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Press Release: Government shutdown puts 50,000 captive wild horses at-risk of neglect
Truck in the pens (© Anne Novak, All rights reserved)
For immediate release:
Government shutdown puts 50,000 captive wild horses at-risk of neglect
Conservation group call for moratorium on removals for scientific studies
RENO, NV. (October 1, 2013)–The government shutdown jeopardizes 50,000 American wild horses stockpiled in federally funded holding facilities. For example, today some mustangs are caught in limbo from the controversial Sheldon Wildlife Refuge roundup in Nevada orchestrated by the Forest Service. Protect Mustangs has been warning the Department of Interior and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) about the fiscally irresponsibility to remove close to 80% of the native wild horses and burros off the range in order to fast-track the New Energy Frontier at great ecological expense. The BLM’s claims of overpopulation have been debunked by The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report stating there is “no evidence” of overpopulation.
“The public is up in arms wanting to know who will feed and care for the wild horses and burros during the shutdown,” states Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs. “This is a perfect example of why wild horses and burros should be living on the range and why 80% of America’s wild horses and burros should not be kept in federally funded facilities. That said, we don’t endorse the use of fertility control without population studies first. We want good science to govern policy. Tobacco science and guesstimates got the feds and the American taxpayer in this mess in the first place.”
Today some wild horses are stuck in limbo at temporary holding. They were rounded up from the Sheldon Wildlife Refuge and haven’t been given to government contractors who receive $1,000.00 per horse to take them off the feds hands and adopt them out.
“We are concerned the wild horses are suffering in pens without care,” states Kerry Becklund, director of outreach for Protect Mustangs. “We want to have access to monitor captive wild horses to ensure their care. We have volunteers who will help at all the holding facilities as needed during the government shutdown. We’re here to help.”
Protect Mustangs is against the removal of native wild horses from public land especially from a wildlife sanctuary where they belong. Wild horses are not an invasive species nor are they “pests” as the EPA wrongly named them in order to pass a controversial “restricted use pesticide” known as Porcine zona pellucida (PZP) under the name ZonaStat-H, for use on wild horses and burros. PZP is an immunocontraception made from pigs ovaries and did not pass the FDA.
This year the NAS released a report on the Wild Horse and Burro Program wherein they stated there was “no evidence” of overpopulation. Despite the statement by the esteemed scientific Academy, the BLM continues to endorse myths of alleged overpopulation.
The BLM has pumped up their population guesstimates to justify federal spending increases to roundup and warehouse the majority of America’s wild horses and burros who are using less than 3% of public land.
“It’s the Emperor’s New Clothes,” reveals Novak. “Everyone is being fooled there is an overpopulation issue when in fact they are underpopulated on the range today. We are calling for an immediate moratorium on roundups and removals for scientific population studies.”
“With the gluttony of roundups and removals, wild horses reproduce at a higher rate than normal–to prevent extinction,” explains Novak. “We need scientific studies to establish what the normal reproduction rate is, under normal circumstances and discover scientific truths about wild horses and burros. Today there is no scientific proof of BLM’s alleged overpopulation to merit fertility control, roundups or removals.”
The Wild Horse and Burro Program costs have been rising rapidly, from $38.8 million in Fiscal Year 2007 to $74.9 million in Fiscal Year 2012. Now 59 percent of the funding ($43 million) goes to holding costs. Despite a troubled economy, the administration wants to remove additional native wild equids and requested an additional $4 million in the Fiscal Year 2013 budget.
When the wild equids live out on the range it costs virtually nothing to “keep” them on their native habitat. They help reduce the risks of wildfires and reverse desertification. That’s the beauty of native wildlife filling their niche in the ecosystem.
The New Energy Frontier push is the reason for massive roundups on public land since 2009-10, when the former Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, introduced his “Plan”.
In 1971 the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act designated 339 herd areas on 53.8 million acres. Today only 179 herd areas remain on 31.6 million acres. The herd areas have been zeroed out for oil, gas, livestock and mining interests to capitalize on the land legally allocated to wild horses and burros for primary, but not exclusive, use.
