WFLF COMPASSION FOR WILD CANIDS CAMPAIGN

LIVE BAIT DOG TRAINING IN INDIANA

2010-01-15T21:38:00.001-08:00

LIVE BAIT
DOG TRAINING IN INDIANA

ETHICALLY INDEFENSIBLE

ECOLOGICALLY RECKLESS

COUNTER TO SOUND SCIENTIFIC WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

Current loopholes in Indiana ’s wildlife regulations allow the capture and killing of coyotes and red foxes by dogs in the wild. Moreover, no rule or law exists prohibiting the trapping and selling of coyotes and foxes in state or across state lines to “penning” facilities where these wild canines are then used to “train” hunting dogs in “running pens.” Operators of the running pens often charge a fee for individuals to “train” their hunting dogs on the captive coyotes and foxes. Penned wild canids are often killed by being torn apart by the dog pack. Other States are moving away from such barbaric activities such as the use of “running pens”.
As a society we have decided that dog and cock fighting are ethically indefensible and we have banned these practices nationwide. Setting dogs onto wild animals has no place in a civilized society.

Does Indiana want to be known worldwide as supporting and facilitating such cruel ‘sports’?

PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY TO HELP STOP THE BARBARISM!

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED AHEAD OF A CRUCIAL MEETING OF THE INDIANA NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION ON MARCH 16 2010. A DECISION WILL BE MADE ON TWO CITIZEN’S PETITIONS. ONE IS TO DISALLOW RUNNING PENS IN INDIANA AND THE OTHER IS TO STOP THE KILLING OF FOXES AND COYOTES BY DOGS.

PLEASE CONTACT THE NRC OFFICIALS LISTED BELOW AND THE GOVERNOR OF INDIANA IN SUPPORT OF BOTH PETITIONS.

Your comment must include your address.

· Email Jennifer Kane jkane@nrc.in.gov

· Email Sandra Jensen sjensen@nrc.in.gov

· Email or call Governor Mitch Daniels mdaniels@gov.in.gov telephone 1-317-232-4567

You may also write the Governor at:

Office of Governor Mitch Daniels
200 W. Washington St #206
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2731

--

Information courtesy of:
CeAnn Lambert
Indiana Coyote Rescue Center
www.coyoterescue.org

Help stop the Aerial Gunning of Alaska's Wolves

2009-07-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

Help End Aerial Wolf Killing: Urge Your Representative to Co-Sponsor the PAW Act

So far, more than 1,000 wolves have been chased down by gunmen in low-flying aircraft and killed with high-powered rifles. This year alone, more than 250 wolves have been killed -- putting the 2008/2009 aerial wolf killing season on pace to become the deadliest in years.

Congressman George Miller will soon re-introduce the Protect America’s Wildlife (PAW) Act, federal legislation to end the controversial practice of using aircraft and gunmen to chase and kill wolves in Alaska.

Will you urge your representative to help get the PAW Act passed into law?

Take Action!

Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

Wolves Back on ES List

2009-06-29T09:59:00.001-07:00

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has signed a legal settlement putting wolves in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin back on the endangered species list.

WASHINGTON— In a victory for the gray wolf, a coalition of wolf advocates led by the Humane Society of the United States has reached a settlement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to restore federal Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the Great Lakes region, including the states of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The settlement comes in response to a motion filed by the HSUS, the Center for Biological Diversity, Help Our Wolves Live, Friends of Animals and Their Environment and Born Free USA. The motion sought an immediate injunction to halt the killing of wolves pending resolution of the case, which the groups filed two weeks ago.

This is the sixth time in the past five years that a federal government decision to strip wolves of Endangered Species Act protections has been stopped through legal action, but the settlement does not prevent the administration from making another attempt to delist wolves and turn their fate over to state killing plans.

“We applaud the Obama administration for restoring federal protections for wolves in the Great Lakes,” said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president and chief counsel for animal protection litigation with the HSUS. “This agreement will give the administration a much-needed opportunity to reconsider the failed wolf-management policies of the past, and hopefully put to rest the states’ reckless plans to start sport hunting and trapping imperiled wolves.”

