We object to BLM’s proposed California roundups

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Cancel Buckhorn, Coppersmith and Carter Roundups
From: <anne@protectmustangs.org>
Date: Thu, May 24, 2012 11:58 pm
To: CBCwildhorses@blm.gov

Dear Sirs,

We respectfully ask you to cancel the three proposed wild horse and burro roundups (Buckhorn, Coppersmith and Carter Reservoir) on the northern California-Nevada border because there is no proof that the indigenous wild horses are ruining the thriving natural ecological balance. There is no exact head count and therefore no “excess” wild horses.

We don’t like the BLM wasting taxpayer dollars on animal cruelty, nor for the government to spend money on environmental assessments for roundups when, according to the PEER report, the livestock is causing range damage.

We believe the government should not remove native wild horses to warehouse each horse or foal at a cost of $1.30 a day ($39 a month) when livestock grazing permittees pay only $1.35 a cow/calf pair per month to graze on public land.

We would like to ask you to bring the mustangs and burros water or feed if they are at risk but leave them ALL on the Herd Management Areas (HMAs).

If there is a range damage issue then take ALL the livestock off and kindly ask the permittees to put them elsewhere.

Removing wild horses puts them at a high-risk of being sold and going to slaughter after only 3 adoption attempts. Also, if they are over 10 years old they can be sold without limitation according to BLM regulations. Selling native wild horses who end up butchered for human consumption in foreign countries is morally wrong and goes against the spirit of the 1971 Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act.

We document wild horses and burros in their HMAs, write about them and enjoy taking photos of them. Our work is shared with the global public. If you roundup the wild horses and burros it will negatively affect our work.

Removing the wild horses and burros will affect the genetic viability of the herds and the normal herd dynamics will be ruined forever.

Skewing the sex ratios is cruel and causes extreme stress on the mares and ruins the natural family dynamics of these indigenous animals.

At the last National Academy of Science public meeting it was proven that mountain lions are hunting a lot of foals and are managing the population as nature intended so drugs such as PZP, ZonaStat-H, SpayVac, GonaCon, and other forms of contraception or sterilization are probably not necessary.

We all know darting isn’t going to work–the roundups will continue in order to give wild horses and burros contraceptives.

How much money has been spent on fertility control research in the past fiscal year? And in the past 40 years how much money was spent on this research?

And how many wild horses and burros are really out there?

Do you have photos and videos to prove too many wild horses and burros are out there causing damage?

How many heads of livestock are using or will use the very same HMAs?

What “multiple use” does BLM serve on the Buckhorn, Coppersmith and Carter Reservoir HMAs? Who is getting permits for these HMA’s? Please provide information about lease sales, energy development, water rights and grazing issues for the three HMA’s.

These animals are being managed to extinction. Cancel the roundups! We don’t have many wild horses and burros left in California.

Please respond to our questions in writing without delay. Thank you for your kind assistance.

Sincerely,

Anne Novak

 

Links of interest:

Indigenous wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562

The PEER Report on Grazing Allotments Failing Rangeland Health Standards: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=1243

AWHPC reports on the final NAS public meeting: http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/news/2012/05/21/eyewitness-report-national-academy-of-sciences-wild-horse-and-burro-review-commitee-fourth-public-meeting/

6 Wild Horses Sold by U.S. End Up at Slaughterhouse: http://articles.latimes.com/2005/apr/22/nation/na-horses22

BLM Scoping Notice for 3 California-Nevada roundups: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/04/NC1256_whbscoping.html

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

P.O. Box 5661

Berkeley, California 94705

Tel./Text: 415.531.8454

 

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www.ProtectMustangs.org

 

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.

 


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