BREAKING NEWS: Michael Blake joins lawsuit to stop ongoing wild horse roundups

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Michael Blake with Twelve

Michael Blake with Twelve

For immediate release

Protect Mustangs and Citizens Against Equine Slaughter file preliminary injunction Friday.

RENO, NV.  (August 24, 2013) — Academy Award Winner Michael Blake, author of Dances With Wolves, and member of Protect Mustangs, joins Citizens Against Equine Slaughter and Protect Mustangs versus The United States Forest Service, a department of the United States Department of Agriculture; Jeff Ulrich, Santa Rosa District Ranger; The United States Bureau of Land Management, a department of the United States Department of the Interior, to stop alleged illegal and continuous roundups of federally protected wild horses and burros through the duration of the agreement ending on May 31, 2015. Attorneys, Jordan Beckett, of Ashland, Oregon and Charles A. Jones, of Reno, filed a preliminary injunction friday to safeguard federally protected wild horses in the vast Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.

Blake states in his declaration he has received great inspiration, for decades, watching wild horses roaming free in Nevada. He believes that if they are rounded up, removed, killed or slaughtered, he would suffer harm by the loss of his inspiration.

Michael Blake writes in his book Twelve, The King:

“But he and hundreds of thousand like him are gone now from this beautiful land, and for that reason alone I could not stop as I traveled over four hundred miles of Nevada roads. Something evil is still afoot in this land, and it has left its imprint everywhere. In all those miles of open, free country, the mark of evil is present in what is absent. The wild horses are missing from the land.”

Blake is a long time admirer of the american wild horse. His book and acclaimed screenplay Dances with Wolves prominently features horses in the American West.

In the early ’90s he commissioned the first independent aerial survey of wild horses. They found the population on the range was much lower than the BLM’s overpopulation claim.

This summer the National Academy of Sciences announced there is no evidence to support the BLM’s rampant chant alleging overpopulation. Protect Mustangs has called for a moratorium on all roundups in order to conduct scientific population studies before using widespread fertility control. The conservation group is concerned wild horses are being managed to extinction by the BLM–the agency put in change of allegedly protecting America’s iconic wild horses.

“We filed in court to end this nightmare,” explains Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs. “We believe federally protected wild horses are at risk of going to slaughter as a result of the flawed roundups. We want this to stop now.”

“We are very thankful people have come together to save wild horses from auction but we never want to see this happen again,” says Dr.Lester Castro Friedlander, DVM, president of Citizens Against Equine Slaughter.

Esteemed wildlife biologist and author, Craig Downer, a member of Protect Mustangs, filed a compelling declaration filled with details from decades of studying the area.

“Most of the legal wild equid herds throughout the West have dangerously low populations and the ratios of wild equids to livestock/big game animals are ridiculously low,” explains Downer.  “For example, in the Spring Mountain Complex of wild horse and burro herd areas, the Las Vegas BLM District and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest plans to allow only one wild equid per seven thousand-plus legal acres. Here big game and to a lesser extent livestock outnumber and out-consume the wild equids many times over . . . . And here most of the Spring Mountain public waters have been fenced off so that wild horses cannot access them, but game animals, such as trophy bighorn sheep, can.”

Protect Mustangs and Citizens Against Equine Slaughter are challenging the entirety of the USFS decision authorizing an undisclosed number of roundups and an undisclosed number of horses to be removed from the range over the next two years. They filed their original complaint on Friday, August 16, 2013.

“While the first roundup has already been conducted, without further legal action these unbranded, wild horses will be continuously rounded up and removed from the range, impounded, and auctioned off to the highest bidder until May 2015,” explains Jordan Beckett, attorney for Plaintiffs. “The public’s unbranded wild horses are under the jurisdiction of the USFS and the BLM. They need to be managed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act.”

Protect Mustangs is a California-based non-profit organization devoted to protecting native wild horses. Their mission is to educate the public about the indigenous wild horses, protect and research American wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.

Citizens Against Equine Slaughter is an Oregon-based non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of America’s wild and domestic horses.

