In this issue of Stop the Slaughter!
* Update from the Field
* Winter Use Comments Needed by December 1st
* Attention All Law Students
* Thanks!: Road Show a Success
* "Spirit of the Buffalo" conference
* Art: Buffalo Mask Project
Tidbits:
Racicot gets more press... http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/muck/muck112299.stm
you can still send a free fax to the DOL: http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/politk99/faxDOL.html
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* Update from the Field
Here we go again!!!!
First off, a heartfelt thank you to all the people that make sure the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) exists. Winter is here and with it the buffalo come out of the Park. Unfortunately they are still stalked by the Montana Department of Livestock (MDOL). The 1999-2000 lease for MDOL's rental of Dale Koelzer's basement and of course the free land use for the Duck Creek capture facility has been was approved
This lease was signed in its traditional form of a handshake on November 4, 1999 Mr. Koelzer is currently pending three poaching charges about a dead buffalo on his land. He did come out in the papers and state that he shot the buffalo. He has now changed his plea to not guilty and asked for a jury trail. His trial date will be set at a December 13 hearing in Bozeman, Montana. BFC and many other outraged citizens and groups will rally together in protest.
Today found the MDOL frittering away taxpayer money to move the facility closer to the house so that the DOL won't have to walk so far.
Meanwhile, the Horse Butte capture facility is again approved by the United States Forest Service. All this with the knowledge of a mating pair of bald eagle who had offspring this year, after having been unsuccessful for five years. The plan also called for the MDOL to revegitate the land where the capture facility sat. No restoration has taken place. The legalities of both these incidents are being looked into by BFC. The capture facility has not been set up yet. We will leave it at that.
Campaign life is ready to roll: 7 field camp tipis, a new office, a great return crew, many new warriors on their way and more firewood than I've ever seen. Seeds of Peace provides the best meals on earth to BFC again this year. Last year over 250 warriors from around the world protected buffalo for seven months. The recent issue of Mother Jones magazine (Nov) has an article about BFC, helping spread the word.
Our energy and numbers continue to grow. Unfortunately with that so do our costs.
The BFC operation runs about $10,000 a month during the seven months of patrolling. The never ending saga of fund raising. In past years, over 60% of that cost has come from you the individual supporter. With this honor, the warriors in the field smile, knowing the people are with us in spirit. Patrols start this week and the buffalo will be under our never blinking eyes. Showing the world the truth.
Enjoy the holiday seasons and know your efforts keep us with the buffalo.
For the Buffalo,
Michael S. Mease
Campaign Coordinator
Buffalo Field Campaign (formerly Buffalo Nations)
PO Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758
406-646-0070 phone 406-646-0071 fax
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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* Comments Due on Yellowstone Winter Use Draft Environmental Impact Statement(DEIS) by Dec. 1st
The National Park Service has produced a DEIS-- the product of an agreement reached after The Fund for Animals, the Ecology Center and other groups sued the NPS in 1997--on Winter Use In Yellowstone Park. Comments are due by December 1st. You can find a copy of the DEIS online at:
http://www.nps.gov/planning/yell/winteruse/index.html
Speak out for the buffalo and their winter solitude!
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* ATTENTION ALL LAW STUDENTS: (please pass this on)
Buffalo Field Campaign (http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo) invites you to join us in and around Yellowstone National Park between mid-November and mid-May to experience and grasp the issue surrounding the Yellowstone Buffalo slaughter.
We are encouraging law students to join us in the field to glimpse, first hand, the interactions between activists and Montana Department of Livestock officials as well as other state and federal agents. This is an opportunity for students to develop an understanding of the setting of many highly debated violations of our constitutional amendments, in court today. In addition, this exchange will provide an opportunity for activists to ask questions about their rights in non-violent field confrontations.
You are not obligated to break the law or interact any more than you feel comfortable. This is simply an opportunity to open the doors of communication between future law defenders and volunteers on the front lines of America's first National Park protesting the slaughter of the last 'wild and free-roaming' bison.
As always, you need only bring yourself, a sleeping bag, warm clothes and personal snow transportation (i.e. skis, snowshoes.snowmobiles if you got em'!). We will provide sleeping space in a warm cabin with other volunteers, hearty meals and any warm clothes or gear that you don't have.
If you have any questions or comments please contact us at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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* Road Show: A Success
Mike Mease of Buffalo Field Campaign and Darrell Geist of Cold Mountain, Cold Rivers hit the road in August to raise public awareness on the West Coast of the fight to end Montana's slaughter of Yellowstone's wild buffalo herd. The buffalo duo had ten shows in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington drawing over 400 people. Nearly 10,000 Buffalo Field Campaign flyers were distributed to businesses and interested people who wanted to put them out in their own communities. Many great connections were made with people willing to outreach, letter writing, fundraising and volunteer their time this winter with the buffalo.
Special thanks to Ron Hunter, John Sterling and all the fine folks at Patagonia who set-up presentations at stores in Ventura, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Reno, and Seattle. Special thanks also to Nancy Couperus (Let Buffalo Roam), Karen Pickett (Bay Area Headwaters Coalition), Gar Smith (Earth Island Journal), Cascadia Forest Alliance, Chipper Bro, Earth First! Journal, Tara Cummins, Joe Dibee and Jen Kolar for their help and hospitality.
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* Buffalo Field Campaign attended the "Spirit of the Buffalo" conference in Denver this month where discussions were held in an open forum format. The titles of these of these forums were, "Our Relationship to the Land.","The Yellowstone Bison Issue", Buffalo Commons:More than a Metaphor", And "A New Century of Healthy Land Uses".
Dan Brister & Flo Gardipee; Board Members of Buffalo Field Campaign, were included in the panel of speakers for the "Yellowstone Bison Issue" led by Sam Albrecht, Executive Director of the National Bison Association.
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* Buffalo Mask Project
The Buffalo Mask Project begun to direct our energies toward finding people who want to make number projects, and organizing places to exhibit the number projects.
What is a number project? A number project is one thousand and eighty four small repeated objects. Each object represents one of the Bison killed during the winter of 1996-1997. During this first phase of the Buffalo Death Mask Project, number projects will serve to rally support and involvement for the Bison and the people working to protect them. Anyone can make a number project out of any material or found object. A variety of places will be exhibiting the projects to the community. If you have an idea that you would like to spin into a number project and would like a place to display the work, please contact us for more information.
For more info regarding this and the Buffalo Mask project
Please contact: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
For one buffalo
For one thousand and eighty four buffalo
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Thanks to Bonnie Raitt and Honor the Earth for the great Boise benefit concert!
Thanks to NorCross for helping us out with our video gear! Thanks again to Patagonia for the warm winter gear and support! Thanks Snohawk for design assistance!
Thanks for everyone who has made phone calls, written letters and sent us kind words and support!!!
For the Earth!
Volunteers needed: http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/field989/volnteer.html
A few newsletters are still available for distribution in your community; contact us at mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Please take 20 seconds and add your voice to those who speak FOR THE BUFFALO and sign this petition! http://www.wildrockies.org/buffpet
the Montana DOL have killed over 1500 buffalo this decade!
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we have posted video clips for an "in the field" look at the buffalo and their plight with the Montana Department of Livestock
Please stop by and see it! http://www.wildrockies.org/buffalo/press/video.html
The web page is being updated for this new winter season...keep checkin' in and thanks for your patience!
- NATIVE_NEWS: Buffalo News... ishgooda
- Buffalo Folks
