Tag Archives: mustangs

BLM experiments on wild horses with SpayVac®

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By U.S. Government [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Unedited Press Releasefrom the BLM   August 27, 2011

The Bureau of Land Management and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have begun a five-year wild horse contraceptive study at the BLM’s short-term holding facility in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.  The pasture breeding study will test the effectiveness of two formulations of the investigational contraceptive vaccine SpayVac® to determine if the treatment can reduce foaling rates in wild horse mares.

The goal is to see if SpayVac®, a novel formulation of a glycoprotein called porcine zona pellucida (PZP), will provide a longer-term effect than other PZP vaccines currently used by the BLM.  If the vaccine is found to reduce foaling in this controlled setting, it will be considered for use with free-roaming horses to help control population growth rates on the range.

As the primary agency responsible for management of wild horses on U.S. public lands, the BLM has a need for a long-lasting contraceptive agent to control herd growth rates. Given the protection afforded by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and a general lack of natural predators, wild horse populations increase at an average rate of 20 percent a year and can quickly exceed the carrying capacity of their ranges.

The BLM, as part of its development of a new wild horse and burro management strategy, has been stepping up its efforts to reduce population growth rates in wild horse herds using contraceptive agents. A main limitation of the agents currently available is that they are of relatively short duration or need to be administered annually. Maximizing the duration of contraceptive effectiveness is especially important in wild horses, which in most cases must be captured in order for the treatment to be successfully administered.

In the BLM-USGS study, 90 mares have been treated with either one of two formulations of the vaccine or a placebo.  The mares will be followed for five years to measure anti-PZP antibody levels and compare the foaling rates between treated horses and controls.  Although breeding is not usually allowed to occur in BLM facilities, a clinical trial in this controlled environment will provide critical information on how well SpayVac® works as a contraceptive.

The mares and stallions enrolled in the study were selected from horses already in BLM holding facilities.  They are being housed in three 30-acre pastures and will be together during the next five breeding seasons.  Foals that are born during the study will be offered for adoption each fall after they have been weaned. At the conclusion of the study, all adult horses will be returned to the BLM’s Adopt-A-Horse Program or placed in long-term pasture facilities.

The BLM has an interagency agreement with the USGS for research and scientific support, and this study is a collaborative effort with scientists from the USGS, veterinarians with the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and TerraMar Environmental Research LLC.

Contacts: Paul McGuire , 405-794-9624
Heather Emmons , 775-861-6594
Tom Gorey , 202-912-7420
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Taxpayer fairness bill introduced to defund welfare ranching

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Fence where cattle graze (Photo © Anne Novak, all rights reserved)

 Cross-posted from The Independent

Nelson offers up fair grazing legislation

Posted: Saturday, July 14, 2012 11:45 pm | Updated: 10:26 pm, Sat Jul 14, 2012.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., has introduced a taxpayer fairness bill to end the substantial federal subsidies that an elite number of livestock producers receive.

If enacted, the bill would save American taxpayers about $1.2 billion. Nelson’s bill requires that the Secretary of the Interior work in conjunction with the Secretary of Agriculture to set livestock grazing fees on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and National Forest System public rangelands at rates comparable to those found on nearby private grazing lands.

“The facts are clear. Two percent of ranchers are getting a benefit that 98 percent of other grazing ranchers have not been able to get. They pay far less than the market value for the right to graze on public lands,” Nelson said . “This isn’t fair to the taxpayer, and this isn’t fair to the other 98 percent of cattle grazers who have to compete in the market-place.

“The State of Nebraska charges over $20 dollars a head of calf to graze on state land. Why should the federal government charge $1.35?”

The senator has also offered his grazing fee bill as an amendment to the Small Business Tax Credit Bill currently before the Senate. If adopted, the amendment would help defray the legislation’s costs.

The Government Accountability Office has estimated that just 2 percent of American ranchers hold animal grazing rights to National Forest System public rangelands. The grazing fees charged by the federal government on the rangelands are far below market value, at times up to 95 percent lower than the market fees charged for grazing on state- and privately-owned lands, fees that 98 percent of grazing ranchers have no choice but to pay.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Statistics Service, Nebraska charged a state land grazing fee of $27.30/animal in 2011. The $1.35 figure cited by Nelson was published in a United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on Livestock Grazing-Related Federal Expenditures. Among the GAO report’s findings are:

— From 1980 to 2004, BLM and Forest Service grazing fees fell by 40 percent.

— From 1980 to 2004, the market price on grazing fees rose by almost 80 percent.

