Buffalo Field Campaign Yellowstone Bison Update from the Field September 9, 2010 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ * Update from the Field * Wood Cut Week a Huge Success! * Take Two Important Actions for the Buffalo! * Don't Miss These Two New Films About Buffalo * In Honor and Memory of Walkin' Jim Stoltz * Last Words ~ Walkin' Jim Stoltz * Kill Tally * Useful Links ------------------------------ * Update from the Field Next week, BFC will take the field out to the West Coast for our West Coast Road Show 2010! BFC co-founder Mike Mease and our beloved Noah will share stories and footage from the land of the last wild buffalo. For the entire tour BFC will be joined by Lakota musician and activist, the powerfully talented Good Shield of 7th Generation Rise, as well as the incredible Phoenix After Buffalo. Please check our Road Show Schedule to see if BFC will be coming to a town near you and plan to join us for story-telling, video, and music, and bring lots of friends. http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/aboutus/roadshow2010.html For more specific information contact Mike at [email protected] If you are able to help spread the word, please contact the point person(s) for the specific event(s). We also have a new confirmation for our October 7th date in Santa Barbara, CA, which will be at the Foundation Press at 7pm, 5959 Hollister Avenue. The contact for this event is [email protected] BFC will be roaming free, spreading the word to save the herds! We look forward to seeing you soon! ------------------------------ * BFC Wood Cut Week a Huge Success! Cooler temperatures are beginning to descend upon the land of the last wild buffalo, and when winter arrives, her grip will be tight and lasting. As Buffalo Field Campaign gears up for the coming field season, our heartfelt thanks go out to all the hard-working folks who came to BFC headquarters to help us during Wood Cut Week. The enthusiastic crew came from the Yaak region, Bozeman and Gardiner, Montana as well as Los Angeles and Seattle! For over a week, muscles worked hard to roll the logs in, buck them and stack them, all in preparation for the coming cold. Magic was worked in the kitchen once again, as Brandy and barb prepared the delicious, nutritious meals to keep it all going. The wood gathered during this time is essential to our survival here in one the coldest climates in the lower-48. Photo of Wood Cut in action: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/Wood%20Cut%202010_SBarclay%20photo.jpg Photo of some of the Wood Cut crew: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/Wood%20Cut%20Crew%202010_S%20Barclay%20photo.jpg With tremendous appreciation we would like to recognize all the hard-working women and men who made it all happen: Mike Mease, Noah, Brandy, barb, Mike and Dave from the Yaak, Paul and Chris from New Jersey, Matt, Stan and Lorin from L.A., Scott from Seattle, Amy and Jennifer who have also been tabling with BFC, Jim and Genevieve from Bozeman, Scott from Gardiner. We give thanks to you all for taking the time out of your other lives to help BFC keep the camp fires burning for the volunteers who will stand with the buffalo this coming winter and spring. Thank you everyone for your help and support! ------------------------------ * Take Two Important Actions for Wild Buffalo! 1. Tell Yellowstone not to vaccinate wild buffalo! Yellowstone National Park is accepting your comments on their misguided proposal to vaccinate wild buffalo. Encourage Yellowstone to instead support "Wild Buffalo Trust Alternative D" which addresses the so-called brucellosis risk by removing cattle from wild bison habitat. Yellowstone must hear from you by September 24, 2010 http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/media/update0910/062410.html 2. Urge Gallatin National Forest to close cattle grazing allotments and open habitat to wild buffalo! Please contact Gallatin National Forest Supervisor Mary C. Erickson and urge her to perform a suitability analysis to close the Slip & Slide, the South Fork and Watkins Creek grazing allotments and manage this habitat so it serves the needs of native animals. Visit the link below to learn more and send a letter right now, or contact Supervisor Erickson directly at [email protected] or call her at 406-587-6703. http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=4764 ------------------------------ * Don't Miss These Two New Films About Wild Bison 1. Facing the Storm: Story of the American Bison. ITVS and Montana PBS have co-produced an "epic account of our tempestuous relationship with the iconic symbol of wild America." Featuring footage from Buffalo Field Campaign, Facing the Storm "explores the visionary quest to protect and restore the bison and details the inextricable relationship of the Plains Indians with the animal." Learn more and check for screenings at http://www.highplainsfilms.org/fp_bison.html. 2. WISENT, a new film by Gene Bernofsky. Can Poland help save American bison? The buffalo controversy in Yellowstone National Park is not being solved in Montana. Montana needs outside help. Missoula filmmaker Gene Bernofsky went to Poland, with his camera, to find out and ask for help. His new film, WISENT, compares the treatment of Polish bison and American buffalo. Buffalo Field Campaign is honored to have helped participate in the making of this film. Watch WISENT http://worldwidefilmexpedition.org. Have you ever seen a wisent, ancient relative of the American buffalo? Check out this awesome photo by Gene Bernofsky: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/images/3%20wisent_Gene%20Bernofsky_2010.jpg ------------------------------ * In Honor and Memory of Walkin' Jim Stoltz Our friend Walkin' Jim Stoltz, age 57, died of cancer on Friday, September 3rd. He walked over 27,000 miles of America's WILD lands over a 35 year period of time, and then gave us all the incredible gift of his music, poems, paintings and essays reflecting his deeply held beliefs on the importance of saving these WILD lands and all the WILD critters on them. His very important road trips all over the country helped spread this message, especially to children. Two days before he died, I received a card from Jim … he said he had had some pretty low days in the preceding months but that he hoped to have more up days in the future because he still had plenty of songs inside to share with us all. We at Buffalo Field Campaign grieve that now there will be no more new songs. But we will carry in our hearts what we feel is Jim's most important legacy: it takes time, energy, passion, commitment, heart and humility over the long haul to persevere to educate others, and foster allies to join in our common need to preserve Mother Earth. Jim was able to carry on, even in the face of transplant surgery and cancer. He faced some ugly realities both health-wise and in terms of the destruction of WILD lands. Yet he maintained an optimistic outlook that those of who care would eventually win out over the negative, un-caring despoilers of the earth. We will draw strength from him in continuing to seek freedom for the buffalo to again live on our WILD public lands. With the joy of having had this unique man in our world and with the deepest respect for all he accomplished and inspired in us, we send our love to Jim's best friend, Leslie Stoltz, his family and all the friends he has made on his journey through his life. barb abramo Buffalo Field Campaign ------------------------------ * Last Words ~ by Walkin' Jim Stoltz Spirit Is Still On The Run Daddy, what ever happened to the old buffalo, I know they don't roam here no more, Because at school today, they say they've gone away,   But no one ever says just what for. Well now listen my son, I'll tell you how the West was won, How the herds fell to the big needle guns, But, the ghosts of them herds still pound o'er the earth, And, their Spirit is still on the run. (Chorus -Upton Elementary School children singing in unison with Walkin' Jim):  Yes, their spirit is still on the run, it's the American dream movin' on, Their memory is free, left to you and to me, and the Spirit is still on the run. Daddy, what ever happened to the ol' grizzly bear, I know he once roamed the west wide, But at school today they say he's pushed back to stay, In the mountains where he has to hide. Well, now listen my son, I'll tell you about these proud ones, Where they stalk, all others walk small, But man to his shame, can't stand the untamed, And there's some that wouldn't have him at all. (Chorus -Upton Elementary School children singing in unison with Walkin' Jim):  Yes, their spirit is still on the run, it's the American dream movin' on, Their memory is free, left to you and to me, and the Spirit is still on the run. Daddy, what ever happened to the big piney forests, And the prairies that stretched out like seas, Because the schoolbooks they say, these were all in the way, When the settlers come a-swarmin' like bees, Now, listen my son, yes, all these have gone, It's sad, but it's not been in vain Their life's blood was bought and with the Spirit it brought, A whole country was born into fame. (Bridge):     And all that have died or been swept to the side, They still give us hope every one, They give us dreams of the free, what has been and can be, And their Spirit is still on the run. Learn more about this amazing man who touched so many by visiting his web site http://www.walkinjim.com/ AND Listen to a special Montana Public Radio feature which aired last night http://www.mtpr.org/audio/EveningNewsHQ/2010-09-08/EveningNewsHQ_17-29.mp3 Do you have submissions for Last Words? Send them to [email protected] Thank you all for the poems, songs and stories you have been sending; you'll see them here! ------------------------------ * Kill Tally AMERICAN BUFFALO ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S. 2009-2010 Total: 7 2009-2010 Slaughter: 0 2009-2010 Hunt: 4 2009-2010 Quarantine: 0 2009-2010 Shot by Agents: 3* 2009-2010 Highway Mortality: 0 *Two bulls that were drugged by APHIS on 5/4/10 were shot by DOL later that evening. One was shot by DOL on 7/13/10 for trying to free his imprisoned relatives at the Corwin Springs quarantine facility. 2008-2009 Total: 22 2007-2008 Total: 1,631 Total Since 2000: 3,709* *includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortality ----------------------------- Media & Outreach Buffalo Field Campaign P.O. Box 957 West Yellowstone, MT 59758 406-646-0070 [email protected] http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org BFC is the only group working in the field every day in defense of the last wild buffalo population in the U.S. KEEP BFC ON THE FRONTLINES WITH A TAX DEDUCTIBLE CONTRIBUTION TODAY https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/t/6876/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3647 Join Buffalo Field Campaign -- It's Free! http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/t/6876/signUp.jsp?key=3378 Tell-a-Friend: http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/tellafriend.jsp?tell_a_friend_KEY=3835 Take Action! http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26453 Unsubscribe http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/t/7926/p/salsa/supporter/unsubscribe/public/?unsubscribe_page_KEY=42