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Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Speed unknown factor in death of Grizzly 1058, one of 399's offspring
A sign that informs passersby about grizzlies stands along Highway 89 in the Snake River Canyon near Jackson Hole, Wyoming. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile) This story was first published by WyoFile on May 7, 2025. A grizzly death attributed to a fatal vehicle strike has triggered an outpouring of rage on social media about people driving too fast, but law enforcement could not determine whether speed was a factor in the collision. The bear that died, Grizzly 1058, is one of the famous 'quads' of their even more famous mom, Grizzly 399, who died last year after being fatally struck by a vehicle on a highway south of Jackson. Grizzly Bear 399 lived to old age because we made room for her. She died because we're in her wilds In the death of Grizzly 399, authorities ruled that the driver was not speeding. As for Grizzly 1058, 'law enforcement rangers were not able to determine if speed was a factor' in the collision, Grand Teton National Park spokeswoman Emily Davis said in an email Wednesday. Nonetheless, park officials asked people to slow down and be vigilant for wildlife in a Tuesday news release confirming the bear's death. While reducing speeds can help protect wildlife along Wyoming highways, it's not the only factor setting the stage for fatal collisions. 'It's terribly unfortunate that this happened,' said Brian DeBolt, large carnivore conflict coordinator with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. 'But it's becoming all too common with these bears that spend so much time roadside.' The more time bears hang out near roads, the higher the probability that they're going to be struck and killed by a vehicle, DeBolt said. Game and Fish is finding that younger bears, like the 5-year-old subadult found Tuesday, are being forced to make a living in more marginal habitat along roadsides because more prime habitat is already occupied. What park officials have confirmed so far is that Grizzly 1058 had been spotted in the park since he and his three siblings split from their mom in 2022. But there were no confirmed sightings of him this spring, the park release said. Park law enforcement found the bear's remains Tuesday in a patch of willows about 125 yards from the highway, within park boundaries east of the Buffalo Fork River. The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported that a law enforcement ranger found the dead bear after spotting ravens and eagles scavenging along the highway and stopping to investigate. The park bear biologist told the News&Guide the animal had likely been there for several days. The park relied on ear tags and a 'PIT' tag to identify the 5-year-old bear, which the park release said 'appeared to be in good condition for his age and the time of year.' The outer park highway sees more diverse traffic — including commuters and semis — and higher speed limits than the inner park road. Just up the highway on Togwotee Pass, where vehicles have struck roadside grizzlies, wildlife managers and law enforcement have struggled to manage traffic jams created by bear watchers. As more bears live roadside, and get habituated to people, the more risk of collisions, DeBolt said Wednesday. 'We don't want bears to be so comfortable roadside,' he added. The speed limit on Togwotee Pass is 55 miles per hour, but once drivers cross into Grand Teton National Park, there is a nighttime speed limit of 45 mph on that same highway. Safety concerns along that highway, where it crosses through the Bridger-Teton National Forest, prompted one retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service special agent to propose a 'grizzly bear speed limit,' using variable speed limits similar to how the state handles blizzards on the interstate. 'Maybe we ought to consider having a grizzly bear speed limit, you know, when the bears are around the highway,' said Steve Stoinski, a retired Fish and Wildlife Service agent who spent a summer managing bear traffic jams on Togwotee Pass. But that speed limit would only work with regular enforcement, Stoinski told WyoFile. DeBolt said he'd be open to reducing speed limits if it would reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and was reasonable and logistically possible. But setting speed limits is not Game and Fish's call to make. DeBolt also sees larger factors at play. 'Although it seems like maybe a simple fix,' DeBolt said. 'It's not that simple.' Inside Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks where reduced speed limits are enforced, wildlife still die in vehicle strikes, DeBolt said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
As international visitors stay away, Yellowstone National Park tourism industry banks on Americans