The suit challenged the federal government’s decision to remove all Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region – a decision that would have allowed hostile state wildlife agencies to subject the wolves to widespread and indiscriminate killings at the hands of state agents, farmers and trophy hunters. Some of the state management plans allow a nearly 50-percent reduction of the region’s wolf population.

“Poaching and persecution remain severe threats to wolves in the upper Midwest and elsewhere,” said Michael Robinson, a conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. “Wolf recovery has made tremendous strides, but with wolves occupying roughly five percent of their historic range, the job is far from finished.”

Last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources intends to implement sport hunting and trapping seasons for wolves if they are ever successfully stripped of federal Endangered Species Act protection. The management plans for Minnesota and Michigan also allow for the establishment of future recreational hunting and trapping of wolves.

“The court’s decision is great news for wolves and for the integrity of science in government decision-making,” said Nicole Paquette, senior vice president of Born Free USA. “We hope that the Fish and Wildlife Service will honestly assess the scientific information it previously refused to review.”

The plaintiffs are represented pro bono by the law firm Faegre & Benson. The settlement will be submitted to the federal district court for the District of Columbia today for final approval.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 220,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places. www.biologicaldiversity.org

Help Our Wolves Live is a Minnesota nonprofit organization, dedicated to the protection and preservation of the gray wolf, lynx, and other endangered or threatened predator species. HOWL has over 200 members, many of whom live in the State of Minnesota.

Friends of Animals and Their Environment is a Minnesota nonprofit organization committed to the protection of animals and the ecosystems on which they depend. FATE has approximately 200 members and supporters who regularly advocate on behalf of animals, and in particular wolves.

Born Free USA works to alleviate captive animal suffering, rescue individual animals, protect wildlife — including highly endangered species — in their natural habitats, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org.

Learn more:
www.biologicaldiversity.org/

Call the US Fish and Wildlife Service for the Wolves

2009-03-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

From Earth Justice:

Speak out for the wolves today!

Secretary Salazar's decision is out of step with President Obama's push for a science-based approach to the environment.

Independent scientists say that 2,000 to 3,000 wolves are required to ensure the survival of the species. But this new rule would clear the way for Idaho and Montana to kill hundreds of wolves, reducing the population to a level that is too small to survive.

You can make a difference by telling Secretary Salazar that you oppose this hastily issued plan.

Tell Secretary Salazar to withdraw his decision to remove federal protections for the wolves.

The northern Rockies wolf population has grown from around 30 wolves to more than 1,500 wolves today ... and their environment has begun to come back into balance.

But this decision could quickly undo all of that progress. Without federal protections, there's no guarantee of the wolves' survival. In the four months last year that they were unprotected, 110 wolves were killed.

We are preparing a legal challenge if Secretary Salazar makes the decision official, but right now we need you to show Secretary Salazar that a loud majority cares about the fate of the wolves.

Please speak out for the wolves now.

— Earthjustice
Because the earth needs a good lawyer

_________________________________________________________________________

From Defenders of Wildlife
March 12, 2009

Take Action for Wolves

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar wants to eliminate vital federal protections for wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the rest of the Northern Rockies -- a move that could lead to the deaths of nearly 1,000 wolves.

Call the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453, select option “3” (for endangered species) and hit “0” to speak with the operator. Once you are connected, just deliver this simple message:

"I am calling to express my extreme disappointment in Interior Secretary Salazar’s decision to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies."

Last Friday, we received the surprise announcement that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has approved the Bush Administration’s discredited plan to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana.

It’s a decision that could lead to the deaths of more than 1,000 wolves -- including wolves in the western Greater Yellowstone ecosystem!