In 1900 there were 2 million wild horses roaming in America. Today less than 17,000 estimated wild horses remain in all 10 western states combined. The BLM’s estimate, over 37,000, is grossly inflated to justify additional removals and hide the true threat of extinction facing America’s wild horses and burros.
“We want to find the win-win–to return all the wild horses and burros to their native range so they can balance out the environmental devastation caused by the New Energy Frontier,” states Novak. “There is a way for this to work out but first we need scientific studies to make sure it’s done right.”
Protect Mustangs is a San Francisco-based conservation group, with an international membership base, devoted to protecting native wild horses. Their mission is to educate the public about the indigenous wild horse, protect and research American wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.
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Media Contacts:
Anne Novak, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org, 415-531-8454
Kerry Becklund, Kerry@ProtectMustangs.org, 510-502-1913
Photos, video and interviews available upon request
Links of interest™:
Roundup footage & abuse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF49csCB9qM (Preview)
Wild Free Roaming Horse & Burro Act http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/92-195.htm
NEPA http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Environmental_Policy_Act
Horse slaughter investigation https://soundcloud.com/cbs-radio-news/horse-slaughter-investigation
Washington Post: Independent panel: Wild horse roundups don’t work; use fertility drugs, let nature cull herdshttp://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/independent-panel-to-recommend-changes-in-blm-wild-horse-program/2013/06/05/b65ba772-cdb3-11e2-8573-3baeea6a2647_story.html
Information on native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562
NAS Press release June 5, 2013: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=13511
NAS Report: Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program: A Way Forward http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13511
No proof of overpopulation, no need for fertility control http://protectmustangs.org/
ZonaStat-H EPA Pesticide Fact Sheet: http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/pending/fs_PC-176603_01-Jan-12.pdf
Appropriations Committee members: http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/about-members.cfm
Sheldon Wildlife Refuge: www.fws.gov/sheldonhartmtn/sheldon/horseburro.html
Wild burros of Airizona Black Mountains on CBS: http://tuesdayshorse.wordpress.com/tag/carl-mrozek/
Sage Grouse and other wildlife threatened by oil and gas development: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mw1d7zp2vB8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Princeton University: Wildlife and cows can be partners, not enemies, in the search for foodhttp://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S32/93/41K10/index.xml?section=featured
Protect Mustangs in the news: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=218
Protect Mustangs’ press releases: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=125
Protect Mustangs on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs
Anne Novak on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAnneNovak
Link to this press release: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=5280
Comments against Wyoming’s Checkerboard roundup
Wyoming wild horses (Photo ©Rachel Anne Reeves all rights reserved)
Send your original comments in today!
——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Wild Horse Scoping Comment
From: <@protectmustangs.org>
Date: Fri, September 27, 2013 11:53 am
To: BLM_WY_RockSpringsRMP@blm.gov
Dear Sirs,
We request you do not roundup, remove, kill, give birth control or sterilize wild horses in Wyoming’s Checkerboard area.
We call for a moratorium on roundups in the Checkerboard and elsewhere for immediate scientific population studies lasting 10 years.
Fertility control (birth control, sterilization, etc.) must not be used before 10-year population studies.
We request an investigation into conflict of interest governing discussions and decisions for removals of the Checkerboard wild horses in Wyoming.
Federal law cannot be violated under a consent decree.
American wild horses are legally allowed to roam on the 2.3 million acres under the Free Roaming Wild Horse & Burro Act of 1971. It’s important to uphold the law.
Non-reproducing herds are not protected wild horses according to the 1971 Act as they would be harassed in order to be sterilized. Also their social structure and their natural behaviors would ruined if sterilized.
The wild horses mentioned are a national living treasure and historically significant. They benefit the ecosystem as well.
We request you:
- Do not remove horses from or zero out the Divide Basin herd and do not kill or sterilize.
- Do not remove horses from or zero out the Salt Wells herd and do not kill or sterilize.
- Do not remove horses from or reduce the AML (number of wild horses) for the Adobe Town herd and do not kill or sterilize.
- Do not remove horses from or reduce the horses at White Mountain and do not kill or sterilize.
