What’s the connection between the USDA and American wild horses?
Friday’s question for our readers
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Tag Archives: wild horses
Comments due today to stop 3 northern California mustang roundups
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 |
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| 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.
# # # BLM Scoping Notice: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/info/newsroom/2012/04/NC1256_whbscoping.html |
Protect Mustangs asks CNN to correct glaring error about the indigenous American wild horse
Wild War Horse (Photo © Cynthia Smalley, all rights reserved.)
We were surprised to see CNN publish the error about American wild horses in Polish pony that survived the Nazis uniting Europe’s nature reserves. The author states that zoologists claim the American mustang is not a wild horse so we sent them comments and are asking for them to correct their article. Here are our comments:
RE: Shocking Error Published by CNN
American wild horses, aka mustangs, are an indigenous species. The horse originated in North America.
The author of this article appears to make erroneous claims about American mustangs, “zoologists say that strictly speaking these are really feral domesticated horses.” That is incorrect. Recent science proves mustangs are not only a wildlife species but most importantly indigenous.
Which zoologists are claiming the American mustang is not a wild horse but a “feral” back alley horse? Why didn’t the author cite the names of the alleged zoologists?
Most zoologists are familiar with the work of PhD.s J.F. Kirkpatrick and P.M. Fazio and the revised January 2010 paper Wild Horses as Native North American Wildlife. The Science and Conservation Center, ZooMontana, Billings. 8 pages seen here: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562
Their scientific paper states, “Thus, based on a great deal of paleontological data, the origin of E. caballus is thought to be about two million years ago, and it originated in North America.”
Also the paper cites, “The fact that horses were domesticated before they were reintroduced matters little from a biological viewpoint. They are the same species that originated here, and whether or not they were domesticated is quite irrelevant. Domestication altered little biology, and we can see that in the phenomenon called “going wild,” where wild horses revert to ancient behavioral patterns. Feist and McCullough (1976) dubbed this “social conservation” in his paper on behavior patterns and communication in the Pryor Mountain wild horses. The reemergence of primitive behaviors, resembling those of the plains zebra, indicated to him the shallowness of domestication in horses.”
We kindly request CNN correct this error immediately.
Sincerely,
Anne Novak
Executive Director of Protect Mustangs
Taking action to inform, protect and help America’s wild horses
http://www.ProtectMustangs.org
CNN Article: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/05/21/world/europe/poland-pony-nazi/
Terrified wild horses chased and shot with birth control
Is this what the EPA has approved for our wild horses and burros? Has the EPA approved–under a restricted-use pesticide program–a method to terrorize the young and old in a herd rendering the mares infertile as young as seven years old?
Who gave the government the right to play God and make the choices? Wildlife depends on natural selection for the survival of the fittest.
The questions remain:
Are wild horses and burros ruining the thriving natural ecological balance on the range–or is it the livestock?
We all know the livestock is the culprit–outnumbering wild horses 50 to 1.
How many wild horses are out there? Some Herd Management Areas have as little as 3 horses on them. Where is the scientific proof they are overpopulating?
If you don’t like what you see then take action.
Re-protect the indigenous wild horse.
California stallion rounded up and calls out for his family
California Twin Peaks mares given a 3 year dose of infertility
Darting and injecting wild horse mares with PZP
Notice the hip brands on the mares in the BLM’s chute. See the 3-4 year controlled-release PZP study papers.
Livestock destroys the range and BLM tries to blame the wild horse
The PEER report sets the record straight–the livestock is ruining the range.
Geothermal and other extractive industries are also profiting off the Twin Peaks range but BLM avoids mentioning this.
Despite the BLM spin that all the Twin Peaks horses are adopted into good homes, we observed what was going on during our visit. Many wild horses from the Twin Peaks roundup were sold. They fetch a lot of money when a kill-buyer picks them up for cheap ($25) at BLM and flips them to slaughter. Pictured above are some of the American wild horses who were rounded up–lost their families, lost their home on the range and were “sold”.
We oppose the Battle Mountain proposed roundup
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Opposing BMD Drought Roundup/Removal
From: <anne@protectmustangs.org>
Date: Wed, May 16, 2012 11:53 pm
To: bmfoweb@blm.gov
RE: Battle Mountain Proposed Roundup in this EA: http://on.doi.gov/JVrrCO
Dear Sirs,
We are all aware now the livestock is causing the damage to the range. The PEER report released May 14th entitled Livestock’s Heavy Hooves Impair One-Third of BLM Rangelands can be found on our website at http://protectmustangs.org/?p=1243
We respectfully ask that you take the livestock off the range due to the emergency conditions since they could go somewhere else and leave the wild horses and burros on the range.
Wild horses and burros will reduce the wildfire risk on the range as well as help heal the land.
We are concerned you consistently deny requests for independent accurate head counts. Your inflated estimates to justify roundups are gross and an insult to the public’s intelligence.
We want solid proof the wild horses–not the livestock–are ruining the thriving natural ecological balance (TNEB). Without that we can only see you in the pocket of the livestock grazing lobby and acting on their behalf which is wrong.
Contrary to what you state in the EA wild horses can self regulate and do not multiply like rabbits. Less than 1% of 15,000 wild horses studied live to the age of 20. Many youngsters die before the age of 2. This is a wildlife species not a zoo exhibit.
When was the last time these horses were treated with the immunocontraceptive PZP? Is it working?