Make your voice heard. Call the US Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453 (between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM Eastern Time, Monday-Friday), select option “3” (for endangered species) and hit “0” to speak with the operator. Once you are connected, just deliver this simple message:

My name is (your name) and I am calling from (Your City & State) to express my extreme disappointment in Interior Secretary Salazar’s decision to implement the Bush Administration’s flawed plan to eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in Idaho and Montana.

If this rule is allowed to stand, nearly two-thirds of the wolves in the Northern Rockies could be killed starting as soon as this spring. I strongly urge Secretary Salazar to stop the implementation of this awful decision and reconsider his approach to wolf conservation in the Northern Rockies.

Our wolves can’t speak out, but you can! Secretary Salazar’s wolf proposal could appear in the Federal Register within the month, paving the way for the slaughter of wolves this spring. Please call the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today at 1-800-344-9453 and let federal officials know that you oppose efforts to eliminate vital protections for these special animals.

Working with our sister organization, Defenders of Wildlife, we’re doing everything we can to save these wolves.

Defenders of Wildlife and Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund are already preparing a legal challenge to Salazar’s decision. And just yesterday Defenders of Wildlife filed a Freedom of Information Act request to determine whether Secretary Salazar undertook any new scientific review before reissuing the same legally and scientifically flawed decision that the Bush Administration previously announced.

It’s up to us to speak out for our wolves. We don’t have much time to prevent the killing, but -- with your help -- we still have a chance to save these wolves before it's too late.

With Gratitude,

Rodger Schlickeisen
President
Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund

P.S. After you call the Fish and Wildlife Service at 1-800-344-9453, please make sure you tell Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund about your call.

More Information about Salazar’s Plan

Salazar’s decision violates the Endangered Species Act and allows more than 1,000 out of the roughly 1,500 wolves in the region to be killed.
Delisting wolves is contingent upon two things that have not yet been achieved: 1) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's delisting plan must be based on current, credible science that ensures a healthy wolf population level that is sustainable and well connected. 2) All of the states in the delisting area must have wolf management regulations that provide for a sustainable and well connected wolf population after federal protections are lifted.
Salazar’s decision fails to adequately address biological concerns about the lack of genetic exchange among wolf populations in the Northern Rockies. These concerns led a Federal court to overturn the same delisting rule late last year when the Bush Administration issued it. Salazar's decision also fails to address concerns with Idaho’s state wolf management plan and regulations that undermine the goal of a sustainable wolf population by killing massive numbers of wolves.

Wolves kicked back off the Endangred Species List

2009-03-11T13:52:00.000-07:00

1,000 Wolves In Danger

Interior Secretary Salazar has rubberstamped a Bush-era plan to kick the wolves of the Northern Rockies off the endangered species list. Help NRDC go to court to win back their protection -- before the states get the green light to start the slaughter.

FROM NRDC
It's the worst possible news for the wolves of the Northern Rockies: Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has given the green light to a Bush-era plan that will kick them off the Endangered Species list.

Please give an emergency contribution to help NRDC rush to court to defend these wolves.

Nearly 1,000 wolves from Greater Yellowstone to Glacier National Park could be caught in the cross-fire of state-sponsored wolf hunts -- and that killing could begin in just a few weeks.

The decision couldn't come at a worse time. Breeding season is here, and wolves will start giving birth in April. That means pregnant females and newborn pups will be among those gunned down.

I'm sure you share my disappointment that the Obama Administration has abandoned a science-based approach in this rush to hand wolf management back to the states.

That's why NRDC cannot stand by and let this deadly attack go unchallenged.

We're filing suit in federal court to block this flawed Bush-era policy -- a policy that will simply not stand up to scientific review. But to wage and win this life-or-death case for wolves, we need your emergency donation right away.

We've won this fight before, thanks to your support. Last summer, NRDC and 11 other conservation groups compelled the Bush Administration to abandon its first attempt to strip wolves of their protection when we made the case that wolf populations had not yet fully recovered.

Today, less than 6 months later, wolf populations still haven't reached biological recovery levels. In fact, over this past year, the wolf population in Yellowstone National Park declined 27 percent -- and wolf pups in the park are dying of a yet-to-be-determined disease.

