Is your representative in Congress pushing for America’s wild horses to lose their federal protections?

Stop elected officials who want to ruin the 1971 Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act!
READ the shocking letter written last year by elected officials who seem to be supported by special interests groups: http://www.wylr.net/guest-opinions/347-letters-to-the-editor/5887-letter-to-the-editor-from-u-s-senators-and-representatives
 
Notice the following points in their letter:
 
These elected officials call the wild mustangs just “horses” most of the time not “wild horses”. Obviously, this is a constructed subliminal move to wipe out the WILD ones that are to be protected since 1971. [Note: Be sure to always refer to mustangs as wild horses]
 
Members of Congress, elected by the public but who seem to serve special interests, seem to make false claims of: “overstocking” in HMAs, failure to “dispose” of horses and burros, significant ecological “damage” to riparian areas, “overgrazing” and “compromised water” resources, etc.
 
We know the public has been telling these elected officials the truth for years so why aren’t they listening? Are they getting paid off?
 
They also claim “adoptions have “fallen almost 70 percent” in the last 10 years. Is this true?
Is this why the BLM makes it so hard to adopt wild horses due to the worst customer service in America? Do they want the adoption program to fail so they can kill them all?
 
The BLM always wanted to “dispose” of our cherished wild horses & burros. Sterilization is the next best thing in their eyes. They NEVER wanted to use PZP. They label return-native wild horses as “INVASIVE SPECIES” aka PESTS as you see in their letter. Just like the PZP Pesticide applicant classified them in their 2012 PZP application.
 
The signers of the letter seem to falsely claim: “Improper management compromises equine health, habitat conservation efforts and allows for resource degradation and encroachment by invasive species that will affect wildlife, livestock producers and recreationalists for decades to come.”
What about the cattle and sheep at more than 100 head of livestock to 1 wild horse that is grazing on public land? Do they think the American public is so stupid to buy into the myth that range degradation is the fault of wild horses?
Contact your elected officials across America to let them know you want your voice in Congress to stand up for what’s right, stand up for the 1971 law, keep America’s wild horses federally protected and never give them to the states!
 
The letter to Neil Kornze, the Director of BLM, was signed by the following elected officials from the Republican Party:
 
Sens. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
 
Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
 
Steve Daines (R-Mont.)
 
Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.)
 
Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
 
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
 
Dean Heller (R-Nev.)
 
Mike Lee (R-Utah)
 
John McCain (R- Ariz.)
 
James Risch (R-Idaho)
 
Reps. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
 
Mark Amodei (R-Nev.)
 
Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah)
 
Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.)
 
Raul Labrador (R-Idaho)
 
Steve Pearce (R-N.M.)
 
Adrian Smith (R-Neb.)
 
Chris Stewart (R-Utah)
 
Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.)
Now in April 2016 Rep Chris Stewart’s plan has gained momentum as you see in the video below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uPFMAE49NM
 
Links of interest:
Letter to BLM’s Neil Kornze asking for the states to grab control of America’s federally protected wild horses & burros: http://www.wylr.net/guest-opinions/347-letters-to-the-editor/5887-letter-to-the-editor-from-u-s-senators-and-representatives#sthash.allOgrdU.dpuf
PZP Application calls wild horses and burros “PESTS” to get the pesticide approved: https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/reg_actions/pending/fs_PC-176603_01-Jan-12.pdf
READ the Associated Press article from 2014: Rep. Chris Stewart’s bill seeks to allow states to manage wild horses http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765656593/Bill-seeks-to-allow-states-to-manage-wild-horses.html

Protect Mustangs is an organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses.




California wild horse range survey ~ after the Twin Peaks fire

Twin Peaks Post Fire Survey

May 18th and 19th 2013

tpopening

Twin Peaks Wild Horse and Burro Herd Management Area

Summary:

Three experienced wildlife observers with binoculars: Jesica Johnston, Carrisa Johnston, and Kathy Gregg

91 miles traveled in 11 hours – we drove slowly with many stops to look for animals

1 horse and 8 burros found

Vegetation in burn area in very good condition with many wild flowers, low grasses, a lot of cheat grass and what appears to be some Russian/Siberian crested wheatgrass (non-native).

Many juniper trees burned beyond survival but many were not burned or will survive the fire damage.  Sage areas clearly show the patchwork pattern of the fire, with many areas completely unburned within the Rush Fire perimeter.

Saw some bitterbrush drill seeding along Rye Patch Road.  Very little black burned grass noticeable now compared with last fall immediately following the Rush fire (see Rush fire report http://protectmustangs.org/?p=2729 ) and now most of the burned area is covered with spring vegetative growth.

Most notable was the lack of any animal trailing that can usually be seen and would have been very obvious with the new carpet of forage – believe this is because #1 no livestock on the public land and #2 very few wild horses and burros left on the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area. Also noticeable was the lack of horse and burro tracks and manure on the HMA.

Other animals observed: one coyote, two golden eagles, vultures, crows/ravens, two rabbits, birds, ducks and geese at Horne Ranch reservoir, 2 deer, ~ 20 antelope, two curlew, small fish in the Robbers Roost pond and some burrowing ground squirrels and pika.

Unless otherwise noted, all photographs were taken by Jesica Johnston and Carrisa Johnston.

[side note: BLM Litchfield Wild horses and burros facility approx. 200-300 animals maximum] Saturday 5/18/2013

Smoke Creek Road

42 miles on HMA – 4 hours

Very few signs of any Wild horses and burros in this area (trailing/tracks/manure)

1 adult brown burro 8 miles east of Hwy 395 and 1 adult dark brown burro 15 miles east of Hwy 395

    Wild Burro- Smoke Creek Road

Wild Burro- Smoke Creek Road

Turned around at Smoke Creek Ranch owned by Bright-Holland Corporation – gate locked with no trespassing signs and 150+ cattle visible and lush green fields all fenced off.

Rye Patch Road

10 miles on HMA – 2 hours

One set of fresh horse tracks on road and few manure piles but not stud pile (mare or only one horse?)  In the past (pre-fire) numerous manure piles and eight horses seen in this area.

We saw one old wild horse stud pile at Spanish Springs trough – new looking barbed wire strewn in pathway (very dangerous for any animal – we moved it)  No recent signs of horse.

Horne Ranch Road

26 miles approximately half in twin Peaks – 2 hours at dusk

Sunday 5/19/2013

Shinn Ranch Road

13 miles– 3 hours

6 Burros (5 adults and 1 yearling) north side of road about ¼ mile east of Highway 395

Conclusion

In our two days of observation we saw very few signs of any wild horses or burros and only saw one dark horse about a mile south of Shinn Ranch Road about 4 miles in from Hwy 395 – it was far off but 99% sure it was a horse in the far canyon and the only wild horse we saw on this trip.