— The government collects nearly $21 million/year in grazing fees on public rangelands.

— The government puts about $144 million/year into the maintenance of public rangelands.

“In other words, there is a shortfall of $120 million dollars coming from two percent of ranchers,” Nelson said.

Link to article: http://www.theindependent.com/news/ag_news/nelson-offers-up-fair-grazing-legislation/article_9bf429c2-ce2c-11e1-8158-0019bb2963f4.html

Report from Robin: Rally to Stop the Monster Helicopters

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Robin Warren, Youth Campaign Director for Protect Mustangs with her mother Denise Delucia at the Sacramento Rally to Stop the Roundups. (Photo © Cat Kindsfather, all rights reserved.)

Robin Warren, Youth Campaign Director for Protect Mustangs, speaks at Sacramento Stop the Roundups Rally. (Photo © Irma Novak)

Robin Warren, Youth Campaign Director for Protect Mustangs, speaking at Courthouse Rally July 10, 2012 (Photo © Lea Harney Dudum, all rights reserved.)

Stop the Roundups Rally, July 10, 2012, at 2 p.m. Federal Courthouse, 501 I Street, Sacramento, Ca.

We got there a half hour early to meet with two other horse advocates: Debby Coffey and Garnet Pasquel. They were very nice. Garnet gave me a button and they both signed my petition. We had brought signs from Las Vegas for American Wild Horse Advocates since Garnet flew and we were driving. Everyone liked the signs we brought.

After we had refreshments we went across the street to set up. A lot of people came to help and a lot of people brought signs. People really liked mine that said “Helicopters are Monsters”. The spectators also liked the one that said “Honk for Horses” because they kept honking. News reporters came and took pictures and video. – people from the TV and the newspaper.  One reporter asked me some questions.  They said they were only going to take a few pictures but once they saw all the people who came they stayed a while longer and took many more pictures.

It was about 45 minutes before the master of ceremonies, Jetara True-Love, started introducing the speakers. Many great speakers spoke before me. My favorite was Craig Downer who spoke first because he had a lot of information. But it is not right for me to choose a favorite because I enjoyed every speaker.

I am so grateful that wild horse hero, Anne Novak, chose me to be the Director of the Youth Campaign for Protect Mustangs. There could be no greater honor. I am so happy that this happened because I thought I would always be in the background but now I am in the front with all the rest of the horse heroes. Another member on the Board of Directors of Protect Mustangs is photographer Cat Kindfather and she is also a hero of mine. Both Anne and Cat are so encouraging to me. I’m really looking forward to letting other kids know about the wild horses & burros so they can help too.

I felt like I was in Hollywood because I got to meet so many horse celebrities – my heroes. I got to close the rally with my speech. The microphone stopped working but everyone got close to hear me. When I was done, everyone was cheering for me.

The rally ended but not many people left right away. We all wanted to stay and talk. Many of us stayed together after the rally until the hearing, exchanging information, and encouraging each other.  Even though it was hot and a little longer than I expected I had the time of my life.  And, as everyone noted, the a few hours in the heat is nothing compared to what our wild horses are put through. I will never forget this day. I hope we made a difference for the horses. I hope everyone keeps rallying everywhere until the horses are once again free!

Sincerely,

Robin Warren

Youth Campaign Director for Protect Mustangs

© Protect Mustangs, Contact us for permission to reprint

Wild mare and foal at risk ~ Please adopt or sponsor

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Found in a filthy pen run by the United States Bureau of Land Management . . .

Adopt these two Jackson Mt. mustangs and save them! (Photo © Taylor James)

Jackson Mountain mare #3246 and her foal #8255 were chased by roundup helicopters and now have lost their freedom to roam the American West. They have been “processed” and will soon be separated unless you help them.

There are three options to get them to safety:

1.) Adopt the two and take them to your ranch / barn.

2.) Adopt the pair and get them in to a sanctuary.

3.) Sponsor the mare and foal’s adoption and care with someone else.

If you can think of other options let us know.

We will look into what exactly the branding all over this mare means and report back to you.

If you have any questions about adoption please send us an email to Contact@ProtectMustangs.org

or call the BLM office at Palomino Valley, near Sparks Nevada: 775. 475. 2222

 

Letter to BLM requesting extreme emergency preparedness after Palomino Valley fire

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To The Bureau of Land Management interim Director, Mike Pool

July 3, 2012

Dear Mr. Pool,

We are writing you in light of yesterday’s Ironwood fire adjacent to the Palomino Valley short-term holding facility.

