Outside West Yellowstone
April 9, 2000
West Yellowstone, MT- The first buffalo calf born outside the west boundary
of Yellowstone National Park died early this morning. Buffalo Field
Campaign (BFC) volunteers, on their early morning patrol of the north side
of the Madison River, noticed the carcass among trees where the calf and
its mother had been feeding for the past few days.
The buffalo was born during the early hours of Thursday, April 6, just
before the most recent hazing operation conducted by the Montana Department
of Livestock. Using cracker barrel shotguns and snowmobiles, the DOL ran a
mixed herd of fourteen buffalo more than two miles from the Gallatin
National Forest to the park.
BFC volunteers stood between the DOL and the calf and its mother. By the
DOL's own admission, the calf was too young to move. Since Thursday, BFC
volunteers have noticed its deteriorating condition.
"The DOL say they are ensuring the health safety of livestock and citizens
but chasing pregnant females around makes no sense even from a disease
control point of view," said BFC volunteer Pete Leusch, who was first to
discover the dead calf. "Hazing causes unnecessary stress for pregnant
buffalo, as well as pregnant elk and moose, thereby increasing the risk of
abortion, the very condition the DOL is supposedly concerned about."
There were several pregnant cows in the herd on Thursday, who were chased
across highway 191 and over a guardrail. Buffalo migrate along the Madison
every Spring, on their way to Horse Butte, a favorite Spring feeding ground
for buffalo as well as elk, moose, grizzly bear, and bald eagle.
There are no cattle on these National Forest lands until June 15.
Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers defend the buffalo on their traditional
habitat and advocate for their protection. BFC is the only group working
in the field every day to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo.
_____________________
Banner Hanging Activists Released On Their Own Recognizance
April 12, 2000
Big Sky, MT- Early this morning, three Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC)
volunteers, Dieka Gericke (27), Tiffany Brown (22) and Robert Zweifel (30)
were released on their own recognizance from the Virginia City jail in
Madison County, Montana. Gericke and Brown were charged with criminal
trespassing and obstruction of a peace officer. Zweifel was charged with
criminal trespassing. All three plead not guilty.
The two women were arrested yesterday morning at the Summit Hotel at Big
Sky Mountain Resort after hanging a 20x50 foot banner off the 10th floor
balcony. The enormous banner read "Racicot's Buffalo Slaughter Kills
Tourism" and depicted two lavishly painted decapitated buffalo heads.
The women were protesting Marc Racicot's continued harassment and slaughter
of the last wild and free roaming buffalo in the United States. Protected
as wildlife inside Yellowstone National Park, buffalo are demoted to
livestock when they enter Montana and are placed under management of the
Montana Department of Livestock.
"What has Governor Racicot done for the tourism industry? His continued
policy of harassing and killing wild buffalo has initiated national
boycotts targeting tourism in Montana and yet he says he wants to encourage
growth of the already 1.5 billion dollar a year industry. People don't
travel to Montana to see dead buffalo, they come to see wildlife and world
renowned scenic landscapes," said Dieka Gericke.
The huge banner was hung as part of an all-day rally organized by the
Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) to call attention to the hypocrisy of Governor
Racicot's conflicting stances on tourism and the buffalo who draw visitors
to the region. Activists performed guerrilla street theater this moring at
11am, including a skit illustrating the close ties between Montana Governor
Racicot and Department of Livestock (DOL) agents. An 11 foot-tall Racicot
killed throngs of buffalo while a larger than life-sized buffalo skeleton
paraded outside the Big Sky Conference Center where the Governor spoke.
The demonstration was held outside The Governors Conference on Tourism and
Recreation that took place Monday and Tuesday at Big Sky. The Governor
spoke Tuesday night and made no defense of his continued slaughter of our
national heritage, the last wild and free roaming buffalo.
Lt. Governor Judy Martz, a front-runner for the Governor's seat said,
"Montana has not shot or put down a buffalo in two years. We do not like
to put down these majestic animalsbut in fact we cannot let them destroy
our number one industry [the livestock industry]."
In fact, the State of Montana slaughtered nearly one hundred bison just a
year ago.
Jim Coefield, Ecosystem Defense Specialist for the Missoula based Ecology
Center, criticized Martz statements: "Where was Judy last year when all the
buffalo were being slaughtered? Hiding in Marc Racicot's shadow?