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Media Contacts:

Anne Novak, 415-531-8454, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

Photos, interviews and  video (Preview)  available upon request

Links of interest™:

Preliminary Injunction filed Friday: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=5056

Read the complaint here: PM Complaint CAES Protect mustangs v USFS BLM

Sign the petition to Defund the Roundups: http://www.change.org/petitions/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups

 

Last week’s press release with links of interest:

 

For immediate release

Alleged violations put iconic wild horses at risk of disappearing

Coalition against slaughter and for the protection of mustangs files lawsuit

RENO, NV. (August 16, 2013)–Protect Mustangs, the California-based conservation group, dedicated to protecting native wild horses and Citizens Against Equine Slaughter(CAES), the Oregon nonprofit, have filed a lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management and the USDA Forest Service asking for an injunction on their intent to impound unauthorized livestock in conjunction with the Fort McDermitt Tribal Council on and in the vicinity of the Humboltd-Toiyabe National Forest. The coalition hopes to prevent wild horses from loosing their protections and going to probable slaughter.

“This may be the first time that protected mustangs are being auctioned off for alleged slaughter en masse and publicly with the tacit approval & cooperation of federal officials,” explains Anne Novak, executive director for Protect Mustangs.

Right now hundreds of wild horses are being fattened up at a Fallon, Nevada auction yard for the sale because the Forest Service allegedly rounded up wild free roaming horses in violation of the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act and in violation ofNational Environmental Protection Act (NEPA).

“Horse slaughter is cruel and inhumane and we need to stop it,” says Dr. Lester Friedlander, DVM and president of Citizens Against Equine Slaughter. “This stealth roundup is a heinous act toward our icons of liberty.”

“The U.S. Forest Service needs to comply with the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act as well as NEPA before rounding up hundreds of potentially wild horses–especially when the BLM’s nearby Owyhee gather plan doesn’t authorize this action,” states Jordan Beckett, attorney for Plaintiffs Citizens Against Equine Slaughter and Protect Mustangs.

The Judge has not ruled on the complaint filed by Protect Mustangs and Citizens against Equine Slaughter as of this moment.

Protect Mustangs is devoted to protecting native wild horses. Their mission is to educate the public about the indigenous wild horse, protect and research American wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.

Citizens Against Equine Slaughter is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection of America’s wild and domestic horses.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak, 415-531-8454, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

Patience O’Dowd, 505-610-7644, patience_odowd@yahoo.com

Photos, interviews and  video (Preview)  available upon request

Links of interest:

Read the complaint here: PM Complaint CAES Protect mustangs v USFS BLM

U.S. Judge refuses to block NV tribe’s mustang sale, The Associated Press,http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/08/15/3565447/us-judge-in-nv-asked-to-block.html

Protect Mustangs www.ProtectMustangs.org

Citizens Against Equine Slaughterhttp://www.noequineslaughter.org/

Beckett Law Office, P.C. http://www.roguevalleylawyer.com/

Jones Law Firm http://cjoneslawfirm.com/

Wild Free Roaming Horse & Burro Act http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/92-195.htm

NEPA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Environmental_Policy_Act

Roundup footage & abuse:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF49csCB9qM (Preview)

 

PLAINTIFFS’ PRAYER FOR RELIEF

Plaintiffs respectfully request that this Court:

1. Declare that the USFS and the BLM violated the National Environmental Policy Act, the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the Administrative Procedure Act, and their implementing regulation in implementing the Fort McDermitt Horse Gather;

2. Order the USFS and the BLM to withdraw the Notice and 2013 Horse Gather Agreement until such time as the agency demonstrates to this Court that it has adequately complied with the law, including but not limited to putting the 2013 Agreement through notice and comment procedures, ordering DNA testing to determine the origin of captured wild horses, ordering the BLM and USFS to comply with the law to determine ownership of the wild horses, and ordering the BLM and USFS return to public lands or the HMAs all seized or removed wild, free-roaming, and unbranded horses being held at Fallon Livestock Auction;

3. Enjoin the USFS, the BLM, and their agents from proceeding with the Fort McDermitt Horse Gather, or any portion thereof, unless and until the violations of federal law set forth herein have been corrected to the satisfaction of this court;

Why would the Navajo government support the slaughter of the sacred wild horse?

