Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
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        Thursday morning, DoL came out to Horse Butte again. With a helicopter, horses and ATVs, they hazed over 30 bison, mostly pregnant females and yearlings, along the Madison river bluffs and into Yellowstone (see press release below). Although we are thankful that none of the bison were captured, this type of harassment is unwarranted, unnecessary, a waste of taxpayer money, and incredibly stressful on the bison and the Yellowstone ecosystem. We know of only one wild bison who escaped the operation. While Horse Butte will still be beautiful tomorrow, it will feel empty, lacking in a key ingredient that makes it whole.

        In other news, the Gallatin County Courts have upped their oppression of BFC volunteers. On Monday, Frog was sentenced to 30 days in jail for violating conditions of release. He was ordered, upon release from an arrest during the capture facility blockade in January, to stay away from bison capture facilities and an intersection called "turkey tracks." The turkey tracks just happen to be on the way to our Horse Butte Tipi, the place Frog has resided for most of the winter. So now, Frog sits in jail for literally driving to his home. His public defender is planning to file an appeal of this ridiculously harsh sentence. You can write Frog at: Brian Gharst, Gallatin County Detention Center, 611 S. 16th Street, Bozeman, MT 59715. In addition five federally charged volunteers learned this week that they will not be given public defenders, nor a trial by jury. Their trial date has been set for April 27th, the day that was supposed to be a pretrial hearing, and all five defendants have been consolidated into one trial.

        It is snowing hard today, and as winter and spring battle for control, we continue our work to welcome wild bison back to Montana.

        Thanks to Burford Books, Boise Co-op, Steve K!, the Bake Shop for tasty breads and the Ehnamani Sundance Church for an incredible sweat lodge ceremony on Sunday. Many thanks to all our supporters for their love, strength and prayers

Thanks to " In these Times" for their article.