Wise wild stallion (Photo © Cynthia Smalley, all rights reserved.)

Three years ago, epic scale wild horse roundups began across the West. A new force of advocates united with seasoned wild horse warriors in an effort to stop the cruel roundups and raise awareness.

It was clear the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wanted to quickly stampede as many mustangs as possible off public land forever.

What was the rush?

Curiously, while working at The Cloud Foundation, I noticed a distinct trail of roundups . . .  After much research and investigation I learned the Ruby Pipeline was bashing through the same areas that wild horses were being removed.

El Paso Gas and the BLM denied there was any connection.

The roundups continued at break neck speed across the West spurring nationwide protests. Regrettably public outcry was ignored.

The White House remained mute on the wild horse crises.

Sadly even Sheryl Crow, messenger of the mustangs, could not inspire President Obama to save America’s wild horses.

Who else could the American people reach out to? The Queen of England? Don’t laugh too hard–it was considered at one point.

Later I realized the stimulus Package deadline was the catalyst and energy was the reason.

While watching the 2010 State of the Union Briefing I heard President Obama introduce The New Energy Frontier. Immediately it all made sense once the conflicts were exposed.

Last Saturday the New York Times published a great article by Eric Lipton, Drillers in Utah Have a Friend in a U.S. Land Agency. The article exposes the BLM’s  intimate relationship to the energy industry.

“Grazing, wildlife, along with threatened and endangered species — they commingle here,” Mr. Stringer said in an interview, waving his hand across a map of northeastern Utah in his office. “But oil and gas — that’s the major use.”

Read the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/us/politics/bureau-of-land-managements-divided-mission.html?_r=4&hp

Today we offer the win-win solution for wild horses to remain on public land to foster biodiversity, in genetically viable herds, while inspiring the public because they live in freedom. There is a way for mustangs and burros to stay on their legally designated rangelands and coexist with livestock, while the rich grow their fortunes through energy development.

Perhaps the energy moguls could do the right thing–before it’s too late . . .

~ Anne Novak, Executive Director for Protect Mustangs