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“The horseback riders should understand the prayer and song as to why there is such a horse.” — Leland Grass

 

By Leland Grass, Dine’

 

I don’t understand why our own Navajo Nation Gov’t President Ben Shelly, Speaker of the Council Johnny Naize and  Dine’ Horseback TrailRider bosses support the killing of wild horses to slaughter house after they are rounded up. In dine’ culture, The horses are the one help us dine’ through struggles to extreme survival from pulling our wagons, hoe, plow our cornfields and even help us through tough drought to haul waters to sheep camps, even fed us from trading posts. The horseback riders should understand the prayer and song why their is such a horse. Round them up and support the evil way of genocide of our mother earth holy being connect with nature elements- spiritual connection displaced in process of elimination. The BIA is the one blame for drought, not dine people and its animals and wildlife. BIA hurt our prayers and way of life in 1930’s and it continues, omen our lands. Do you see any USDA Agriculture near any of our chapter houses. NO! BIA stole our agriculture way of life from Navajo land and gave us Chapter Houses instead. All you Dine’ horseback Bosses and riders i have seen your horses you rode in, they are same being just like the other in wild but tamed, when you pray you not only praying for your every own horse but others too. Why do you carry Horse Song (or even ask for horse song in your trail ride event) and want to kill numerous horses of your land that is sacred to all living. Today, early Tomorrow morning, go to your beautiful horse and ask why he is sacred the answer gong be come back how you treat him with this you going make your decision if you going kill his ego as you will support the cause. Call Navajo Nation Department of Agriculture for more details 928-871-6605 or other Contacts web-link below. or All you every day people make a request to stop all horse slaughter and make the round up for training schools for youth and even rehab on dine’Tah- give it back to the land. No killing of our sacred animals. Believe me our dine’ elders and medicine people don’t want the killings. This was one of the talks during a traditional meeting at Black mesa near below Peabody.

 

We Dine’ riders have done good for Ben Shelly to get elected for previous presidential Election , we did it with a horse prayer and to ceremony with our horses so he could win. today, he completely took sides on a matter further away from our wants and needs- with that we are backing away our songs and prayer from Indian Gov’t politic rides any longer. we have learned.  Leland Grass

the Lastest on horse slaughter on Dine’ Land.
NEWPAPERS Article Link:
(Copy the weblink below and paste it on your web browser).
http://navajotimes.com/news/2013/0813/080813hor.php

Write or call NN President  Ben Shelly: Address:
Post Office Box 7440
Window Rock, Navajo Nation, AZ 86515
Phone: (928) 871-7000 Fax: (928) 871-4025

The Honorable M. Christina Armijo
United States Courthouse
333 Lomas Blvd. N.W., Ste 760
Albuquerque New Mexico 87102
Chambers’ Phone: (505) 348-2310
Chambers’ Fax: (505) 348-2315

“NO wildhorse slaughter from holy being (the sacred land) of Dine’ Tah’ (around/with in Dine’ land)!”

Leland Grass is from Betatkin, Az in the heartland of Navajo Indian Reservation. He grow up around Livestock’s, elder’s, and Medicne men and women of Dine’ People. He is currently a younger pro-tem for next “Ho’ya’ni’ ” (Man subdue disharmony to become vigilant one) for 12 Traditional Headsmen Council of Na’hoo’ka’ Dine’  (Earth Surface People). A ole’ traditional council made out of Medicine men long ago before peace treaty of 1868 with United States Government. His Indigneous Kinship, and Clanship are Deshcheenie Dine’i (Red Streak Clan), Born for Todacheenie Dine’i’ (Bitterwater Clan), and Grandfathers are Lokai Dine’i’ (Reed Clan). He is  traditional circle dance Singer. And following the steps as traditional practitioner. of the Dine’ Elders and Medicine peoples. In his timely effort with the nature, he horseback ride for traditional ceremonies, ceremonial Horseback trail rides and also put a ceremony ride together to protect the sacred area of dine’ tah’ (Among Dine).

