False Win: Is the Bureau of Land Management retaining the right to kill “unadoptable” wild horses and those over 10-years-old despite public outcry?

PM IA GAIA #8402 Carson July 2016

The Bureau of Land Management has responded to public pressure but is NOT saying they won’t kill the wild horses and burros in holding. Read the emails below.

“The news circulating in the press is designed to put out the fire of public outcry. As long as the Bureau of Land Management has the legal right due to the Burns Amendment to give wild horses 3-Strikes, KILL alleged “unadoptable” wild horses and those over 10 years old then nothing has changed.” –Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs

This is what the Bureau of Land Management has posted on their website:

Question: What is the BLM’s response to the recommendation made by the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board on September 9, 2016, to sell without limitation or humanely euthanize excess horses and burros in BLM’s off-range corrals and pastures that are deemed “unadoptable”?

Answer: The National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board is an independent panel comprised of members of the public that make recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management regarding its management of wild horses and burros. The BLM is committed to having healthy horses on healthy rangelands. We will continue to care for and seek good homes for animals that have been removed from the range. Currently, there are more than 67,000 wild horses and burros on public rangelands, and the BLM is caring for nearly 50,000 animals in off-range corrals and pastures.

“Bureau of Land Management Director Neil Kornze told a congressional panel yesterday that the agency has no plans to follow the recommendation of an advisory panel that has called on BLM to euthanize potentially thousands of wild horses it cannot sell or adopt.” — Energy & Environment News

Statement from Anne Novak, Founder and Executive Director of Protect Mustangs: We have seen the Bureau of Land Management slither back after public outcry before and that is all this is. Their statement says nothing about not killing or stopping unlimited sales to slaughterhouse middlemen. Legally it is still an option to them. Therefore it is more important than ever to keep the #NoKill pressure on and to push for wild horses and burros to be returned to freedom. There is no evidence of overpopulation, period. Independent head counts of all the wild horses in holding and in the wild are urgent now to uncover the truth. How many are really left?

PM Poppy #1196 3-Strike PVC FB

We contacted Tom Gorey, Senior Public Affairs Specialist at Bureau of Land Management today to confirm the information circulating in the press and asked the bureau if they retained the right to KILL the “unadoptable” wild horses and burros and those over 10-years-old and have not received a clear response. Our last email was not answered. Read the emails below:

 

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: RE: Is the BLM going to kill the wild horses in holding?
From: <anne@protectmustangs.org>
Date: Thu, September 15, 2016 12:56 pm
To: “Gorey, Thomas (Tom)” <tgorey@blm.gov>

The statement says nothing really. So kindly answer my question. Does the BLM reserve the right to kill “unadoptable” wild horses and burros as well as those over 10-years-old?

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

Read about native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562  

www.ProtectMustangs.org

Protect Mustangs is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses. Please donate to help the mustangs.

——– Original Message ——–

Subject: Re: Is the BLM going to kill the wild horses in holding?

From: “Gorey, Thomas (Tom)” <tgorey@blm.gov>

Date: Thu, September 15, 2016 12:08 pm

To: Annee Novak <anne@protectmustangs.org>

Cc: Dean Bolstad <dbolstad@blm.gov>

The statement says nothing about reserving a right.

On Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 3:04 PM, <anne@protectmustangs.org> wrote:

So the Bureau of Land Management reserves the right to kill wild horses and burros to dispose of them?

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

Read about native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562  

 www.ProtectMustangs.org

Protect Mustangs is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses. Please donate to help the mustangs.

——– Original Message ——–

Subject: Re: Is the BLM going to kill the wild horses in holding?

From: “Gorey, Thomas (Tom)” <tgorey@blm.gov>

Date: Thu, September 15, 2016 10:40 am

To: Anne Novak <anne@protectmustangs.org>

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram/history_and_facts/from_the_public.html#Brd_Rec

Question: What is the BLM’s response to the recommendation made by the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board on September 9, 2016, to sell without limitation or humanely euthanize excess horses and burros in BLM’s off-range corrals and pastures that are deemed “unadoptable”?

Answer: The National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board is an independent panel comprised of members of the public that make recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management regarding its management of wild horses and burros.  The BLM is committed to having healthy horses on healthy rangelands.  We will continue to care for and seek good homes for animals that have been removed from the range.  Currently, there are more than 67,000 wild horses and burros on public rangelands, and the BLM is caring for nearly 50,000 animals in off-range corrals and pastures.

On Thu, Sep 15, 2016 at 1:35 PM, <anne@protectmustangs.org> wrote:

Dear Mr. Gorey,

Kindly send me your statement. Thank you.

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

Read about native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562  

www.ProtectMustangs.org

Protect Mustangs is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization who protects and preserves native and wild horses. Please donate to help the mustangs.