Obviously she is too out of touch with wildlife issues to be a serious
candidate for governor. Here she is at a tourism conference that is trying
to build on and promote the billion and a half dollar tourist economy and
all she can do is spout 19th century propaganda lauding the cattle
industry."
"Our actions yesterday were committed to challenge citizens and politicians
throughout the U.S. to hold Racicot responsible for his unscientifically
based slaughter of the Yellowstone National Park (YNP) buffalo. We hope to
spread awareness of Governor Racicot's slaughter of more than 2,000 buffalo
in the past eight years. As a possible candidate for Vice President or a
cabinet position, is Governor Racicot someone we would want to manage
public lands and wildlife when he has only demonstrated his kowtowing to
the Montana cattle industry?" stated Tiffany Brown.
Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers defend the buffalo on their traditional
winter habitat and advocate for their protection. Buffalo Field Campaign
is the only group working in the field everyday to stop the slaughter of
Yellowstone's wild buffalo.
_________________________
Department of Livestock Hazes 30+ Buffalo; Activist Arrested
April 13, 2000
West Yellowstone, MT--The Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) hazed more
than 30 bison today in an unsuccessful attempt to chase the animals into
Yellowstone National Park. In a rash of separate hazing operations, DOL
agents fired cracker barrel rounds from snowmobiles and four-wheeled ATVs
as they pursued the bison.
A lone bull who has been grazing near the Duck Creek capture facility since
December was subjected to his second hazing operation in three weeks. DOL
agents on snowmobiles chased the bull a few hundred yards into Yellowstone,
committing multiple violations of park closures. This area of the park is
closed to all human use at present to protect sensitive grizzly bear
habitat, and is closed at all times to motorized use. Fresh grizzly tracks
were observed in the immediate area as recently as Tuesday.
BFC volunteer Alan Ramos was arrested this afternoon on two counts of
obstruction for attempting to slow approaching vehicles as the DOL hazed 30
bison along Highway 191 toward the Duck Creek trap. The agents made no
attempt to warn oncoming traffic. BFC video footage documenting the arrest
was confiscated by Gallatin County Sheriff's Deputy Rob Burns. Ramos was
released on $340 bail.
"Today's events are further proof of the futility of hazing as a management
tool," said Emily Kodama, a volunteer with the field campaign. A week ago
the DOL hazed 14 buffalo back into Yellowstone, yet today there are nearly
three times that number outside the park.
Marcus Baker, who was present during the operation, further observed,
"When they started hazing this morning there were eight bison outside the
park. Now, after the operation, there are more than 40. It makes you
wonder about the effectiveness of their operations."
It appeared the DOL intended to haze the bison into the Duck Creek trap,
despite recent assurances from Rob Tierney, DOL's director of bison
management, that this season's actions would be restricted to hazing only.
Tierney's actions are the latest in a series of official misrepresentations
of the state's buffalo management policies. At the Governor's Conference
on Tourism held in Big Sky on Tuesday, Montana's Lt. Governor Judy Martz
made the blatantly false statement that, "Montana has not shot or put down
a buffalo in 2 years. We do not like to put down these majestic
animals...but in fact we cannot let them destroy our number one industry
(the livestock industry)." In fact, 96 buffalo were killed by the state of
Montana last winter alone. Martz is the Republican front-runner for
Governor Racicot's position.
Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers defend the buffalo on their traditional
habitat and advocate for their protection. BFC is the only group working
in the field every day to stop the slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo.
________________________________
4/14/00 is the last push deadline for the sign on to the National
buffalo petition so we can present it during the Week of Action-
Please pass the URL on to friends, family, press and newsgroups so
that folks can get signed on!!
http://www.wildrockies.org/buffpet/
Thanks!
for the earth!
_________________________________
Schedule a showing of the Buffalo Compilation Video in your
community. for more info: mailto:[log in to unmask]
Let us know at mailto:[log in to unmask] if you will be
showing it in your community during the National Week of Action in
April! Let us know about any prayer ceremonies or demos that are
planned also! Thanks!
___________________________________________________________
New info daily : http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo
BFC is the only group working 365 days a year in Yellowstone with the buffalo.
Which T-shirt do you like the best? -
http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/teez.html
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Rex L. Bavousett
Photographer
University of Iowa
Our old name: University Relations - Publications
Our new name: University Communications & Outreach - Publications
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http://www.uiowa.edu/~urpubs/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
voice: 319 384-0053
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