West Yellowstone, Montana, workers stock the Yellowstone Bargain Store on April 15, 2025, as the tourist town prepares for interior park roads to open for automobiles. Located a few hundred yards from the entrance to Yellowstone National Park, the store specializes in tchotchkes, gewgaws, trinkets and clothes. (Angus M. Thuermer Jr./WyoFile) WEST YELLOWSTONE, MONTANA — Tchotchke shop owners are busy stocking shelves with Old Faithful shot glasses, stuffed teddy bears and Yellowstone hoodies. Motel managers are hiring their last employees as the summer tourism season begins with the opening of Yellowstone's West Entrance today. After park crews plowed a winter's worth of snow from roads, visitors are now motoring to Old Faithful, Canyon and Norris, marking the unofficial start to the summer. This year, fewer of those tourists, ogling at 'red dog' bison calves, delighting in a geyser's eruption and soaking up spectacular mountain views, will likely be international travelers. Overseas travel to the U.S. nosedived 11.6% in March, reflecting jitters over Trump administration tariffs, stock market turmoil and foreign bitterness toward the country's altered relationship with the rest of the world. Several data points reveal a sluggish start to the summer tourism season. The International Trade Administration, an arm of the U.S. Department of Commerce, reported the 11.6% drop in overseas visitation in March. (The figure, compared to the same month last year, does not reflect travelers from Canada and Mexico.) 'U.S. Economy to Lose Billions as Foreign Tourists Stay Away,' Bloomberg headlined an April 14 story. Mike Gierau, a Wyoming state senator, restaurant owner and co-chairman of JH AIR, a nonprofit business consortium that coordinates service to Jackson Hole, sees the tide. 'International travel is dropping like a stone based on all the stuff coming from Washington,' he said. Moreover, at the South Entrance to the world's first national park, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce reports a dip in the 60-day outlook for already booked hotel rooms compared to 2024. Rick Howe, the chamber's president, said June and July 'are not as strong as we would expect — they're not picking up as quickly as they [usually] do.' That 60-day outlook, released March 31, shows about 54% of coming days falling shy of last year's numbers based on bookings at 16 hotels. 'It's not going to be a record year,' Howe said. In 2024, travel spending in Wyoming amounted to $4.9 billion, according to the Wyoming Office of Tourism. Travel and tourism supported 33,610 jobs, generated $278 million in tax receipts and resulted in 8.8 million overnight visitors, the office said in a review of last year. Tourism, Gierau said, is the second-largest revenue-generating industry in the Equality State behind energy development. 'In tourism, everything you do is taxed,' he said, 'everything we buy, everything we sell.' Despite the data dips, industry officials hope and believe in redemption. If overseas visitors aren't coming to the U.S., Americans could forego foreign travel as well, spending their time vacationing closer to home instead. 'One door closes, another opens,' Gierau said. Also, the outlook for visitors to Jackson Hole, while not yet documented by the chamber, is upbeat for August and September, Howe said. Overall, 'we're pretty much on par with last summer — for the moment,' he said. At Yellowstone's East Entrance near Cody, lodge owners have seen 'a little bit of a drop,' in reservations, said Jennifer Thoma, the executive director of the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce. There's now a glimmer of relief. 'It seems like reservation numbers are back up,' she said. In addition to tariffs, market turmoil and foreign enmity, DOGE cuts to the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service have rattled travelers. Those indiscriminate firings and resignations have sparked worries that campgrounds won't open and toilets won't be cleaned. Tourism industry leaders seek to assure potential customers that DOGE disorder won't affect their vacations. Yellowstone National Park Lodges General Manager Mike Keller acknowledged in an email that Park Service 'staffing uncertainty' has generated worries. 'We are here to assure you that our operations are unaffected and we are ready to welcome you to a memorable Yellowstone experience this spring and summer,' his email reads. 'The park remains open, the views are as breathtaking as ever, the wildlife is flourishing, and the sense of wonder that Yellowstone National Park evokes is unchanging and eternal.' For Howe at the Jackson chamber, the season could mimic the surge in RV campers and regional travel that accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic. 'People are not worried services won't be available,' he said. 'We are not hearing the concerns that we were two to three weeks ago,' Howe said. 'Those calls are not happening anymore.' He also asked innkeepers a month ago to report whether they're getting calls from people cancelling reservations because of economic hardships. 'The answer is 'no,'' he said. Reflecting information from airlines, Gierau predicted 'a good summer,' but also one that's 'just different.' There will be fewer bus tours filled with foreigners and, instead, more people 'on the senior circuit,' he said. The next Jackson chamber 60-day outlook through mid-June, compiled by consultants DestiMetrics, publishes April 20. A crash is 'not a major concern at the moment,' Howe said. 'It's kind of a moving target,' Howe said of the summer forecast. 'With all the things going on, things changing rapidly, it's hard to know.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
