Teen wants Twin Peaks mustangs to remain on the range for educational opportunities
SAN FRANCISCO (November 3, 2012)–Protect Mustangs opposes the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposal to roundup and remove native wild horses from Twin Peaks–the largest herd management area near Susanville, California. The California-based preservation group is planning a protest against the proposed Twin Peaks roundup. The San Francisco protest date and time will be announced after the Presidential election.
“Americans value California’s treasured herd of native wild horses, with cavalry remount influences, known as the Twin Peaks horses,” explains Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs. “These mustangs are survivors and play an essential role in creating biodiversity. Native horses heal the land after wildfires and from livestock over-grazing. This ultimately benefits livestock too.”
Native wild horses have survived in nature for hundreds of years and do not need to be rescued after a wildfire when there is forage and water out there. If they need extra forage or water then the BLM can bring them forage. It’s much cheaper than rounding them up and warehousing them in the Midwest–where they risk being sold to a slaughter middle man someday.
If the land needs healing after the fire then engage the latest science to use native wild horses to help heal the land and reverse desertification.
After a wildfire burned through the HMA for days, advocates conducted a study documenting the forage, water and terrain conditions. There is water and forage out there.
“Going to the Twin Peaks HMA is like stepping inside a living wildlife biology museum of the high desert,” says 15 year old Irma Novak, Director of the Discover Mustangs Project. “After the 2010 roundup, it’s hard to find wild horses to observe because the range is so huge and there aren’t many mustangs left.”
“American youth needs to have access to the natural world to round out their education,” adds Novak. “We want the Twin Peaks wild horses to remain on the range. If they need to remove any animals to heal the land after the fire then they should remove the destructive grazers who ruin the riparian areas–the cattle.”
The vast 798,000 acre Twin Peaks HMA is one and a half hours north of Reno and approximately 250 miles from the Bay Area making it an accessible option to observe treasured wild horses in their native habitat.
Irma Novak, Director of Discover Mustangs (Photo © Carolyn Orndorff)
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Media Contacts:
Anne Novak, 415-531-8454 Anne@ProtectMustangs.org
Kerry Becklund, 510-502-1913 Kerry@ProtectMustangs.org
Links of interest:
Native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562
Princeton Study: Wildlife and cows can be partners not enemies in search for food: http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S32/93/41K10/index.xml?section=featured
California Twin Peaks Rush Fire Report: https://www.box.com/s/yf5mucjsowlawk5z3kyn
Discover Mustangs Project: http://discovermustangs.org/
Twin Peaks HMA: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/hma-main/HMA-CA-242.html
Letter to BLM asking for Twin Peaks roundup specifics and stating our position to bring them aid in the field as needed but keep them on the HMA: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=2864
Petition to de-fund the roundups:https://www.change.org/petitions/united-states-congress-de-fund-the-roundups