It has been brought to our attention that the BLM has evacuation plans for Palomino Valley that take 24 hours to complete.

Your 24 hour evacuation plan–mentioned on the news–is not practical. What if these horses and staffers needed to evacuate quickly due to fire?

We are concerned that no one lives on site to ensure the safety of the wild horses and burros at short-term holding facilities. Palomino Valley alone holds more than 2,000 wild horses and burros at times.

We request you change this risky policy and hire someone to live on site at all short-term facilities immediately. Boarding barns housing 40 horses always have someone living on site to handle emergencies. The BLM often has more than 2,000 horses at certain facilities so why is no one there after business hours?

We want to see your act of good faith–to show the BLM cares about wild horses and burros and will ensure their safety in short-term holding.

We request the BLM provide us with a copy of the current emergency evacuation plan for more than 2,000 indigenous wild horses held at the Palomino Valley Center, near Sparks Nevada.

We request the BLM implement a 45 minute evacuation plan–in case of an extreme emergency–-for each holding facility.

Once the BLM takes the mustangs and burros off the land they are responsible for their welfare.

Thank you for your kind assistance.

Sincerely,

Anne Novak

Executive Director of Protect Mustangs

 

News story about Ironwood fire: http://www.clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/25504/3592026

BREAKING NEWS: Fire next to wild horse holding facility near Reno ~ Prayers needed

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We are posting updates here

July 3, 2012 1:15 p.m. Ironwood fire is 90% contained. News 4 reports http://www.mynews4.com/mostpopular/story/Ironwood-Fire-is-50-contained/dry6RBxk502RkA-w6YCc5Q.cspx

July 2, 2012 11:45 p.m.  Much gratitude to the firemen. Prayers to keep all the residents safe. The winds have changed directions and the wild horses are downslope. Let’s hope the mustangs stay safe through the night. Thank YOU everyone for your prayers. Thank you Taylor James for contacting us and taking photos. Thank you News 4 and 8 for covering the story. Scared mustangs ripped from their homes and trapped in pens, with a fire across the dirt road . . . We hope they are OK from all the smoke exposure. The fire is not out yet.

 

July 2, 2012  Palomino Valley fire tonight.  (Photo by Lynda Moyer from News 4 page)

News 4 Karen Griffin reports: http://www.mynews4.com

Kolo Channel 8 reports: http://ww2.kolotv.com

10:00 Tune into News 4 at 11 for coverage on the fire

9:32 Anne Novak spoke with someone who was in on the press conference and “per the Fire Chief the mustangs aren’t threatened anymore.”

News 4 reports: http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Ironwood-Fire-burns-in-Palomino-Valley/dry6RBxk502RkA-w6YCc5Q.cspx

UPDATE: 9:28 pm According to Charles Moore with Truckee Meadows Fire, the Ironwood Fire started around 6:30pm and has burned 250-300 acres.The original call had the fire being at 20 X 30 feet, but quickly grew in the time it took for fire crews to arrive, which was between 20 and 30 minutes.No structures have been burned, but the fire burned around at least 12 structures and those 12 structures are still threatened.There are 60-70 firefighters on scene. The fire is burning in rugged terrain, most of the fire has been fought from the air.The Sheriff’s Department has been doing evacuations. Search and Rescue have been warning people and there have been no injuries so far.Firefighters have been called back because it’s too dark to fight the fire, but they will be attacking the fire at daybreak.The cause is still under investigation. Wind is not a big concern for tonight. Because of the fire burning in Caughlin Ranch earlier, crews were able to quickly attend to this fire.BLM stables were threatened for a time, but are not threatened anymore.The next press will be at 6:00am.
RENO, Nev. (KRNV & MyNews4.com) — A fire has started on the right side of Pyramid Highway in Palomino Valley. It’s being called the Ironwood Fire. Structures are threatened and deputies are on scene to help people evacuate, according to Washoe County’s North Sergeant.According to Nevada Highway Patrol, southbound on Pyramid Highway has been reopened, but northbound is still closed.News 4 has a crew on the way and will bring you more information as it becomes available.

 

Breaking News from Protect Mustangs

The fire started at about 7:00 p.m. across the road from Palomino Valley Center outside of Sparks Nevada. Photographer Taylor James was at the facility when the fire started and contacted us. 

“The smoke was entering the pens,” reports Taylor James, photographer. “The mustangs were running back and forth in a panic–in the pens.”

