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Yellowstone Notebook
Chris Flesch named Yellowstone’s next chief of Visitor and Resource Protection - NPS
Chris Flesch named Yellowstone’s next chief of Visitor and Resource Protection Chris Flesch, Chief Ranger NPS NPS / Jacob W. Frank MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY - Chris Flesch has been selected as the new Yellowstone National Park chief of Visitor and Resource Protection (VRP). A 17-year veteran of the National Park Service (NPS), Flesch succeeds Sarah Davis who retired at the end of April. He is the park’s 19th chief ranger, and his appointment began May 1. Flesch will oversee more than 275 employees who perform a full range of public safety and visitor service functions within the park, including law enforcement and emergency medical services, search and rescue, wildland and structural fire, dispatch, fee collection, special use permitting, corrals and backcountry operations. The division's budget exceeds $14 million. "We're pleased to have Chris join our senior leadership team as chief ranger," said superintendent Cam Sholly. "He has shown incredible leadership ...
Weather-permitting, East Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park opens Friday, May 6 - NPS

Weather-permitting, East Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park opens Friday, May 6 East Entrance NPS/Diane Renkin Weather-permitting, the road from East Entrance to Lake Village (Sylvan Pass), and Canyon Village to Lake Village, will open Friday, May 6 at 8 a.m. to public motor vehicle traffic. Conditions in Yellowstone can change quickly, especially during spring and fall, and roads can temporarily close due to poor driving conditions. Check current road status on the park website and by calling (307) 344-2117. To receive Yellowstone road alerts on your mobile phone, text "82190" to 888-777 (an automatic text reply will confirm receipt and provide instructions). Expect up to 20-minute delays east of the East Entrance due to road construction . For updates on this project, visit the WYDOT Travel Information Map . Conditions permitting, the following roads will open Ma...
Interagency team conducting grizzly bear research trapping, 2022 - NPS

Interagency team conducting grizzly bear research trapping, 2022 NPS Photo/C. Adams MOOSE, WY— As part of ongoing efforts required under the Endangered Species Act to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) will conduct pre-baiting and trapping operations within Grand Teton National Park from May 1 to July 15. Research trappings are conducted annually. When bear trapping activities are being conducted, the area around the site will be posted with bright warning signs to inform the public of the activities occurring. For bear and human safety, the public must respect these closures and stay out of the posted areas. Trained professionals with the interagency team will bait and trap grizzly bears in accordance with strict protocols. Once trapped, the bears are sedated to allow wildlife biologists to collar the bears and collect samples and data for scientific study. T...
Yellowstone National Park partners with Yellowstone Forever on new sustainability efforts

Yellowstone National Park partners with Yellowstone Forever on new sustainability efforts I NPS employee charging an electric vehicle NPS / Neal Herbert n celebration of Earth Day, Yellowstone Forever and Yellowstone National Park are excited to announce new sustainability efforts to meet the challenges of the future while setting the standard for resource conservation and stewardship worldwide. These sustainability projects will support climate change mitigation efforts that conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and protect Yellowstone’s resources for the benefit of this and future generations. Yellowstone Forever has committed to funding sustainability projects identified by Yellowstone National Park as those with opportunity to reduce impacts on the environment while improving wildlife habitat, enhancing visitor experiences, and improving employee living and working conditions. "Yell...
Bears with cubs are emerging from dens in Teton County - NPS

Bears with cubs are emerging from dens in Teton County We need your help to secure attractants NPS Photo/C. Adams JACKSON, WY— Grizzly bears with cubs have begun emerging from their dens in Teton County. As bears become active this spring, BearWise Jackson Hole reminds residents and visitors to secure attractants of any kind and be bear aware. Seeing a bear in its natural habitat is an awe-inspiring experience. However, living and recreating in bear country requires awareness and actions on our part to keep both bears and humans safe. As the grizzly bear population expands within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, bears continue to disperse across their historical range but also into more populated areas. All of Teton County is now in occupied grizzly bear habitat. Properly storing all attractants to ensure a bear does not obtain a food reward is crucial to keeping bears wild. Once a bear becomes conditioned to human foods, risks to the bear and h...
DNA study provides new information on Teton bighorn numbers - NPS
DNA study provides new information on Teton bighorn numbers Biologists see reason for optimism and continued conservation efforts JACKSON, WY— Preliminary findings from an on-going DNA study suggest there may be more bighorn sheep in the Teton Range than biologists previously believed, a breath of good news as public land and wildlife managers work to conserve this small, isolated and vulnerable population. “By analyzing the DNA in scat samples collected in the high country of the Tetons in 2020 and processing that data with statistical models, we estimate about 178 bighorn sheep lived in the range that summer,” said National Park Service wildlife biologist Carson Butler. Biologists have closely watched the Teton bighorns for decades. They believe the herd is vulnerable because it is small, geographically isolated, and because it has lost traditional migration routes and winter ranges. “This number is preliminary and is only a snapshot in time,” Carson said. He also emphasized he...
April 15 select road opening in Yellowstone National Park: ANTICIPATE DELAYS; Stay informed about road status - NPS