It's incumbent on Secretary Salazar to withdraw this disastrous plan and submit it to the kind of rigorous scientific review that the Obama Administration has championed on so many other environmental issues.

Otherwise, we can expect a bloodbath in the Northern Rockies. The last time wolves lost their protection, 110 of them were gunned down in 120 days -- nearly one per day.

NRDC and our partners stopped the slaughter then. And we must do it again -- before the states get their "Open Fire" orders. Idaho has plans ready to go that would wipe out more than 100 wolves in just a single area of the state.

NRDC members and activists like you have always stood up for the wolves of the Northern Rockies when they've been threatened. That's why I'm contacting you first -- and counting on you to rally to the wolves' rescue.

Wolves have already been exterminated in 96 percent of their former range. They are making one of their last stands right now in the Northern Rockies. We can't afford to have the government drag them back to the brink of extinction.

Please click here to make an emergency contribution to save 1,000 wolves -- before the states have a chance to pull the trigger.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
Natural Resources Defense Council

Gray Wolves Lose Protection as an Endangered Species!

2009-03-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar upheld a decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to deny the gray wolf protection under the Endangered Species Act. This decision opens thousands of wolves up to a brutal hunt in eight states the wolves call home.

The Bush Administration fast-tracked the de-listing proposal during its final days in power. Once all but wiped out in the lower 48 by extermination campaigns, America's wolves are still struggling to survive in the wild.

Remind President Obama that we have an obligation to protect and foster the delicate balance of wildlife at risk. Gray wolves should be re-listed under the Endangered Species Act!

Take action by signing the petition letter to re-list gray wolves!

Once all but wiped out in the lower 48 by extermination campaigns, America's wolves are still struggling to survive in the wild. I fear that Idaho, Montana and Wyoming still do not have wolf management plans that will allow wolf populations to grow. Instead, their aggressive management plans that could reduce wolf populations below current levels, jeopardizing the long-term genetic viability of the wolves and disrupting the natural ecosystem, which requires the presence of large carnivores to remain healthy.

Please Sign Petition Now!

Obama Stops Bush's Last-Minute Regulations

2009-01-22T12:42:00.001-08:00

January 21, 2009

Seattle, WA -- White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel Tuesday sent a memo to the heads of all executive departments and agencies, ordering a stop to all pending regulations until a legal and policy review can be conducted by the Obama administration.

A rule that would eliminate Endangered Species Act protections for wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains except for those in Wyoming was scheduled to be published on January 27. Now it will fall under review with the new administration.

Among others, the Bush administration recently finalized rules that significantly weaken the Endangered Species Act, allow for mining deposits to be dumped within 100 feet of flowing streams and exempts large-scale factory farms from notifying government officials when they release unsafe levels of toxic emissions into the community. Earthjustice, a public interest law firm, filed suit against all of these rules.

The following statement is from Patti Goldman, Vice President of Program for Earthjustice:

"While we are pleased that the new administration has put a stop to these hasty actions, there are some rules we continue to monitor.

"Under the Emanuel memo, the wolf delisting rule will be withdrawn. This rule was extremely controversial and was rushed through even though a federal district court had declared the wolf delisting illegal in July. It defied the law which prohibits a state by state listing when the wolves do not respect state boundaries.

"For the vast majority of the midnight regulations, the Bush administration got them published in time to evade the Emanuel memo's freeze. Earthjustice has brought dozens of legal challenges to Bush rollbacks, which provides the ultimate pathway to reining in the excesses of the Bush administration."

Earth Justice

Only Days left to Keep Wolves on Endangered List

2008-11-18T07:41:00.000-08:00

Please help spread the word for the wolves in the Greater Yellowstone areas of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Help keep wolves on the Endangered Species List. It's taken years to bring them back after there populations were decimated. Big game hunting and other special interest groups have persuaded the Bush Admin. to disregard the protections sought by voters so that allow wolf killing would be allowed by anyone, anytime and any where. Please help protect the wolves! Comment deadline is Nov 28th, please send your comment to the US Fish and Wildlife Service now!

