Tag Archives: mustangs

Mustang Monday™: Ask your representative to defund slaughter today

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(Photo © Cat Kindsfather, all rights reserved)

Please CALL the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121; ask to be connected to your state Representative’s office. Ask them to NOT fund horse slaughter. Calls must be made today!
The House of Representatives will vote on the AG Appropriations bill tomorrow, Tuesday, June 26. A new amendment could be offered to remove the Committee-approved language that was just added back in last week prohibiting the USDA from spending tax dollars to inspect horse slaughter facilities.
America’s horses can be protected if the House keeps the defunding language currently included that prohibits inspections of horse slaughter. It’s up to us to make our voices heard today.Pro-slaughter supporters are putting the pressure on, but you can urge your Representatives to stand strong and oppose any effort to remove this funding ban.
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 all of America’s horses including our iconic wild horses.

Speaking out about uncounted deaths from the roundup

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Old Gold notice pelvis is probably injured. She can’t get up. Whip coming at her. Eyes freaked. Agony! (Photo © Cat Kindsfather, all rights reserved.)

“Dead horses are a result of this roundup fiasco,” states Anne Novak, Executive Director of Protect Mustangs.  “The BLM should have brought wild horses aid (water and feed) for several months to avoid an emergency ‘gather’ during foaling season. Who’s giving the orders to stampede frail wild horses and tiny foals?”

Here is the BLM’s report about the Jackson Mt. roundup: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_programs/wild_horses_and_burros/Jackson_Mountains_Gather/facreports.html

“Counting the dead from a roundup is basic math,” says Novak. “All the wild horses who died or were killed from lethal injection as a result of the BLM’s Jackson Mountain roundup should be counted as roundup-related deaths. Not counting the dead properly shows the BLM’s lack of transparency.”

“The federal agency wants to make Congress feel the roundups don’t cause many deaths so they skew the numbers to ensure their funding won’t be cut off,” explains Novak. “We request that Congress investigate their erroneous death count.”

We brought up this issue at last winter’s Calico roundup beginning with Old Gold‘s death. Read our position here: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=348

Below is what we said on November 26, 2011.

“So many wild horses die because of roundups yet the BLM does not count the deaths accurately,” explains Anne Novak, Executive Director of the California-based Protect Mustangs. “Congress hears that there is only a 1% death rate at ‘gathers’. We want transparency and accountability for all the deaths at roundups.”

“If a horse is chased by a helicopter for miles and miles, then while in a trap pen terrified with plastic tied on to whips, slammed into a metal panel, next shoved into a trailer and transported to another holding facility and is put down a day or two afterwards—it is related to the roundup,” says Novak.  “If Old Gold had not been rounded up, I bet she would be alive today.”

BLM has done nothing to improve transparency since then. The subterfuge continues . . .

Contact your elected officials and ask them to intervene to make this cruel roundup become transparent with correct death counts.

Thank you for doing what you can do to stop the roundups.

Links of interest:

June 9, 2012  Associated Press Congressman criticizes Nevada wild horse roundup  http://mynorthwest.com/174/690641/Congressman-criticizes-NV-wild-horse-roundup

11/30/11  Horse yard reports on Celebrities speak out against roundups and Old Gold’s death http://bit.ly/uqkVH6

11/29/12  Tuesdays Horse Michael Blake and The Barbi Twins speak out against wild horse roundups  http://bit.ly/sWpySD

11/28/11  Wild mustang killed by BLM . . . because she was old by The Desert Independent http://bit.ly/rCE39o

11/28/11  Questions over fate of “Old Gold” by International Horse News. http://bit.ly/vr1MX9

11/26/11 KPFA  Evening News, KFCF Fresno, KPFK Los Angeles, WBAI New York, KPFT Houston, WPFW Washington, DC interview to Stop Calico Roundup. Hear it  at 26:25 on http://www.kpfa.org/archive/id/75490

AP: Helicopter roundup halted temporarily in the north while the roundup continues in the south

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RENO, Nev. (AP) — A federal judge in Nevada has temporarily banned the Bureau of Land Management from using helicopters to gather many of the hundreds of mustangs targeted in a roundup that’s already under way about 150 miles northeast of Reno.

