Buffalo Field Campaign Yellowstone Bison Update from the Field August 27, 2009 ------------------------------ ------------------------------ In this issue: * Update from the Field * Obama Sign-On Letter * Last Words * Kill Tally ------------------------------ * Update from the Field Mike Mease is working up a sweat today--as he has every day for the past week--cutting, hauling, loading, and unloading the firewood that will keep the Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) community warm through the coming Montana winter. BFC's Campaign Coordinator, who co-founded the organization more than 12 years ago and has dedicated virtually every aspect of his life to the effort ever since, is not one to tire easily. But cutting the more than 60 cords of wood necessary to heat BFC's main cabin, two office cabins, and the cabins of neighboring volunteers, supporters, and community elders, is a herculean task that would exhaust anyone. While Mike has had occasional help from summer volunteers not engaged in outreach tabling in Yellowstone or work in the office, he has been doing the lion's share of wood gathering by himself. If you know Mike this will not surprise you. His dedication to protecting the buffalo and their right to migrate, and his single-minded focus on accomplishing the task at hand are unrivalled. But woodcutting is only a small part of Mike's work. In addition to all the other preparations necessary for the coming season, Mike is organizing fundraisers and planning a West Coast speaking tour, both of which are time-consuming jobs aimed at keeping BFC healthy and strong and building grassroots support for protecting wild bison. Mike will spend the next two weeks gathering firewood and hauling it back to BFC headquarters where, with your help, it will be cut to stove-length pieces and neatly stacked for winter during BFC's annual Woodcut Week. This year's Woodcut Week will take place between September 14 and 20th and you are invited to join us in West Yellowstone for a day, a weekend, or for the entire week. Volunteers are greatly appreciated and will be provided with room and board and the opportunity to work side by side with Mike Mease and other dedicated BFC coordinators and volunteers in the beautiful Yellowstone ecosystem. Please email Mike at [email protected] or call 406-646-0070 if you are interested and pass this email on to your friends who live (or are traveling) in or near the West. Can't make Woodcut Week in person but want to help anyway? Donate Now to help cover the costs of Woodcut Week, including food and housing for volunteers, firewood permits, and fuel and maintenance for trucks and saws by clicking here: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/t/6876/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=3647. Thank you. For the Buffalo, Dan Brister Executive Director Buffalo Field Campaign --------------------------------- * Obama Sign-On Letter In addition to the more than 3,733 emails that you have already sent to President Obama through BFC's Take Action Center, we have composed a sign-on letter we will present to the President in the fall. We are currently networking with tribes, organizations, and businesses to gather as many sign-ons as possible and demonstrate the widespread support for protecting America's only continuously wild population of native bison. In order to make the effort as successful as possible, we will need your help. If you are part of a group, business, or tribe that might like to join us in asking President Obama to protect America's last wild bison, please read the letter: http://www.buffalofieldcampaign.org/obama.html and contact BFC Executive Director Dan Brister at [email protected] with questions or to sign-on. If you can't speak for a group, business, or tribe but want to help, you can still email President Obama at: salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2426/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=26453 ------------------------------ * Last Words The buffalo "have a lone advocate -- The Buffalo Field Campaign. This diverse group of volunteers led by founder Mike Mease, comes from all walks of life...Working day and night, they patrol the Yellowstone border by ski and snowshoe in extreme conditions, coming face to face with danger at every turn, from temperamental buffalo to angry ranchers and government officials to jail time. They will risk everything, including their lives, to protect these animals from certain destruction for doing what they have done for hundreds of years: roaming freely. from PR Newswire announcement of "Buffalo Warriors" upcoming pilot television program produced for Planet Green by Authentic Entertainment. http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/07-30-2009/0005069283&EDATE ------------------------------ * Kill Tally AMERICAN BISON ELIMINATED from the last wild population in the U.S. 2008-2009 Total: 23 2008-2009 Slaughter: 3 2008-2009 Hunt: 1 2008-2009 Quarantine: 0 2008-2009 Shot by Agents: 3 2008-2009 Highway Mortality: 16 2007-2008 Total: 1,632 Total Since 2000: 3,703* *includes lethal government action, quarantine, hunts, highway mortalities ------------------------------ 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