Thank you,
Katia Louise
Wild for Life Foundation

Just in from Defenders of Wildlife:

Stop the Bush/Cheney assault on wolves. Speak out against eliminating vital protection for wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.

Despite a federal court ruling against essentially the same proposal earlier this year, the Bush/Cheney Administration is once again attempting to eliminate safeguards for some of America’s most iconic and important wolves.

The goal: To green-light plans that could lead to the slaughter of as many as two-thirds of the Greater Yellowstone and Northern Rockies wolf population.

Help stop the killing before it starts. Urge federal officials to come up with a responsible management plan that ensures a lasting future for these majestic animals.

Already, more than 51,000 caring people have spoken out for our wolves. But the public comment period on this awful proposal ends next Friday, and we only have 10 days left to provide a voice for our wolves. If we’re going to save our wolves, we need at least another 25,000 caring people like you to lend your voice to the fight.

Click here to submit your comment to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service now and speak out for our wolves.

The Bush/Cheney Administration is running out of time. With your help, we can stop their plan and protect wolves for future generations.

For the Wild Ones,
Rodger Schlickeisen
Defenders of Wildlife

Keep Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves Protected

2008-11-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

After losing twice in court, the Bush administration is taking a last shot at endangered wolves -- moving, in the waning hours of its power, to strip them of protection all across Wyoming, Idaho, Montana and parts of Oregon, Washington, and Utah.If finalized, the removal of endangererd species protection could result in the killing of 1,000 wolves in 2009 alone.The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has only given the public till November 28 -- the day after Thanksgiving, when people will be too busy with their families to pay attention -- to comment before they hammer their bureaucratic nails into the wolves' coffins.

Massive public opposition could stop the Bush bureaucrats in their tracks by persuading Congress to block the wolves' delisting. Your comments can help save lives.Please, click here to send the Fish and Wildlife Service a message: Wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains are not yet recovered. They MUST stay on the endangered species list.

Please take action by November 28, 2008.

Credit: Biological Diversity
Resource: Regulations.gov

Gray wolf photo courtesy of USFWS

Fend off the Bush Administration's 11th Hour Attacks

2008-11-13T11:40:00.000-08:00

The Bush Administration is determined to ram through a new wolf-killing plan before leaving office. This dangerous scheme could allow the Northern Rockies states to kill nearly 1,000 gray wolves in the first year alone. Please submit an Official Citizen Comment telling the Interior Department to maintain strong federal protection for wolves.

Nearly 1,000 endangered gray wolves could face slaughter if the Bush Administration's new wolf-killing plan goes through -- and we only have two weeks to stop it.

Click to send your Official Citizen Comment right now -- before the administration has a chance to pull the trigger on its scheme to strip wolves of their endangered species protection.

This parting shot by the outgoing administration would leave wolves vulnerable to mass killing by the Northern Rockies states.

Over 60,000 online activists have already submitted Official Citizen Comments and registered their opposition, but we need 40,000 more by the November 28 deadline.

Your Official Citizen Comment could be the last, best hope for wolves, so please take a few seconds to send it right now.

We don't have a moment to lose. The administration is taking public comments only until November 28 -- the day after Thanksgiving.

Even before this plan was announced, park biologists were predicting a crash in Yellowstone's wolf population this year. And wolf pups are dying from an outbreak of a yet-to-be-determined disease.

What these struggling wolves need is a humane national recovery plan, not a state-sponsored massacre.

That's why I urge you to click to submit your Official Citizen Comment right now -- before the Bush Administration has a chance to put its deadly scheme into action.

Sincerely,

Frances Beinecke
President
NRDC Action Fund

Credit: NRDC Action Fund

Stop the Bush's Last Shot at Wolves

2008-11-09T21:46:00.000-08:00

As the Bush Administration rides off into the sunset, it's taking a deadly parting shot at the wolves of Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.