U.S. District Judge Howard McKibben granted part of a temporary restraining order late Wednesday. Horse protection advocates who sought the order say the BLM’s own rules prohibit helicopter roundups during foaling season.

McKibben says he’ll allow the activity to continue in the southern half of the Jackson Mountains because BLM has proven there’s an emergency due to drought. But he says that emergency doesn’t stretch to the northern half of the gather area covering hundreds of square miles.

He says no helicopters can be used there at least until the foaling season ends July 1.

Cross-posted from My News 4: http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Judge-stops-copters-in-horse-roundups/uSGq0J-mX06BPAOTR1dnow.cspx

Click here to ask Congress to stop funding roundups

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Roundup helicopter chases fearful wild horses (Photo © Cat Kindsfather, all rights reserved,)

Contact the Appropriations Committee and ask them to stop funding cruel helicopter roundups.

Here is the link to contact them: https://appropriations.house.gov/contact/contactform.htm

Comment period extended but Nevada public hearing a sham

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Yesterday we took your comments to the hearing, requesting BLM reschedule the Carson City helicopter hearing with adequate public notice and comments against helicopter roundups, etc. Photographer and honorary board member, Cat Kindsfather, hand delivered them and spoke on behalf of Protect Mustangs as well as the American public.

Kindsfather brought up the fact that people across the country wanted to participate in the public process but there was not enough notice given.

At the meeting, BLM announced they would extend the comment period. Comments can be received no later than June 12, 2012. Only comments sent to the address, email or fax number identified below will be accepted and “considered”.

Comments may be sent by mail or fax:

BLM Carson City District Office

5665 Morgan Mill Road

Carson City, NV 89701

Attn: WHB Motorized Hearing.

FAX: 775-885-6147.

 

Comments may also be sent by email:

ccfoweb@blm.gov, Attn: WHB Motorized.

 

Comments submitted to BLM must include your address, phone number, email, or other personal identifying information in your comment.

Please be aware your entire comment–including your personal identifying information–may be made publicly available at any time. While you may request we withhold your personal information from public view, we cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.

 

Please copy us on all the comments you send the BLM so we can keep a record of the comments received to watchdog this faulty process.

We will send the Carson City District Office all the comments on your behalf that you have sent us after 7 a.m. May 29, 2012 to ensure your comments are received.

We continue to ask for the Carson City hearing to be rescheduled to allow oral comments and for the public to be given 30 days notice for any other BLM public hearings.

Denying the public their right to be present and comment at a public hearing shows the BLM has no intention of engaging the American public nor do they want to be transparent.

The NBC affiliate, KRNV Reno News 4, attended the public hearing and reported on wild horse advocates say BLM jeopardized public process.

Thank you for sending in your comments. Now tell your friends about what is going on and invite them to send in comments against the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles as well.

Stop the Roundups!

 

Links of interest:

KRNV Reports on wild horse advocates say BLM jeopardized public process. http://www.mynews4.com/news/local/story/Wild-horse-advocates-say-the-BLM-jeopardized/a8kN1TVKZ0WLiaEBaISvDA.cspx

Protect Mustangs news release: Government transparency and public process jeopardized: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=1416

Protect Mustangs letter requesting BLM give the public 30 days notice for helicopter use hearing: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=1409

BLM press release announcing they will extend comments: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/carson_city__blm_nevada.html

BLM press release on hearing: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/blm_to_hold_public.html

 

 

Letter requesting Nevada BLM give the public 30 days notice for helicopter use hearing

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To:

Amy Leuders

Nevada State Director

Bureau of Land Management

 

 

Dear Ms. Leuders,

 

Despite our requests to be informed about events and press releases, such as the upcoming public hearing scheduled the morning after Memorial Day Weekend in Carson City—we only heard about it Friday evening from an article posted in the Mesquite News online.

Some other members of the public who would like to comment heard about it through us this weekend on several social media channels and via email.