- Do not remove horses from or reduce the horses at Little Colorado and do not kill or sterilize.
Members of our organization have visited the herds for research, inspiration, photographic and other artistic projects and plan to do so in the future. We request you do not interfere in their work by removing wild horses.
Rounding up and removing any wild horses in the Checkerboard area or performing killings or sterilizations in the field will increase global warming due to increased motorized vehicle usage on the range as well as damage the fragile ecosystem.
Tourists, researchers and students don’t want to hear about a bunch of killed horses nor do they want to see a bunch of sterilized horses out on the Checkerboard. Sterilized horses loose their natural behaviors. The essence of their social structure–the family band–would be destroyed.
Removing American wild horse to frack the land is wrong.
Have you seen GASLAND 2? It talks about why beloved American wild horses are being removed in Wyoming! Millions of people have seen the new film on HBO and around the world. Now everyone realizes you are willing to remove the wild horses to facilitate fracking and other energy/mining interests on the Checkerboard area because of the money you receive from the extractive industry.
We look forward to hearing from you regarding our request for an immediate 10-year moratorium on roundups, trapping and removals for population studies.
The wild horses in question belong to the American people. The Bureau of Land Management has been put in charge to protect them. Please do your job.
Thank you for your kind assistance.
Sincerely,
Anne Novak
Anne Novak
Executive Director
Protect Mustangs.org
San Francisco Bay Area
Is the New Energy Frontier in conflict with wild horses on public land?
It’s just a matter of policy . . .
9/23 National Call-In Day to Stop BLM from Wiping Out Checkerboard Wild Horses in Wyoming
Share and TAKE ACTION today for Wyoming’s wild horses!
It’s MUSTANG MONDAY™! Contact Congress here: http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
National CALL-IN day is Monday, September 23rd! CALL and Ask your Congressional Representative and 2 Senators to STOP the WIPE OUT!
Wyoming’s wild horses must not end up in the SLAUGHTER Pipeline!!!
They deserve their land and their freedom! Send your comments in to BLM! Info here: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=5084 Canned comments don’t count! Please write your own and remember there is “No Evidence” of overpopulation according to the National Academy of Sciences. Request a Moratorium on Roundups for Population Studies!
The Wyoming travesty was mentioned in GASLAND 2. See the movie (http://www.gaslandthemovie.com) and share it with your friends.
SAVE Wyoming’s wild horses! They belong to all Americans because they are under federal control.
And WILD HORSE WEDNESDAY™ Let’s live chat the Secretary of the Interior and ASK for a MORATORIUM on Roundups for population studies because we need SCIENCE before any action! http://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDOI/bulletins/8be168#.UjydSFTKRBM.twitter
Sign the petition to STOP the Roundups! http://www.change.org/petitions/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups
Watch and Share GASLAND 2 http://www.gaslandthemovie.com/
We want the truth not toxic #GASLAND
Join a MoveOn house party to watch GASLAND II July 14th
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Dear MoveOn member,
After a holiday weekend, getting back to your usual grind can be tough—so we wanted to remind you of an opportunity to put something fun on your calendar.Next Sunday, July 14, we’re teaming up with Oscar-nominated director Josh Fox for a special nationwide event to watch his new HBO documentary about the fracking industry—Gasland Part II. After the screening, Josh will join us for a strategy briefing call to talk about how we can grow the movement to put an end to fracking.Hundreds of movie parties are being planned across the country, but we’re still looking for hosts —so that MoveOn members in your area will have a chance to see this important film. Can you open your home to a Gasland Part II Movie Party on Sunday, July 14? Yes, I’d like to host a Gasland Part II Movie Party, and I have or can get access to HBO.I don’t have access to HBO, but I’d like to sign a petition to stop fracking on public lands.What could be better than getting together with a few friends and fellow MoveOn members to watch a movie on a Sunday afternoon, and then strategize about how to take on two of the most powerful industries in the world—and win? Fracking affects nearly every community in the country—whether gas or oil drilling is happening near you, or fracking waste is getting dumped in your community, or your stove or the bus you take to work is powered by fracked gas. MoveOn members and our allies are fighting back and winning, and this is a great opportunity to learn the latest about fracking and plug into a growing people’s movement. Click here to host a movie party. Thank for all you do. –Victoria, Manny, Bobby, Rosy, and the rest of the team P.S. Below is the email from last week, before the holiday blur—read on to find out more about Gasland Part II.