Michael Blake: This is extermination not a rescue

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Wild horses: the government is rounding up ‘excess’ animals, condemning many to slaughter despite a law protecting them 

Copyright LA Times- February 08, 1993

by Michael Blake, the author of “Dances With Wolves” (Fawcett).
It is raining today in Las Vegas and I am thinking again of the horses. Now they are trying something new to get rid of them. They have 50 of them in a pen between two, large casino-hotels near the fabled Strip. As a new Administration begins its work, these horses stand as a testament to 20 years of failed governmental policy.
I know what the people who drift past that pen are seeing. They are viewing animals that have been humiliated and defeated. Most have lost weight since they were captured. Dehydration is a common condition at this stage. Some of them are still in shock. All of them are terrified.What the people looking through the pipe corral don’t know is that the horses inside are not just a few excess animals rounded up for humane adoption. They and thousands like them are victims of a vicious, long-running campaign of annihilation that has recently accelerated into what is the final phase.There has been great controversy over the number of wild horses in Nevada. Estimates for 1992 ran as high as 75,000, but the government agency directly responsible, the Bureau of Land Management, has most often estimated 30,000 to 35,000. The government has said it will forcibly remove 14,000 “excess” wild horses from public lands this year.

Last August, I helped commission the first comprehensive aerial census of wild horses in Nevada. In almost every herd area, the horses were far less numerous than BLM estimates. Thefinal count in our survey was 8,324.The horses will be gone this year or next if something isn’t done to protect them.In 1971, Congress passed a law giving the horses federal protection. This came about as a result of the second-largest write-in campaign in American history. The law states that the horses are notto be hunted withaircraft, harassed or rounded up for slaughter.But since 1971, the horses have been given no protection. They have been shot, poisoned and rustled for slaughter in huge numbers by people who have gone unpunished.

And they have been captured and removed in the thousands by the same government charged with protecting them.

Each cycle of the adopt-a-horse program is the same. Once certain herds are targeted for elimination, the cycle begins with the horror of horses being herded many miles by helicopter. Foals or fetuses are often lost during the forced march and any ailing animals are dead in days. The horses are stuffed into holding pens, where many become sick from the constant dust of close confinement. All the horses must be inoculated against common domestic diseases, which they have never known.

While waiting their turn in the squeeze chute, families are broken up. The wild horses are then jammed into trucks and hauled to large centers. All stallions are castrated upon arrival. The prettiest horses are adopted quickly, but most languish in the concentration centers before finally ending up in a place they are expressly forbidden by law–the slaughterhouse.

The adopt-a-horse program is effectively eliminating wild horses from the American scene and every dime of its support comes from tax dollars. After paying for this destruction, the taxpayer is asked to come down and buy a horse and take it home. But not very many taxpayers are equipped to take the government up on its offer; most of America’s wild horses end up as meat, sliding over the palates of Europeans and Asians who have acquired a fondness for the flesh of our horses.

I have seen wild horses in their natural state and I have spoken to many other people who have seen them. All agree that it is a sight that cannot be adequately described.

What I remember is being awed by the power of their unity. The family units, both large and small, are run with a precision and intelligence that is somehow beyond what we know. It may be a cliche, but it is certainly true that wild horses possess a certain pride in freedom. They are models for the world, living symbols of freedom.

Along with millions of other Americans, I want wild horses to stay, to remain a permanent part of the national landscape, protected and managed, not only in accordance with our laws but in the spirit of our laws as well.

The new Administration must stop these captures and start doing something positive for wild horses and for the public lands upon which they run. Nothing can be done for the 50 horses standing in the rain this day in Las Vegas. I hope that a few of them will find loving homes. For the others, the ones still out and running free, there can be great opportunities. But the hour is late.

Reprinted for educational purposes:

Snowstorm Mountains roundup is cancelled

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BLM Nevada News

WINNEMUCCA DISTRICT OFFICE NO. 2013-024

FOR RELEASE:  August 19, 2013

CONTACT:  Mark Turney, (775) 623-1541; mturney@blm.gov

  Snowstorm Mountains Emergency Wild Horse Gather Cancelled

WINNEMUCCA, Nev. – On August 16, 2013, Winnemucca District BLM issued a Stop Work Order to Cattoor Livestock Round-up, Inc. for the Snowstorm Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) Water Trap Gather.   The Snowstorm Mountains HMA gather was scheduled to begin on August 3.

“BLM is evaluating gathers across the U.S.,” said Amy Lueders, Nevada BLM State Director.  “We are identifying priority gathers in a climate of limited resources, while remaining flexible to ensure that we are able to conduct emergency gathers that may result from the ongoing fire season.”

The Emergency Snowstorm Mountains HMA gather was scheduled for an area 17 miles east of Paradise Valley in northern Nevada with the intent to gather 340 excess wild horses. This gather was being conducted as an emergency gather due to the severe lack of water within and around the gather area and the overpopulation of wild horses. BLM is currently hauling water five days a week to prevent wild horse deaths due to inadequate water availability.