We are concerned about the agency’s lack of transparency evident in your lack of notification for public hearings regarding the use of helicopters and motor vehicles for potential roundups and management of wild horses.

We found your original press release that was dated Friday, May 18th. It only gives the public one business week’s notice. The press release is inadequate notification for the public and from what we see, only the Mesquite News published it online.

We have heard from several people who live in Carson City who knew nothing about this important hearing—let alone those living in New York City.

Since 80% of the federally protected wild horses and burros remain in Nevada, the whole country should be given ample notice to participate in the public hearing.

We kindly request you hold this important public hearing about the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles for roundups and management of wild horses and burros with a standard 30 days notice once you have published it. Please publicize it well so the public will feel you are being transparent. Right now it looks as if you are not.

We ask you to honor the opinions of the public (stakeholders) and not be swayed by lobbying or big business. We are concerned the BLM sees the public hearing as a legal formality in order to be allowed to go forward with helicopter roundups, etc.

The requirement for the public hearing was set in place to protect the public’s wishes and this must not be ignored.

Thank you for your kind assistance.

 

Sincerely,

Anne Novak

 

 

 

Links of interest:

 

Helicopter Use Hearing in Nevada: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/blm_to_hold_public.html

 

 

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

P.O. Box 5661

Berkeley, California 94705

Please attend BLM’s public hearing 5/29 in Carson City ~ Email comments and say “NO” to helicopter roundups

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Roundup helicopter chases fearful wild horses and Old Gold (Photo © Cat Kindsfather, all rights reserved,)

The public hearing regarding using helicopters and motorized vehicles for wild horse and burro roundups as well as management is scheduled for Tuesday, May 29, from 10-11 a.m., at the BLM Carson City District Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, in Carson City.

Comment if you can’t make it

With Monday a holiday, we suggest you send your comments, against the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles at roundups, to us at Contact@ProtectMustangs.org and we will get them to the hearing.

Be sure to mention you are against the BLM using helicopter and motorized vehicles (except in emergency situations) because they tally up: who is for helicopters and other motorized vehicles (truck & trailers) and who is against helicopters and other motorized vehicles at roundups as well as for monitoring and management in Nevada for this fiscal year.

Let them know the use of helicopters and other motorized vehicles at roundups is inhumane & cruel, causes extreme stress, lameness and even death–euthanized by BLM–after being stampeded and injured, is against the spirit of the 1971 Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act to stampede them with an aircraft, pollutes and causes global warming, ruins the terrain and crushes native and endangered plants on the range, terrorizes other wildlife causing extreme stress for them also, etc.

Mention that using aircrafts for monitoring and for accurate head counts on the range would be acceptable as long as they don’t harass the wild horses and burros or other wildlife and use algae-based fuel to reduce the environmental impacts.

You can also tell them that trucking in water and food in a drought emergency would be a valid exception to use motorized vehicles with regards to wild horse and burro management.

Thank you for taking the action you can to help save wild horses and burros.

We just found out about the hearing from a BLM press release discovered May 25th online via The Mesquite News http://mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1994&id=38. Why didn’t the BLM notify the public in a correct manner? Why didn’t they send us a press release despite our requests for press releases and updates regarding wild horses and burros? Why is this scheduled the morning after a three day holiday weekend?

BLM press release printed in the Mesquite News:

BLM Public Hearing Set on Management of Wild Horses and Burros

Posting Date: 05/21/2012
Press Release

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will conduct a public hearing to discuss the use of motorized vehicles and aircraft in the monitoring and management of wild horses or burros on public lands in Nevada. The hearing is scheduled Tuesday, May 29, from 10-11 a.m., at the BLM Carson City District Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, in Carson City, Nev.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive information and public comment on the use of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to inventory wild horse or burro populations and the use of helicopters to gather and remove excess animals. The hearing will also consider the use of motorized vehicles to transport gathered wild horses or burros as well as to conduct field monitoring activities.