This 11th hour attack would strip wolves of their Endangered Species protection and leave them vulnerable to mass slaughter by Northern Rockies states. Those states have plans that could kill nearly 1,000 wolves in the first year alone.

We need to fire back 100,000 Official Citizen Comments and fend off this life-threatening attack.

We don't have a moment to lose, because the Bush Administration is racing to put a new wolf-killing plan into effect before it leaves office.

Your Official Citizen Comment could be the last, best hope for the wolves, so please submit it right now. The Administration is taking public comments only until November 28.

We've protected Yellowstone's wolves before. And with your help, we will do it again.

Follow this link to send automated comment!

http://www.nrdconline.org/campaign/save_yellowstone_wolves_112008

Urge federal officials to adopt a more responsible management plan for wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies.

Unnecessary Wolf Intervention:

2008-11-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

Apparently the Bush Administration didn’t get the message when federal judge Donald Molloy sent Idaho, Montana and Wyoming back to the drawing board on their wolf plans. The administration is trying to rush through a haphazard last-minute plan that would de-list wolves from Endangered Species Act protection in Idaho and Montana, a move that essentially would prevent Wyoming from working out the flaws in its plan and probably ensure that that matter returns to the courts for years.

The wolf-management issue grew a little murkier last week when the Bush Administration decided it would make a careless last-minute push to de-list wolves in the Northern Rockies. It is likely that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will choose an option to de-list only in Idaho and Montana - essentially preventing Wyoming from working out its internal challenges over its plan. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition opposes delisting wolves based on political boundaries without including the entire population. The proposal lacks sound science and will set a precedent for future challenges to the Endangered Species Act's ability to protect species. Further this action may prevent Wyoming from making crucial changes to its wolf plan. Wyoming might be on the cusp of getting its house in order by changing state laws that designate wolves as predators in 90 percent of the state where they can be shot on site. Republican legislator Keith Gingery has proposed a wolf-management bill that would make the entire state a Trophy Game zone where wolves are managed as wildlife. But the move by the USFWS and Bush Administration puts these efforts in jeopardy.

We will continue to work on the ground in communities to improve social tolerance of wolves, mitigate wolf-livestock conflicts in all three states, and work with Wyoming officials to correct the flaws in their plans so that wolves may one day be returned to regional management and the three states can maintain a recovered population. Look in the coming days for an alert from GYC asking for comments about this inappropriate proposal. We’re also joining forces with our conservation partners, asking for an extension of the public comment period to 90 days. You can be a part of the process by asking for an extension of the comment period by writing to: Public Comments Processing, RIN 1018–AW37, Division of Policy and Directives Management, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. [Wolves]

Credit: Greater Yellowstone Coalition

Relisting Wolves

2008-10-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

The saga of the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies has come full circle after seven tumultuous months. After announcing in February that it was removing the wolf from protection under the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has begun the process of having the species relisted in the wake of federal District Judge Donald Molloy's July injunction. Read on to find out what this means for wolves - and GYC's efforts to protect them.

On Sept. 15, a federal court ruled in favor of wildlife, quiet and clean air in winter by striking down the Bush administration's authorization of snowmobile use in Yellowstone National Park. The court said the National Park Service was violating its fundamental legal responsibility to give conservation of park resources top priority. The court found that the administration ignored the Park Service's own science that found that allowing 540 snowmobiles per day would result in significant increases in disruptive noise, unhealthy exhaust and harm to Yellowstone's animals. To ensure visitor experiences remain safe and enjoyable, and the local economy strong, GYC favors allowing approximately 260 snowmobiles per day - the average for the past five years - during the upcoming winter season. After that, the Park Service should work with local gateway communities and the public to begin phasing down the number of snowmobiles while promoting expanded visitor access on snowcoaches. The Park Service is developing a plan for this winter and will be seeking public comment in early November. Stay tuned.

Credit: GYC
Read more at the NYTimes