To:

Neil Kornze, BLM Director
Joan Guilfoyle, Division Chief BLM Division of Wild Horses and Burros jguilfoy@blm.gov
Juan Palma, Utah State Director, BLM   jpalma@blm.gov
Jenna Whitlock, Utah Associate State Director, BLM   jwhitloc@blm.gov
Todd Christensen, Color Country Utah District Manager BLM utccmail@blm.gov
Salvatore R. Lauro Director, Office of Law Enforcement and Security BLM SLauro@blm.gov
BLM Utah State Office utsomail@blm.gov

Re: Rogue Roundups

Dear Sirs & Madams,

We officially request you put an immediate stop to rogue roundups and incidents of wild horses allegedly being trapped, harassed and sent to auction where kill buyers have been known to purchase horses or shot or poisoned on or nearby public land in Utah, Nevada and elsewhere. Not only is it wrong, cruel and against federal protections but it is also a global embarrassment

Chasing wild horses onto private property, luring them onto private property or any other method of getting unbranded wild horses on private land to shoot, kill, trap, load, abduct, take is in violation of the Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 and must be stopped immediately. Wild horse and burro harassment must stop. It appears to be a federal crime to “willfully remove or attempt to remove wild free-roaming horse or burros from public lands, without authority from the Secretary.”

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) appears to be violated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) granting–without public input–the removal of horses from public lands. It appears you are in violation of NEPA. This must cease immediately.

It appears the county commissioners are engaging in retaliatory acts, connected with lobbying groups, against federally protected free-roaming wild horses and burros because the BLM is reducing livestock grazing. This must stop now.

There is no emergency such as fire, disease, catastrophic incident to merit a roundup. It appears you are joining in an act of subterfuge.

As it is foaling season, according to your handbook, you must prohibit vigilante roundups to avoid the loss of lives and to prevent animal cruelty–chasing young foals for miles on their tiny hooves as well as chasing and harassing heavily pregnant mares, other wild horses and burros.

Loss of life from being harassed and chased by men is not a form of natural predation. This appears to be in violation of the 1971 Act.

You appear to be failing your job to protect America’s beloved free-roaming wild horses and burros in the West due to your conflict of interest. The current example in Utah merits Congressional investigation.

We hereby request to be copied on all communications regarding roundups or removals in Utah, all press releases, included in all conference calls and meetings pertaining to the issue, etc. You must become transparent.

Reports are coming in that Utah residents and officials have declared protected wild horses “feral”, are driving them onto private land, baiting them onto private land, trapping them, killing some, giving some away by the truckload to alleged kill buyers, and trucking many to auction where kill buyers allegedly purchase them for slaughter.

What proof do you have that any unbranded wild horses are anything but free-roaming wild horses? Kindly disclose all photos and videos on this matter with in 7 days of this letter.

We hold the BLM accountable and request immediate and full disclosure of all photographs and videos showing dead horses shot from land as well as those shot from the air and all horses who have been injured and were euthanized.

This is not the 90s. This is an era of social media, whistle blowers and widespread truth. Our supporters are watching. The whole world is watching. They want you to do the right thing.

Sincerely,
Anne Novak

Anne Novak
Executive Director
Protect Mustang

Read about native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562
www.ProtectMustangs.org
Protect Mustangs educates, protects and preserves native and wild horses. The nonprofit conservation group strives for a 10 year moratorium on roundups and science-based holistic land management to reduce global warming.

TMM/elected officials & VIP list
PS