——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Opposing BMD Drought Roundup/Removal
From: <anne@protectmustangs.org>
Date: Wed, May 16, 2012 11:53 pm
To: bmfoweb@blm.gov
RE: Battle Mountain Proposed Roundup in this EA: http://on.doi.gov/JVrrCO
Dear Sirs,
We are all aware now the livestock is causing the damage to the range. The PEER report released May 14th entitled Livestock’s Heavy Hooves Impair One-Third of BLM Rangelands can be found on our website at http://protectmustangs.org/?p=1243
We respectfully ask that you take the livestock off the range due to the emergency conditions since they could go somewhere else and leave the wild horses and burros on the range.
Wild horses and burros will reduce the wildfire risk on the range as well as help heal the land.
We are concerned you consistently deny requests for independent accurate head counts. Your inflated estimates to justify roundups are gross and an insult to the public’s intelligence.
We want solid proof the wild horses–not the livestock–are ruining the thriving natural ecological balance (TNEB). Without that we can only see you in the pocket of the livestock grazing lobby and acting on their behalf which is wrong.
Contrary to what you state in the EA wild horses can self regulate and do not multiply like rabbits. Less than 1% of 15,000 wild horses studied live to the age of 20. Many youngsters die before the age of 2. This is a wildlife species not a zoo exhibit.
When was the last time these horses were treated with the immunocontraceptive PZP? Is it working?
Show us the good science behind your proposal because the BLM Environmental Assessment is just spin to justify another cruel and expensive roundup and removal.
Helicopter roundups are against the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act protecting these animals from harrassment and harm.
Using a helicopter causes global warming and we oppose it.
Documented helicopter roundups are cruel for the animals–causing injury, heat stress, spontaneous abortions (Calico 2010 for example), extreme stress and many deaths. Your numbers reporting deaths related to helicopter roundups are wrong–they are way too low to justify roundups and receive money from Congress for your broken program. Your reports of “pre-existing conditions” meriting euthanasia are a farce and we ask for transparency. BLM does not count the dead properly, as in the case of Old Gold at the 2011 Calico Roundup located here: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=348
We oppose roundups that would stress, traumatize and injure foals and lack humane care such as the roundup proposed.
We oppose roundups that waste taxpayer dollars and ask you to step up and manage the situation without removing the equids by bringing in food if needed.
We oppose bait and water trapping because removals are a waste of tax dollars and lack humane care this being cruel.
We oppose gate cut gathers/roundups because they are a waste of tax dollars, cruel and lack humane care.
The BLM’s AML numbers are no longer based in good science and need to be revised to reflect TNEB and the fact that the LIVESTOCK are ruining the range as reported in the PEER study above.
Sex ratio adjustments are wrong and not what nature intended. The Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act does not allow this.
Fertility control and experimentation is wrong not what nature intended. The Free Roaming WIld Horse and Burro Act does not allow this.
We request you respond in 48 hours to inform us of the adjuvunct used in your proposed PZP treatment that we are opposing.
We are opposed to using PZP that causes side effects to wild equids. These side effects include but are not limited to open abscesses, lameness, sores than can become infected in the wild causing death, etc.
How effective is PZP if given without a booster?
We are opposed to using PZP because some animals could become sterilized.
We are opposed to branding wild horses and burros as we understand the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act forbids the branding and harassing of wild equids.
BLM has failed to prove using good science that wild horses and burros are ruining the Thriving Natural Ecological Balance and is wasting taxpayer dollars with proposals such as this.
We are against transporting and selling wild horses.
Since the BLM employees have been caught in the past adopting wild horses and selling them to slaughter we are against removals because the animals are at risk of going to slaughter. http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=1141
We oppose this roundup and removal because it will cause litigation that is wasting more tax dollars. We request BLM to be fiscally responsible.
Keep the wild horses and burros on the range to prevent wasting tax dollars paying to round them up–or trap them–and then to “process” them and then warehousing them in short or long term holding.
If there is not enough water for wild horses and burros then we ask you to truck the water in for the equids which would save a great deal of taxpayer dollars instead of a costly and cruel roundup and removal.
We want to see you be champions and do things right for a change.
Sincerely,
Anne Novak
Anne Novak
Executive Director
Protect Mustangs
P.O. Box 5661
Berkeley, California 94705
Tel./Text: 415.531.8454
Twitter @ProtectMustangs
Protect Mustangs on YouTube
Protect Mustangs in the News
Protect Mustangs is a Bay Area-based preservation group whose mission is to educate the public about the American wild horse, protect and research wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.
Thank you, Anne.