NEWS RELEASE April 15 select road opening in Yellowstone National Park: ANTICIPATE DELAYS; Stay informed about road status Plowing operations 3.28.17 NPS / Jacob W. Frank Due to extremely heavy snow received this week in Yellowstone National Park, the park’s efforts to open interior roads by April 15 has been delayed. Crews are working to clear nearly a foot of snow and remove large drifts from storms on Tuesday, April 12. Although progress has been made, the normal opening schedule will be altered. The park will attempt to open the following road segments tomorrow as scheduled: West Entrance to Old Faithful Mammoth Hot Springs to Norris However, more snow is forecasted in the park tonight with the potential for freezing rain over the weekend. Other road segments will open as conditions allow. The road between the North Entrance, Mammoth Hot Springs and Northeast Entrance is open year-round. The public should be prepared to alter their park travel plans depending on w...
Celebrate Earth Day 2022 in Gardiner, Montana; Commemorate 150 Years of Yellowstone - NPS

Celebrate Earth Day 2022 in Gardiner, Montana; Commemorate 150 Years of Yellowstone Rainbow between Roosevelt Arch and Yellowstone Forever NPS / Jacob W. Frank MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – On Saturday, April 23, community organizations will observe Earth Day in Gardiner, Montana. All events are free to the public. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Gardiner Community Cleanup Meet at Arch Park to clean up the town. Meet at Dino Lube, the rodeo grounds or the airport to clean up the highway. Please bring your own work gloves. 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Enjoy lunch and listen to speakers at Arch Park, including remarks from Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly. All Day Get free compost at the Heritage and Research Center. Bring a shovel and container. Drop off your e-waste, batteries and bulbs at the Yellowstone For...
Public invited to join ranger-led programs to observe strutting sage grouse in Grand Teton National Park - NPS

Public invited to join ranger-led programs to observe strutting sage grouse in Grand Teton National Park NPS Photo/C. Adams News Release Date: April 12, 2022 MOOSE, WY— The public is invited to join park rangers on early-morning tours to observe strutting sage grouse, as they perform their annual mating dance on a historic lek near Mormon Row in Grand Teton National Park. Ranger-led grouse strut programs will be offered Saturday, April 23, Sunday, April 24, and Saturday, April 30. Advanced reservations are required. Programs will begin at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center at 5:30 a.m. To make an advanced reservation and for more information, please call 307-739-3399 or speak with a ranger at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center, now open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Ranger-led grouse strut programs offer a unique opportunity to witness greater sage grouse congregate and perform animated mating displays by males during the breeding season. This behavior occu...
Select Yellowstone National Park roads open April 15 - NPS

Select Yellowstone National Park roads open April 15 Ranger at East Entrance hands out a park map NPS / Jacob W. Frank News Release Date: April 7, 2022 Contact: Morgan Warthin , (307)344-2015 MAMMOTH HOT SPRINGS, WY – Beginning at 8 a.m. Friday, April 15, 2022, select roads in Yellowstone National Park will open to the public for the season, weather permitting. On Saturday, April 16, entrance fees will be waived in celebration of National Park Week . Roads open to the public April 15 West Entrance to Old Faithful Mammoth Hot Springs to Old Faithful (via Norris) Norris to Canyon Village North Entrance to Mammoth Hot Springs to Northeast Entrance (open year-round) Changes in 2022 The road between Canyon Village and Tower-Roosevelt (Dunraven Pass) opens May 27 at noon . Fishing and boating seasons begin May 28 and will close Oct. 31 . Three major road improvement projects will occur this year. All three ...