Yellowstone National Park

a) Mining;

b) Invasive alien species;

c) Road construction.

On 31 January 2006, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN received from the State Party the third progress report for Yellowstone National Park following the property’s removal from the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2003. Compared to the last report, progress was reported on the following key issues:

Mining activities:

In 2005, significant progress was made on the McLaren Mill and tailings and the Republic Smelter sites. Efforts are underway to determine whether a pre-selected site is indeed suitable as a depository for the McLaren tailings adjacent to the park. With the continued cleanup of toxic material, further improvement of water quality in the park is expected in the future.

Water quality:

The new Norris Village wastewater system will go on-line early in 2006. Construction of the Madison replacement system will begin in 2006, and smaller remaining wastewater treatment, distribution and collection facilities that are deteriorated or outdated will be replaced or updated in the future as funds are available.

Road impacts:

An annually funded programme for rebuilding existing roads in the park is expected to continue through 2017. This should correct the structural deficiencies noted in 1995. The park also obtained additional resources for the cyclical maintenance of roads including the newly rebuilt roads.

Key species:

The joint bison management plan has been implemented for the 5th year. In the last five years, the core Yellowstone bison population has been sustained between 3,000 and 5,000 animals, and efforts continue to reduce the risk of brucellosis transmission from bison to livestock. In the winter of 2005-2006, the State of Montana allowed bison hunting adjacent to the park and authorized 50 permits to be issued.

Considerable efforts continue in the park to conserve the endemic Yellowstone cutthroat trout by gillnetting non-native lake trout. Over 130,000 adult and juvenile lake trout were removed last year. Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations continue, however, to struggle with lake trout predation, trout whirling disease, and a series of years of drought-induced reproduction failures. In the autumn of 2005, monitoring efforts showed a strong year-class of juveniles that will start to reach reproductive age in 2006. However, according to an article by US National Park Service (NPS) scientists, Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations experienced a 60 percent decline in Yellowstone Lake, the fish’s largest refuge, despite all conservation efforts. The State Party has also reviewed the currency and relevance of the 1973 Master Plan for Yellowstone National Park as requested by the Committee in its Decision 29 COM 7B.22. It concludes that the Master Plan, which has been extensively amended and regularly reviewed since its initial adoption in 1973, continues to serve well as the overarching framework for park management and as the framework for the subplans which are in operation.

IUCN noted that the draft progress report was published for public comments in January 2006, but regrets that the public comment period was only 15 days. Furthermore it is noted that public comments were provided by several NGOs (annexed to the State Party report). They provided important additional information on the status and/or public perception of the key issues in the property. The NGOs expressed concern over the continuing threats to Yellowstone National Park from the New World Mining District. They further indicated that a three-year temporary winter use plan approved by the National Parks Service allows 720 snowmobiles a day into the park, despite the fact that the less than 300 snowmobiles entering the park per day at present continue to have adverse impacts on the park, especially in terms of air and noise pollution (according to recent US NPS winter use monitoring reports). Referring to a 2005 status review of the joint bison management plan, the NGOs further indicated that little progress has been made in fact in bison conservation. But they acknowledged progress made in rebuilding existing roads and wastewater facilities. According to 2005 to 2006 press coverage, the Yellowstone grizzly bear population exceeds 600 animals, and all goals of the 1993 Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Plan are met. The Yellowstone bison population was estimated at 3,100 animals in late winter 2003, 4,200 in late summer 2004, 4,900 in late summer 2005, and 3,500 in late winter 2006. The recent reduction was attributed to normal winter mortality (typically at 9 percent of the population) and the fact that hundreds of bison were captured and sent to slaughter in the winter of 2005-2006. The new population estimate is still above the target population of 3,000 contained in the joint bison management plan. In March 2006, the grey wolf population in the Northern Rockies exceeded 1,000 animals, a decade after they were reintroduced in and around Yellowstone National Park. But recently grey wolf numbers fell sharply in the large Wyoming part of Yellowstone National Park mainly because many pups died. Officials suspect disease as the cause behind the deaths of many pups.

Considering all the available information, IUCN and the World Heritage Centre conclude that progress is being made in relation to most of the key issues in the property. However, it will still take time before the activities undertaken fully resolve them. It is therefore important that the State Party continues its activities and the monitoring of its activities, and that it ensures environmental impacts of activities such as rebuilding existing roads and wastewater facilities are minimized and mitigated. Furthermore, the State Party is encouraged to find a satisfactory long term solution for the winter use of the property. Having submitted three annual reports, which document the progress being made, the State Party, in its official report, questions the need for continuing to submit further annual reports, as previously requested by the Committee. Considering the overall positive progress documented in the three annual reports, a bi-annual reporting cycle for the property is suggested to the World Heritage Committee. The State Party should continue to seek public comments on its progress reports.