Dear MoveOn member, Imagine being able to light your tap water on fire. That’s a reality right now in communities across the country as the fossil fuel industry pushes our country into an all-out—and dangerous—”fracking” boom.1 Want to learn more about fracking and how to stop it? We’ve teamed up with Oscar-nominated filmmaker Josh Fox for a fun, informative, and sobering nationwide event to watch his new HBO documentary Gasland Part II on Sunday, July 14, and you can have a front row seat—in your own living room! Fracking for gas and oil has been linked to water so contaminated that it catches fire, illness in residential neighborhoods, unusual earthquakes, dead livestock, and tanking property values. And the methane released by fracking is a far more potent global warming gas than carbon dioxide.2 The hopeful news is that MoveOn members are fighting back—and Gasland Part II gives us a powerful new weapon to grow our grassroots movement. That’s why hundreds of MoveOn members are signing up to host a Gasland Part II Movie Party on Sunday, July 14. Hosting a movie screening is easy and very rewarding. We’ll provide a host guide with special materials, we’ll help you recruit MoveOn members in your area to attend, and we’ll invite you to join director Josh Fox and thousands of other MoveOn members for a special briefing after we view the film together. Because the film is only available right now on HBO, you’ll need an HBO subscription—or a friend with HBO—to host a movie night. If you don’t have HBO, we may be able to match you up with a MoveOn member near you who does. Yes, I’d like to host a Gasland Part II Movie Party. I don’t have access to HBO, but I’d like to sign a petition to stop fracking on public lands. Like Josh’s first film, which made “fracking” a household word, Gasland Part II is catalyzing a movement—and if enough of our friends, families, and neighbors work together, we can build the large-scale movement we need to stop fracking. Since the original Gasland debuted in 2010, dozens of cities, towns, and counties—from Pittsburgh, PA to Mora County, NM—have passed local bans on fracking, and MoveOn members in 30 states have launched campaigns to stop this dangerous new form of fossil fuel extraction.3 Gasland Part II is only available on HBO right now, so if you’d like to host but don’t have a subscription, ask your friends or family members who might have HBO to team up with you. If you do have HBO, sign up to help MoveOn members near you have the opportunity to watch this amazing film. I’m hosting a movie party for my friends and neighbors—will you join me and host a Gasland Part II Movie Party in on Sunday, July 14th? I don’t have access to HBO, but I’d like to sign a petition to stop fracking on public lands. I had the opportunity to preview the film, and it gave me the chills. I grew up—and my mom still lives—just a few miles from the largest urban oil field in the country, in Los Angeles, where fracking is happening right now. Neighbors suspect that high rates of cancer are linked to toxic chemicals used in fracking—and they’re organizing to stop the fracking from continuing.4 Earlier this week, in his first speech on climate change, President Obama stuck his neck out to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants, and MoveOn members have applauded him for that. But he also doubled down on propping up the oil and gas industries, even though scientists have shown that extracting and burning gas and oil could be far worse for the climate than coal.5 Banning fracking is the next frontier in the movement to protect our communities and our kids from climate change—and MoveOn members, with Josh Fox, are leading the way. When people find out the truth about fracking, they rise up to stop it. The MoveOn community of 8 million members has the power to spread the truth, and organize to win. Click here to host a Gasland Part II Movie Party on Sunday, July 14. Thanks for all you do. –Victoria, Manny, Bobby, Rosy, and the rest of the team P.S. Check out the trailer for Gasland Part II here: http://vimeo.com/69061416 Sources: 1. “Fracking’s coming boom,” Salon, April 24, 2013 2. “Drillers Silence Fracking Claims With Sealed Settlements,” Bloomberg Businessweek, June 6, 2013 “More Evidence Shows Drilling Causes Earthquakes,” Bloomberg Businessweek, April 1, 2013 “The Fracturing of Pennsylvania,” The New York Times, November 17, 2011http://www.moveon.org/r?r=291187&id=70850-24373629-pUxkErx&t=15 “Methane Losses Stir Debate on Natural Gas,” The New York Times, April 12, 2011 3. “NY Local Fracking Bans Upheld By Appeals Court,” Huffington Post, May 2, 2013 4. Ibid., Culver City Patch 5. Ibid., The New York Times |