Show us the good science behind your proposal because the BLM Environmental Assessment is just spin to justify another cruel and expensive roundup and removal.
Helicopter roundups are against the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act protecting these animals from harrassment and harm.
Using a helicopter causes global warming and we oppose it.
Documented helicopter roundups are cruel for the animals–causing injury, heat stress, spontaneous abortions (Calico 2010 for example), extreme stress and many deaths. Your numbers reporting deaths related to helicopter roundups are wrong–they are way too low to justify roundups and receive money from Congress for your broken program. Your reports of “pre-existing conditions” meriting euthanasia are a farce and we ask for transparency. BLM does not count the dead properly, as in the case of Old Gold at the 2011 Calico Roundup located here: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=348
We oppose roundups that would stress, traumatize and injure foals and lack humane care such as the roundup proposed.
We oppose roundups that waste taxpayer dollars and ask you to step up and manage the situation without removing the equids by bringing in food if needed.
We oppose bait and water trapping because removals are a waste of tax dollars and lack humane care this being cruel.
We oppose gate cut gathers/roundups because they are a waste of tax dollars, cruel and lack humane care.
The BLM’s AML numbers are no longer based in good science and need to be revised to reflect TNEB and the fact that the LIVESTOCK are ruining the range as reported in the PEER study above.
Sex ratio adjustments are wrong and not what nature intended. The Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act does not allow this.
Fertility control and experimentation is wrong not what nature intended. The Free Roaming WIld Horse and Burro Act does not allow this.
We request you respond in 48 hours to inform us of the adjuvunct used in your proposed PZP treatment that we are opposing.
We are opposed to using PZP that causes side effects to wild equids. These side effects include but are not limited to open abscesses, lameness, sores than can become infected in the wild causing death, etc.
How effective is PZP if given without a booster?
We are opposed to using PZP because some animals could become sterilized.
We are opposed to branding wild horses and burros as we understand the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act forbids the branding and harassing of wild equids.
BLM has failed to prove using good science that wild horses and burros are ruining the Thriving Natural Ecological Balance and is wasting taxpayer dollars with proposals such as this.
We are against transporting and selling wild horses.
Since the BLM employees have been caught in the past adopting wild horses and selling them to slaughter we are against removals because the animals are at risk of going to slaughter. http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=1141
We oppose this roundup and removal because it will cause litigation that is wasting more tax dollars. We request BLM to be fiscally responsible.
Keep the wild horses and burros on the range to prevent wasting tax dollars paying to round them up–or trap them–and then to “process” them and then warehousing them in short or long term holding.
If there is not enough water for wild horses and burros then we ask you to truck the water in for the equids which would save a great deal of taxpayer dollars instead of a costly and cruel roundup and removal.
We want to see you be champions and do things right for a change.
Sincerely,
Anne Novak
Anne Novak
Executive Director
Protect Mustangs
P.O. Box 5661
Berkeley, California 94705
Tel./Text: 415.531.8454
Twitter @ProtectMustangs
Protect Mustangs on YouTube
Protect Mustangs in the News
Protect Mustangs is a Bay Area-based preservation group whose mission is to educate the public about the American wild horse, protect and research wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.
Congress considering terrible bills to speed up oil and gas destruction of public wildlands
Water for wildlife in Nevada (Photo © Anne Novak, all rights reserved.)
Cross-posted from National Resources Defense Council
By Amy Mall, Senior Policy Analyst, Washington, D.C.
May 15, 2012
A suite of bad bills is scheduled to be considered in the House Natural Resources Committee tomorrow, and NRDC opposes all of them. Here are the details from my colleague Bobby McEnaney on the four worst:
- H.R. 4383 – This draconian bill is designed to eliminate the public’s right to have a say in the management of public lands–lands that belong to all Americans. The bill would abolish most avenues to protest oil and gas leasing decisions, mandates unrealistic timelines for challenging oil and gas leases, aims to limit the scope of federal courts, and imposes a $5,000 fee if anyone can still find a way to protest an agency’s oil and gas leasing decision. Further, this legislation would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to bypass proper environmental review, even though the oil and gas industry currently is sitting on thousands of unused leases.
- H.R. 4382 – This sweeping legislation would mandate oil and gas leasing on public lands, even when it is not warranted. It would also eliminate the public’s right to participate in management processes associated with leasing decisions by severely curtailing the opportunity to protest inappropriate leasing decisions. Lastly, it would force the BLM to lease lands when oil and gas companies want, even when such a decision would destroy or damage sensitive lands and wildlife habitat, including wilderness quality lands. In essence, this bill would cede control of federal lands to oil and gas producers and remove safeguards that balance energy production with necessary conservation mandates.
- H.R. 4381 – This bill would require the Department of Interior (DOI) to establish arbitrary targets for energy production on federal lands–even those under the jurisdiction of other agencies, such as the U.S. Forest Service. The bill would require the agency to take all necessary actions to meet the targets, leading to extraction of coal, oil and gas, and other dirty fossil fuels at the expense of cleaner sources such as wind and solar.
- H.R. 4402 – This legislation would nearly abolish the public’s right to participate in the management of mining claims on federal lands. H.R. 4402 would eliminate the few safeguards that are in place and turn the clock back to the 19th century by eliminating the public’s right to challenge inappropriate mineral leasing decisions.
The original blog post is here: http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/amall/congress_considering_terrible.html