For more information about wild horse and burro gathers in Nevada, visit http://www.blm.gov/nv

For further information, please contact Mark Turney, BLM Winnemucca Public Affairs Specialist at: (775) 623-1541 or by e-mail at: mturney@blm.gov.

 

Mark

Mark Turney
Public Affairs Specialist
Bureau of Land Management
Winnemucca District

5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd
Winnemucca, NV 89445

Office: 775-623-1541
Mobile: 775-455-7570

Email: mturney@blm.gov

Horses saved and horses lost at Native American horse auction

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Fallon auction

Many horses were saved, brand inspections found unbranded horses in the branded lots for sale, too many horses were not saved and sadly will go to probable slaughter.

Check back for updates.

News reports: http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/Branded-Horses-Going-to-Auction-in-Fallon-Order-Prevents-Sale-of-Unbranded-Horses-220058631.html

Info about Native American horses selling at NV livestock auction Sat

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PM Fallon Sale

Just called the livestock exchange, guy said they just finished counting all the horses and his numbers are approximate:

Viewing between 8-10 Saturday morning on site

selling by the head or lot, not by the pound

Approx 35 mares + babies together, will be sold singly not as a lot

Approx 40 mares in several lots (14, 17, 19)

25-30 mares no babies singly

25-30 geldings singly

Approx 75 big “old” studs to be sold in several lots

Approx 20-30 yearlings and weaned foals sold singly

 

All horses have brands except a few and except some babies

Auction starts at 11:00

Payment via cash, Visa or MasterCard only

Nevada tax = 7.6%

The lots will be sold at the pens – those horses will not be brought through the arena, everyone will walk to the pens and bid there

If we’re bidding, we need to register

27 owners represented in these 500 horses

I just added those numbers and it only comes to 275, so not sure about the other 225 horses that would make a total of 500 but at least we get the idea

Temporary Restraining Order Granted

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TRO granted only for unbranded horses. All others go through sale. Please help buy them.

ORDER Plaintiffs Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (dkt no. 7) is hereby GRANTED pending a hearing on the Motion. Plaintiffs Motion to Expedite (dkt. no. 8) is also GRANTED. Defendants shall file their response by August 20, 2013. The Motion is scheduled for hearing on August 21, 2013, at 1:30 p.m. In the meantime, Defendants are temporarily enjoined, pending the August 21, 2013, hearing, from permitting the sale of all unbranded horses removed as a result of the August 11-13 gather conducted pursuant to the Agreement at the August 17, 2013, scheduled auction. Signed by Judge Miranda M. Du on August 16, 2013. (Copies have been distributed pursuant to the NEF – KER)

AWHPC has filed for a TRO and it was granted thankfully.

We need #Help4Horses going to alleged slaughter auction Saturday August 17th in Nevada

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Protect native wild horses! © Protect Mustangs.org

Protect native wild horses! © Protect Mustangs.org

Dear Friends,

This may be the first time that protected mustangs are being auctioned off for slaughter en masse and publicly with the tacit approval & cooperation of federal officials.

Today Protect Mustangs filed a lawsuit with Citizens Against Equine Slaughter and are seeking an order immediately halting the actions of the USFS that authorized the roundup of potentially hundreds of wild horses. We named the USDA Forest Service and the BLM in the complaint. Our case focuses on violations of WFRH&B Act and NEPA. It’s not over.

Disposing of native wild horses by sending them to an alleged slaughter auction is wrong, Wild horses are an integral part of the ecosystem and belong to the American people. They don’t belong on a dinner plate in a foreign country.

471 horses are going up for sale tomorrow. 150 mare and foal pairs will be sold at the alleged slaughter auction. This is horrible. We need a miracle at this point.

We have only tonight and early Saturday morning to find a way to save these horses. All the horses need to be saved from the slaughter buyers.

If any rescues, ranches or horse people can come to Fallon, Nevada (about one hour east from Reno) Saturday with their trailers to rescue wild horses and reservation horses from probable slaughter and if they need information please have them contact Protect Mustangs by calling 415-531-8454 or Citizens Against Equine Slaughter at 570-637-3000. Coggins and health certificates are needed to enter some states from Nevada.

Many blessings,

Anne