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Bull Buffalo Shot, 7 Captured and Slaughtered
Buffalo Supporters,
Yellowstone National Park continues to be a death zone
to the last wild American buffalo. On Monday, March
8, the National Park Service shot a bull buffalo inside
the park near the north entrance and captured seven
other bulls in the Stephens Creek trap, where 307 buffalo
have been captured since the last week of February.
All seven of the captured bulls were sent to slaughter
without being tested for brucellosis, the supposed reason
for the killing. Bull buffalo are incapable of transmitting
brucellosis and there has never been a documented case
of wild buffalo transmitting the bacteria to livestock.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the Park Service,
an agency who once offered the buffalo protection, is
doing the bidding of Montana's powerful livestock industry.
In the past three weeks, Park officials have invited
the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) into Yellowstone
on at least five separate occasions to load up 145 native
buffalo and truck them to slaughterhouses in Montana.
At the same time, Yellowstone's northern range is beginning
to resemble a ranch, with 154 buffalo being fenced in
confinement and 79 calves and yearlings receiving ear
tags and injections of RB51, an ineffective vaccine
designed for domestic livestock.
The Yellowstone herd is a national treasure, for it
is the only herd in America to continuously occupy its
native range. These buffalo are a living link to the
great herds of millions who once thundered across the
plains. They are behaviorally and genetically unique,
being the last truly wild buffalo. Yet the very wildness
that sets them apart is being eroded with each passing
day.
On the Park's western boundary, near West Yellowstone,
the DOL continues to waste tax dollars on buffalo harassment.
On Tuesday afternoon agents descended on Cougar Creek,
where an old buffalo bull has been peacefully grazing
by the side of Highway 191 since November. The agents
chased the bull back to the park with their snowmobiles.
BFC volunteers have been very busy this winter and we
won't have a break anytime soon. Some of us are heading
to Washington, DC next week to help educate lawmakers
about the current slaughter and to gain support for
H.R. 3446, the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act.
Please read for specific ways you can help us in our
efforts to gain protection for the Yellowstone buffalo.
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* Help us Pass the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation
Act
--National Call in Week for the Buffalo, March 15-18
Thanks to your efforts, we continue to gain cosponsors
for H.R. 3446, the Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation
Act. This week, we are pleased to report that 69 House
Representatives have signed on to this critical legislation.
We will be meeting with dozens of U.S. Representatives
next week and hosting a Buffalo Summit on Capitol Hill.
We need your help in making these efforts as effective
as possible. Please call your representative next week
and urge them to support the bill.
Check http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/politico/3446.html
for talking points and to see if your Representative
has signed on. If they haven't, give them a call and
strongly urge them to do so. If they have, please thank
them and encourage them to speak with their colleagues.
You can contact your Representative by calling the Capitol
Switchboard at 800-839-5276, and asking to be transferred
to his/her office. Or, you can use http://www.house.gov/writerep
to look up your Representative and send them
an email.
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* BFC in Washington DC--Save the Date--Save
the Herd--Spread the Word!
The Buffalo Field Campaign is travelling to Washington,
DC the week of March 15th, and will join other
organizations for a busy week of meetings with members
of Congress, urging their support for H.R. 3446, the
Yellowstone Buffalo Preservation Act. On Thursday, March
18th, BFC field volunteers will give a presentation
at the Georgetown Patagonia store. We will show video
footage from the field, talk about the plight of Yellowstone's
buffalo, and legislation currently before Congress.
The event begins at 7:00 pm, and will be held at 1048
Wisconsin Ave., NW, Washington, DC.
HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! We want a large turnout, and
need help putting posters up around town. If you can
help, please visit http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/politico/flyers-east.html
to print out a choice of three fliers. Just fill in
the When and Where information and post them everywhere!
Bring your friends, family, coworkers, and anyone you
know who cares about buffalo. This will be an unforgettable
and inspiring event that you won't want to miss.
See you in DC on March 18th!
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* Oppose the Buffalo Hunt
-- Send in your comments today to Montana Fish, Wildlife
and Parks (FWP), and oppose the state's proposed buffalo
hunt. This so-called "fair chase" hunt is
not only unethical, it's not even supported by
hunting organizations. Just another tool to eradicate
buffalo from Montana, it is all too clear that the MT
Department of Livestock (DOL) - the agency that would
authorize and manage the killing - wants to use this
proposal to shift some of the focus and blame away
from their involvement in buffalo slaughter. Speak out
today for the buffalo and let FWP know you strongly
oppose this hunt! Go to www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/press04/huntcomments.
for talking points and contact information. Send your comments
in before March 12!
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* Write a Letter to the Editor
-- If you've already taken action on the two issues
mentioned above - and even if you haven't - please write
a letter to the editor of local, national, or Montana
papers. The editorial page is the most widely-read section
of the paper - and that includes decision-makers - so
it's a terrific way to get the word out, and demonstrate
strong public support for ending the buffalo slaughter.
For a list of national and state papers to target,
please visit
http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/politico04/030304%20write%20LTE.html
If your letter is printed, please send us a copy!
Send your letter via email to bfc-media@wildrockies.org
or bu mail to BFC-LTE, P.O. Box 957, W. Yellowstone,
59758. Many thanks for your continued efforts on
behalf of the buffalo.
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* Support BFC -- Buy a Beautiful CD
Greetings Friends,
First - during these difficult times when our four-legged
family is being treated with such disrespect by public
agencies - it is a true blessing to know that there
are so many fine folks out there with huge hearts advocating
for them. From the comments generated on the upcoming
proposed hunt to the special prayers and the calls to
reps in Washington D.C. - together we are truly making
a difference. Thanks for your support and efforts on
behalf of the buffalo! The cost of feeding and housing
volunteers, equipping our patrols, and working to change
management policies are very high and we need your financial
support. Some of our fine supporters at Cedar Tree Music
have opened their hearts to help us generate some much-needed
funds. Thanks for sharing the following details with
your friends and enjoy this magical music.
Thanks for all of you who have been as generous as our
volunteers are tenacious!
*** Independent recording artist Kristine Robin has
committed to donate 30% of direct sales from her new
CD, "Everchanging Tides," to the Buffalo Field
Campaign!
"These beautiful bison deserve our respect, and
those working to protect them 24/7 need our support."
- Kristine Robin
"Everchanging Tides is a beautiful CD, and Kristine
blends a history rich with Celtic and Appalachian childhood
experiences with decades of traditional Native American
influences. She has generously chosen to use the sales
of her CD to help causes and individuals that demonstrate
a dedication to compassion, the environment, social
justice, and community. You can hear Kristine's songs
and benefit the Yellowstone buffalo through a CD purchase
by visiting her website, www.kristinerobin.com.
You can also order CDs by calling 1-800-399-2102 (or
707-472-0908). Just mention "BFC" when ordering.
Sales must be through either Kristine's website or phone
numbers to be eligible for the donation (not from Amazon
or other sources.)
"I can see the faerie in Kristine. How magical.
Reminds me of Rivendell of Lord of the Rings."
- Margaret Ryan, BC, Canada
"I was listening to Kristine's CD in my car while
parked at a beautiful vista, and just started to cry
it was so powerful."
- Katherine Karr, California
Thank you for your support!
For the Buffalo!
Su
bfc-programs@wildrockies.org
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