From the Field.…
Amazingly, another week has passed and the 18 wild bison bulls outside of Yellowstone National Park continue to roam free. On Wednesday, the DOL came out in force, backed by over a dozen law enforcement officers from various agencies. DOL spent the morning in a failed attempt to haze and capture 8 bison along the Madison River. These wily bulls continually eluded the DOL agents and finally lost them in the trees along the river. DOL agents managed to destroy one snowmachine and had to dig several others out during the operation.

In the afternoon, DOL set their sites on 10 bulls grazing near Horse Butte, but were foiled again. The bison were able to elude the agents, and with the help of BFC volunteers, spent the rest of the afternoon on private land designated as a Buffalo Safe Zone. We were all shown, once again, the power and grace of wild bison.

Unfortunately, the state of Montana demonstrated its willingness to stifle public opposition to the bison slaughter later in the day. BFC volunteer Brian Gharst was arrested at 4 p.m. while driving on a county road near Horse Butte. Gharst had been arrested on January 9th in a blockade of the 610 road, and Gallatin County law enforcement officers recognized him. He was charged with violating the conditions of release from the earlier arrest.

The joy that was felt over the continued freedom of the bison was slightly tempered by the incarceration of one of our volunteers. The realization that DOL would be back to harass and kill these tremendous animals only strengthens the resolve to continue our work in their defense. Volunteers were out with the bison at first light on Thursday morning, and will continue to do so until the last wild bison in America get the protection they deserve. --Pete Leusch

P.S. changes have been made to the Ehmani website. There is now a message / Bulletin Board.  You are now able to post questions and answers, along with being able to read the latest news or events dealing the the Ehnamani Organization. There can be several visitors on the Bulletin Board, at the same time posting questions and answers. Just go to http://www.ehnamani.org and choose the Bulletin Board option.
Thanks, Phillip "webmaster@ehnamani.org"

A special Thanks goes out to the Shoshonee - Bannock and their blessed donation of food for the campaign! Thanks!!!

Thanks, Bob ! for the warm stove so that our media office can stay warm and the computers don't literally "freeze up".

Thanks to Darla/Mashh for the wonderful first aid training this past weekend. And thanks - the boots are wonderful!

Our new video cameras are in the field today helping us document the atrocities against the buffalo -- thanks to the Humane Society of the United States!

February 1, 2001                  What you can do

Mike Dombeck will remain as the Chief of the Forest Service for another 100 days. Please contact him and ask him to take action for the buffalo before he is out of office. He can make a difference - let him know that citizens are concerned for the buffalo.
Some talking points.* In regard to Horse Butte -
Why was no pre monitoring for bald eagles done prior to setting up the capture/slaughter facility? The law clearly allows Forest Service Chief Mike Dombeck to revoke the Department of Livestock's permits to take bald eagles and capture Yellowstone bison on public lands for violation of any term, condition or law by the state of
Montana. By not conducting pre-monitoring for wintering bald eagles, the Montana Department of Livestock has once again flagrantly violated the terms and conditions of their permits.

Why has the USFS failed to contact USFWS over failure of the Ridge bald eagle nest to fledge young for the past two years, to determine the causes of such failure, and to determine if further consultation is necessary to protect other bald eagles nesting and foraging in the area (a condition of the Biological Opinion, Incidental Take Permit)

and most importantly -
the Record of Decision (SIGNED by MIKE DOMBECK!) states: "The livestock permit on the Horse Butte allotment is due for consideration and probably reissuance in 2001. The Gallatin National Forest will complete a NEPA process tiered to the bison management EIS before it issues a permit."-- ROD, Page 61.

Why then was the livestock permit reissued in direct violation of the Record of Decision. Is the Forest Service above the very laws that it writes? so - Why doesn't Mike enact the powers that he has Forest Service under 36 CFR; Section 222.4:"The Chief, Forest Service, is authorized to cancel, modify or suspend grazing and livestock use permits in whole or in part"and cancel the Horse Butte grazing allotments that were illegally issued by the Gallatin National Forest and in turn save taxpayers millions of dollars of unnecessary government waste?

Please take the time to talk with Mr. Dombeck before he leaves Washington D.C. and the mess that has been created is too difficult for his predecessor to sort out...

Mike Dombeck, Chief, Forest Service, Auditor's Bldg
201 14th Street, S.W. at Independence Ave., S.W.
Washington, DC 20024
phone: 202-205-1661.
email: mailto:Mike.Dombeck/wo@fs.fed.us

Please CC: his new boss, USDA Secretary Anne Venneman, and let Ms.
Venneman know that the buffalo are of critical concern to the public
that she has been appointed to serve
Telephone: 202-720-3631; Fax: 202-720-2166
200 A Whitten Bldg., 1400 Independence Ave. SW,
Washington, DC 20250
e-mail: mailto:Agsec@usda.gov

Thank you for speaking out in behalf of those that stand quietly in the snow.

Previous buffalo news       subsequent buffalo news        Buffalo INDEX