Letters to the Editor

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Write Your Letter to Support Buffalo Now!

Most of the time, articles about the buffalo slaughter end up in hard-to-find sections of the newspaper, if at all. This results in the buffalo’s story remaining untold to the public.

One effective way to combat this is to write Letters to the Editor, helping them understand the seriousness and importance of this issue.

As a token of thanks, we will send you a Free BFC T-shirt if you have a buffalo-friendly letter printed. Be sure to include the name of the paper or publication, and the date it was printed, along with your t-shirt size and mailing address. Printed LTEs can be sent via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by regular mail to: BFC-Media, P.O. Box 957, West Yellowstone, MT 59758.

Sample Letter

To whom it may concern:

American bison are America’s National Mammal, yet this honorable designation offers no protection for the country’s only continuously wild population – the unique and distinct Yellowstone National Park bison herds.

Numbering fewer than threatened polar bears and having lost more habitat than threatened grizzly bears, wild American bison have no protection under the Endangered Species Act.

The U.S. Congress is also at fault in expressly directing federal agencies to do nothing for American bison under the National Bison Legacy Act:

Nothing in this Act or the adoption of the North American bison as the national mammal of the United States shall be construed or used as a reason to alter, change, modify, or otherwise affect any plan, policy, management decision, regulation, or other action by the Federal Government.

Nearly every year about 20% of these already bottlenecked herds are hazed, slaughtered, quarantined and even domesticated under the InterAgency Bison Management Plan on millions of the American tax-payer’s dollar. The explanation the IBMP agencies give for the slaughter is the concern of Brucellosis transmitted to cattle from wild bison. In reality this has never occurred. Elk have transmitted this westerner-brought disease twenty times in the last two decades, yet there are no arbitrarily drawn kill zones, no firing lines that elk are forced to run through. Bison must be managed like wild elk, as they have posed no threat to cattle whereas elk clearly have.

The U.S. government cannot honor our National Mammal by threatening their existence in the one place the wild migratory species still roams their original territory in the United States: Yellowstone.

It’s time to grant Endangered Species Act protection for recovering wild American bison herds on federal public lands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecocsytem. It’s time to grant Endangered Species Act protection for recovering wild American bison herds on federal public lands in Yellowstone. Join the Buffalo Field Campaign to learn more and take action for our national mammal!

Let the Buffalo Roam!

Helpful Tip on Getting Your Letter Printed

The editorial section is the most widely-read section of newspapers, and even local papers can reach thousands of readers. Listed immediately below are national and Montana State newspapers which must hear from every one of us. Farther down the page are links to even more media outlets—but please don’t stop there! Your local paper (wherever you are), and any other publication that you read or subscribe to should hear from you about this issue.

The buffalo only suffer because most people do not know about the travesty of their current circumstances. More people made aware of what’s happening to the buffalo will generate more people willing to help us defend them!

Please write to media outlets about the harassment and slaughter of the buffalo, and urge them to cover this national disaster and waste of state and federal resources. We must draw attention to the needless suffering of these unique and majestic animals.

Other action ideas: If you’ve seen articles about buffalo printed somewhere, please write a letter in response. It will also help the media to know that the buffalo issue is one people are interested in if you write a letter to their editor in regard to recent articles listed on this website that have been published about our work.

PLEASE NOTE: Most media outlets have specific criteria you must follow in order for your letter to be considered for printing. We encourage you to follow each set of specific guidelines. Also, making a follow-up phone call to the editor you write to often helps get your letter printed. Campaigns have been won before using this strategy, and there really is no better time than today to send your Letter to the Editor!

If your letter is printed/posted by a media outlet please send a copy or link to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or to

Buffalo Field Campaign
P.O. Box 957
W. Yellowstone, MT, 59758

The action you are taking in defense of the buffalo is much appreciated!

NATIONAL MEDIA OUTLETS

The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/lettertoeditor.html
Letter Policy: Letters should be no longer than 150 - 175 words, must refer to an article that has appeared within the last seven days. Include writer's address and phone numbers. No attachments, please. Send a letter to the editor by e-mailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (for readers of The International New York Times).

Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/about/la-letter-to-the-editor-htmlstory.html
Letters Policy: Keep brief, no more than 150 words. Include valid mailing address and phone number. Use plain text. No attachments. Make a follow-up phone call to be sure your letter is printed. Call (213) 237-5000. Email letters to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and address them to:
Letters to the Editor
202 W. 1st St.
Los Angeles, CA 90012

The Washington Post
http://help.washingtonpost.com/ics/support/KBAnswer.asp?questionID=91
Letter Policy: Letters must be signed and include the writer's home address and home and business telephone numbers. Letters to the Editor can be sent via e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by surface mail to:
Letters to the Editor
1301 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20071

MONTANA NEWPAPERS

If you’re a resident of Montana, be sure to say so. If you aren’t, mention that this is an issue of national concern, and that you may make vacation plans elsewhere until they stop killing buffalo. Tourism is Montana’s second largest revenue source!

The Billings Gazette
Letter Policy: Include signature of the author, writer’s street address and phone number. Maximum length is 250 words. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for clarity, conciseness, taste, and to prevent libel.
Send your letters to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and address them to:
Letters to the Editor
https://billingsgazette-dot-com.bloxcms.com/forms/contact/letter_to_the_editor/
Or submit by mail or fax:
P.O. Box 36300
Billings, MT 59107-6300
Send your letter by fax to: 406-657-1208

The Bozeman Chronicle
Letters Policy: Letters should be no more than 300 words, must be signed and must be addressed to the editor. Each letter must include the writer’s address. Writers should include phone numbers, which will not be published but may be used for verification. The Chronicle reserves the right to edit all letters for length, grammar, good taste, and libel. *Make a follow-up phone call to be sure your letter is printed. Phone: 406-582-2655.
Send your letters to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Letters to the Editor
Bozemand Daily Chronicle
2820 W. College
Bozeman, MT 59715

The Helena Independent Record
Note: This paper is read by Montana State Legislators!
Letter Policy: Limit letters to 200 words. Include address and daytime phone for verification.
Letters may be edited for clarity or length. Email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or fax to 406-447-4052. Make a follow-up phone call to be sure your letter gets printed! Call 406-477-4072.
Send your letters to:
Readers' Alley
P.O. Box 4249
Helena, MT 59604

West Yellowstone News
This paper is West Yellowstone's primary news source. West's number one industry is tourism, so letters that speak highly of buffalo are very important. Keep your letters brief - about 250 words. Include address and phone number for verification.
Send your letters electronically to:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Their web site address is http://www.westyellowstonenews.com.
Phone number: 406-646-9719; Make a follow-up phone call to ensure your letter is printed.
Fax: 406-646-4023.