7:00 p.m. Palomino Valley Fire July 2, 2012 Across the dirt road from the American mustang holding pens (Photo © Taylor James)

 

Wind blowing smoke into pen at 7:00 p.m.

7:00 p.m. PVC Fire Across Dirt Road from wild horses trapped in pens. Smoke entering pens July 2, 2012 (Photo © Taylor James)

 

Captured wild horses at beginning of fire. The fire is across a dirt road from the horses. The horses are downslope.

7:00 p.m. PVC Fire July 2, 2012 Mustangs in pen across from fire  (Photo © Taylor James)

 

7:20 p.m. PVC Fire & Smoke July 2, 2012 (Photo © Taylor James)

 

PVC Fire July 2, 2012 From Highway (Photo © Taylor James)

Roadside entrance to Palomino Valley where wild horses are held in pens after being rounded up and processed.

7:35 p.m. PVC Fire  July 2, 2012 Highway entrance to short term holding (Photo © Taylor James)

More photos coming.

All photos by Taylor James. Press may use photos crediting the photographer.

Taylor James’ Facebook page is here: http://www.facebook.com/UpCloseandPersonalPhotography?ref=ts 

 

AP Reports: BLM wild-horse roundup in Nevada to resume

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Cross posted from the Las Vegas Sun

The Associated Press

Saturday, June 30, 2012  6:55 p.m.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will resume a roundup of wild horses about 150 miles northeast of Reno on Sunday, nearly two weeks after a federal judge temporarily halted it due to foaling season.

With the end of foaling season Saturday, BLM officials said, they plan to begin removing about 200 horses from the northern portion of the Jackson Mountains Herd Management Area.

U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben on June 20 granted part of a temporary restraining order sought by horse protection advocates who say the BLM’s own rules prohibit helicopter roundups during foaling season.

He allowed the roundup to continue in the southern portion of the Jackson Mountains because BLM had proven an emergency due to drought. An emergency roundup there began June 8 and ended June 22 with the removal of 424 horses.

But he said that emergency didn’t stretch to the northern half of the target area covering a total of more than 400 square miles east of the Black Rock Desert. He said no helicopters could be used there at least until foaling season ended June 30.

The rest of the roundup in the southern portion of the Jackson Mountains is expected to last about two weeks.

The roundup, which will involve the use of a helicopter to drive horses for miles to corrals, is needed because of a lack of forage and water on the range due to the drought, BLM officials said.

“Gathering the remainder of the excess animals in the northern portion will greatly assist the rangelands from a forage and water standpoint and will reduce the competition among the wild horses, permitted livestock and wildlife,” said Gene Seidlitz, BLM Winnemucca District manager.

Horses removed from the range are taken to the BLM’s Palomino Valley center north of Reno, where they’re put up for adoption or sent to long-term pastures in the Midwest.

The roundup in the southern portion of the Jackson Mountains resulted in the “gather-related” death of only one horse and the “non-gather-related” deaths of six horses due to pre-existing health conditions, BLM spokeswoman Heather Jasinski said.

“We put them down in the field at the trap site or temporary holding corrals,” she said, adding another three horses died after being transported to the Palomino Valley facility.

Anne Novak, executive director of California-based Protect Mustangs, said the animals probably would be alive today had they not been rounded up.

“Curiously, these wild horses were surviving on the range and only died at the hands of the BLM after being captured,” she said. “We want transparency and request that all deaths be counted as roundup-related when they die or are euthanized within 30 days of the roundup.”

The helicopter roundup puts pregnant mares and tiny foals “seriously at risk,” Novak added.

“Just because it’s July 1 doesn’t mean foals aren’t being born,” she said. “Running foals with delicate hooves for miles is inhumane … Helicopter roundups are terrible. They traumatize the wild horses when they stampede them for miles.”

Nevada is home to about half of the estimated 37,000 wild horses on public lands in 10 Western states.

 

Link to the article: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jun/30/nv-wild-horses-1st-ld-writethru/

Take action for wild horses & burros ~ Ask Congress to defund helicopter roundups

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Act today and make your voice heard in Congress

Please CALL the Capitol switchboard today at (202) 224-3121. Ask to be connected to your state Representative’s office. Ask them to NOT fund helicopter roundups.

You can also find the direct contact information for your state representative here>> http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Thank you for taking action to help America’s wild horses and burros.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_dhnqCijOk

 

(Graphic made by Robin Warren, age 11, Protect Mustangs’ new Youth Campaign DIrector)