Wyoming, Energy & Wild Horses
Comments needed about #fracking for oil and gas on public land in Nevada @GASLANDmovie
 Photo © Karen McLain Evening Light | Design by Anne Novak for ProtectMustangs.org BLM Seeks Public Comment on Public Lands Nominated for Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Ely – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District is asking the public to review and provide comment on parcels of public land nominated for potential oil and gas exploration and development. The 30-day public comment period concludes Monday, July 29. The BLM received requests to lease 216 nominated parcels of public land, totaling more than 399,000 acres. The BLM deferred several of the nominated parcels to protect sage grouse habitat. Other parcels were removed because of proximity to the Kirch Wildlife Management Area, the Robinson Mine Plan of Operations or the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation. The remaining 202 parcels have been analyzed for potential impacts in the environmental assessment (EA), in accordance with the Oil & Gas Leasing Reform mandated in 2010. Lease stipulations identified in the Ely Resource Management Plan (2008) are attached to some parcels to help protect certain resources. The draft EA is available for public review at: https://www.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do. Select Nevada, Ely District, 2013 and DOI-BLM-NV-L000-2013-0004-EA to display the project webpage. Interested individuals should address all written comments to the BLM Ely District Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301, Attn: Emily Simpson or fax them to Simpson at (775) 289-1910. Comments may also be submitted to e-mail address: blm_nv_eydo_dec2013ogsale@blm.gov. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. A Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale will be conducted on December 10, 2013. Additional information about the sale is available at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/energy.html. For more information, contact Emily Simpson, at the BLM Ely District, at (775) 289-1832 or esimpson@blm.gov. –BLM– — Chris Hanefeld
Public Affairs Specialist
775-289-1842/chanefel@blm.gov
#Fracking #Environment #News #Water #Foodie #Travel #Tourism #Nevada #Ely #Reno #Tahoe #LasVegas #Climate #Energy #Pollution
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Get ready! #Rally4Mustangs on Flag Day June 14th, International
Mustang flag with stars by Robin Warren for © Protect Mustangs
Inaugural Flag Day Rally
The SF Rally is outside Senator Feinstein’s Office Building in SF from 11-12, June 14th (Flag Day is not an official federal holiday) 1 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94104. Meet at 10:30 with your signs. Come early to park or take BART. The station is Montgomery. Handmade signs are the best. Bring the kids!
The Carson City rally, from 4pm to 7 pm on Friday June 14th, is in front of the Legislative building, across the street from Comma Coffee house on 395/ Carson Street ~ Address: 401 S. Carson St, Carson City, NV 89701.
Many cities are participating. See rally info, organize, start a rally and post it on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/events/433778203386782/433944553370147/?notif_t=event_mall_comment
The press release calling for a moratorium on roundups and national rallies to Save the Mustangs is here: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4479
Sign and share the Petition to Defund the Wild Horse and Burro Roundups: http://www.change.org/petitions/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups
Tweet: Get ready! #Rally4Mustangs on Flag Day July 14th International http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4539 #WildHorses #Animals #Fracking
Barbie Hardrock joins Protect Mustangs’ Oakland protest through the web (Photo © Rocquette)
Adopt these two and save them! (Photo © Taylor James)
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.)
OBAMA ~ Mustang poster © Lise Stampfli 2009
Protect native wild horses! © Protect Mustangs.org
Stop the Roundups rally organized by Protect Mustangs & Native Wild Horse Protection. (Photo © Respect 4 Horses.)
Terri Farley speaks at the Rally to Stop the Roundups (Photo © Anne Novak.)