Before helicopters or motorized vehicles can be used, a public hearing is required in order to comply with Section 404 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The BLM proposes to use a helicopter, fixed wing aircraft and other motorized vehicles to estimate population numbers and obtain seasonal distribution information for wild horse and burro herds throughout Nevada.

Also proposed is using a helicopter to assist in gathering excess wild horses and burros on gathers and complexes throughout the state during the coming year. The actual number of areas where gathers will be conducted or inventoried will depend on a number of factors including funding.

For more information, contact John Axtell at (775) 885-6000.

original BLM press release: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/may/blm_to_hold_public.html

Comments due today to stop 3 northern California mustang roundups

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Freedom Lost & Hell Begins (Photo © Cat Kindsfather, all rights reserved)

Please send comments today to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), who “manages” our wild horses and burros. Email them at CBCwildhorses@blm.gov with “Cancel Buckhorn, Coppersmith and Carter Roundups” in the subject line.

In your comments ask them to cancel the three 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.

Let them know you 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.

Also mention the government should not remove native wild horses to warehouse them 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.

Remind them that removing wild horses puts them at risk of 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.

If you have seen them and enjoy taking photos of them, tell the BLM that removing the wild horses and burros will affect you negatively, and let them know how it will.

Remind them 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 the drug PZP and other forms of contraception 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.

And how many are really out there?

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

Ask them to respond to you in writing with the questions you have about why they would justify a roundup and ask for their scientific proof to back up all their claims.

Do you want to know what “multiple use” BLM serves on the Buckhorn, Coppersmith and Carter Reservoir Herd Management Areas (HMAs)? Who is getting permits for these HMA’s? Do you have questions about lease sales, energy development, water rights and grazing issues for the three HMA’s?

Please don’t copy and paste this because then the BLM won’t count your letter. It’s better if you write your own email–even if it is a one-liner.

Anyone can comment. Comments are due by midnight P.S.T. tonight. Please share this with your friends so they can send in a comment too.

Feel free to cc us on your comments or forward a copy separately to us at Contact@ProtectMustangs.org so we can keep track of comments.

Thank you for taking any action you can to save our wild horses and burros!

 

Below is the BLM Scoping Notice which requires your comment to them:

BLM Extends Scoping Period on Wild Horse Roundup Environmental Assessment
The U. S. Bureau of Land Management is extending the issue scoping period for receiving public comments on issues that should be addressed in an environmental assessment (EA) for a proposed roundup of excess wild horses in northeast California and northwest Nevada.The BLM Surprise Field Office in Cedarville, Calif. is considering roundups for the Buckhorn and Coppersmith herd management areas (HMA) in November 2012 and for the Carter Reservoir HMA in July 2013.Issue “scoping” comments should be sent to Bureau of Land Management, PO Box 460, Cedarville, CA, 96104, or sent by email toCBCwildhorses@blm.gov. While scoping comments will be accepted well into the development process for the EA, they would be most helpful if received by May 24, 2012.The Buckhorn and Coppersmith HMAs are in Lassen County, Calif., and Washoe County, Nev.  The Carter Reservoir HMA is in Modoc County, Calif. and Washoe County.The EA will analyze the environmental effects of gathering excess wild horses and consider the effects of several management alternatives, including not gathering the animals.  The EA will not establish population levels, called appropriate management levels (AML), for these HMAs.  These were established in the Surprise Field Office Resource Management Plan completed in 2008.  The plan is available at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/surprise/propRMP-FEIS.html.The roundups are being considered to bring the wild herd populations to levels that the rangelands can sustain in balance with other authorized users including wildlife and permitted livestock.The appropriate management level for the Buckhorn HMA is 59-85 wild horses; the BLM estimates the current population at 172.  The AML for the Coopersmith HMA is 50 to 75 wild horses, with the current population estimated at 75.  At Carter Reservoir, the AML is 25-35 wild horses, with the current population estimated at 55.  Additionally, there are an estimated 123 wild horses roaming outside of the HMA near the Carter HMA.The BLM will consider public comments in development of the EA which will be released for public comments this summer.

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BLM Scoping Notice: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/04/NC1256_whbscoping.html