<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=US-ASCII"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6001.18203" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY id=role_body style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Arial" bottomMargin=7 leftMargin=7 topMargin=7 rightMargin=7><FONT id=role_document face=Arial color=#000000 size=2> <DIV>Hi all!  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I just got back from the park, and by the way Fountain at 13:31 ie, and it quit at 13:41.  FOR ANY RANGERS THAT MAY BE READING THIS, YES WE WATCHED IT FROM THE ROAD.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Just as the dust settled from the tree thinning project, I have some news which will kick up even more dust.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Today, the Park Service has closed the Fountain Paint Pots and Midway Geyser Basin for Bear Management.  The Park Service's new interpretation of the Firehole BMA is that the boardwalks, within the management area should have been closed, instead of open such as in the past.  Megan at the OFVC told me that these boardwalks will remain closed until Memorial Weekend.  I'm scared to point out Biscuit and Black Sand are within the BMA, however, at this point the remain open.  So any of you thinking you will be spending a nice spring evening at Fountain, you will have to wait until Memorial weekend.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Now for my thoughts on this:</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1.  The grizzly bear was de-listed last year in April, so why are we creating more closures for them, we should be opening more areas, as they have recovered quite well.  When I started guiding in 1991, it was common to see less than 10 bears during the entire season.  Now, I have at least 150 sightings a year, including grizzlies on the ski slopes of Big Sky, frequently.  People for the most part, have learned to live with bears, and the park's bear rangers do an excellent job at jams.  With the amount of grizzlies I have seen in developed areas, the more we all have to learn to live with them.  This is a great opportunity, especially in the Old Faithful area, where most visitors go, to educate the visitors. By having bear rangers or volunteers helping to manage the jams, and to keep an eye on the bears in the geyser basins.  Instead of closing it, have someone out there talking about the bears, educating the guest, and keeping the visitor at a safe distance.  This will keep people safe and educate them rather than closing more of the park to them.  I for one, would be glad to volunteer in April and early May when the bear activity is at it's greatest and my work days are few.  The park uses volunteers, Xanterra's Security and others to keep people safe during the elk rut in Mammoth, why can't we do the same thing at Old Faithful with bears.  I'd bet good old #6 (god rest his soul) has attacked and or charged more people than all of the bears combined.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2.  What scares me is what the park is apparently doing, is redefining the Fountain Paint Pots and Midway as "back country", as apparently, the road is the front country, and open.  from what I understand, the Paint Pots and Midway in the past have been considered the front country.  They should not re-define areas as backcounrty, when all of our concessions permits and all other common sense says that it is front-country.  The park is re-interpreting a rule from 1983.  I hesitate to point out that the Artemesia trail, is way more dangerous, and has more bear activity than all four of the boardwalks combined.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3. I think this is a dangerous president for the endangered species act, by closing more areas for a specie, that is considered recovered.  I feel this may give ammo to those against the act, closing more after a specie recovered.  The point of the act is to close areas to help them recover, and once recovered, to open the areas up again and to manage the area to keep the specie from being re-listed.  If we keep closing things after a specie is recovered, I think this may cause those opposed to the act to say "look, they are just saying this specie is endangered to close off this area."  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I guess for those of you that want to see Fountain you will want to come after Memorial Weekend, and for those that need to travel between Madison and Norris to get here, you will want to come before August 17th, when that road closes.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have heard of Bear sightings in the Northern Range (Little America, Bunsen Peak), near the South Entrance and south of Big Sky.  None so far in the Firehole BMA.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I can't wait to see some of your thoughts,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Jim</DIV> <DIV>YTG</DIV></FONT><DIV CLASS="aol_ad_footer" ID="b004022df075231fcb6fe98648802970"><br/><font style="color:black;font:normal 10pt arial,san-serif;"> <hr style="margin-top:10px"/><b>A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. <a href="http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100126575x1219671244x1201345076/aol?redir=http:%2F%2Fwww.freecreditreport.com%2Fpm%2Fdefault.aspx%3Fsc%3D668072%26hmpgID%3D62%26bcd%3DfebemailfooterNO62"> See yours in just 2 easy steps!</a></b></font></DIV></BODY></HTML>