PM Lennox

Our petitions still stand:
1.) Investigate the Wild Horse & Burro Count in Captivity and in Freedom https://www.change.org/p/u-s-senate-investigate-the-wild-horse-burro-count-in-captivity-and-freedom This is VERY important to clean up the program, the fraud and stop the roundups, slaughter and right to kill because the BLM is lazy about adopting
2.) #NoKill 45,000 wild horses and put them back on public land 
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/907/592/301/demand-nokill-45000-wild-horses-burros-in-holding Still valid despite BLM’s news. Legally they have the right to kill our cherished mustangs and burros. Until the law is changed and the loophole is closed we need to get them back on public land and to safety.
3.) Defund to Stop the Wild Horse and Burro Roundups and Slaughter https://www.change.org/p/defund-and-stop-the-wild-horse-burro-roundups Still valid to stop cruel roundups, unlimited sales, and killing of our native wild horses because of a loophole in the law. 
 
4.) Congress & President: Stop Slaughter & Experiments on 100,000 Wild Horses & Burros 
https://www.change.org/p/president-of-the-united-states-congress-president-stop-sterilization-slaughter-of-100-000-wild-horses-burros Even though BoLM is backing down on the sterilization surgeries, they still continue with injectable sterilization experiments–just like Dr. Mengele did.

The petitions are working so keep sharing to double the numbers and keep the pressure on. Take the cover page of the petitions with you when you go to meet with your elected officials or include them in your handwritten letters and email.

Protect Mustangs is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of native and wild horses. www.ProtectMustangs.org




Red Alert: Nellie Diamond (#0484) and Star Creek (#1483) are now at risk of being sold into the slaughter pipeline

Why isn’t the Bureau of Land Management making a sale to safety happen?

PM Nellie Diamond #0484 No Bidder Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 2.17.51 AM

 

PM Nellie Diamond #0484 PVC 3-Strikes

Many people have shown interest in buying 6-year-old Nellie Diamond (#0484) but she still has no bid listed on her page and the auction is over. Is the BoLM returning email inquiries and phone calls? She can be adopted or sold. With sale the purchaser gets title of her immediately. With adoption she can be returned to BoLM if the adopter wants to. Of course then she would have another strike . . . Might be best to get her to a sanctuary with her friend Star Creek (#1483). The pair would only cost $50 and 2 lives would be saved.

Star Creek (#1483) is a sweet 6-yr-old mare from Fish Creek, NV who was rounded up last year to forcibly drug the mares with Pesticide PZP– made from slaughterhouse pig ovaries. Now Star Creek has 3-Strikes from failed adoptions and is another RED ALERT wild horse now at-risk!

This lovely wild mare wasn’t picked because she’s ‘plain” even though she seems very sweet with a special star. Now she’s at risk of being sold to a horse trader who might sell her to a kill-buyer for slaughter.

PM Star Creek #1483 Fish Creek 3-Strike Sale

 

PM Star Creek #1483 No Bidder Screen Shot 2016-08-03 at 2.57.55 AM

Please share Nellie Diamond (#0484) and Star Creek (#1483) so together they can go to a loving home or sanctuary!

Here is some basic information:

This horse is currently located in Palomino Valley, NV.  For more information, please contact Jeb Beck at (775) 475-2222 or e-mail: j1beck@blm.gov

This horse is available for sale or adoption with bids staring at $25.00. At the conclusion of the bidding, the successful bidder will inform the BLM if they are purchasing or adopting the animal. If the animal is purchased, not adopted, the successful bidder receives bill of sale to the animal upon completion of payment and final paperwork. If the animal is adopted, the minimum bid must be $125, and the animal is not eligible for title until the one year anniversary.

Pick up options (by appt): Palomino Valley, NV; Delta, UT; Elm Creek, NE; Pauls Valley, OK.

Other pick up options: Ewing, IL (September 3) ; Mequon, WI (September 16); Clemson, SC (September 23); Loxahatchee, FL (September 30); and Murray, KY (October 7).

Adoption confirmation for this animal must be finalized, by e-mail to BLM_ES_INET_Adoption@blm.gov, no later than Noon Mountain August 4. After this date, all unclaimed animals will be available for in-person walk up adoption/purchase ONLY.

Update August 10: BLM said, “If no bids were placed on an animal in the last internet and a bidder that didn’t get the horse they choose as first pick didn’t decide to take a horse with no bid then those horses with no bids are available for pickup at PVC till August 22. After that date any remaining horses will be put on the next internet adoption. . . horses are available for pick up FROM PVC ONLY we will not ship as the truck is full at this point.”

Thank you and Bless you.

 

Anne Novak

Executive Director

Protect Mustangs

 

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




Speak Out at the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting in Ohio (April 22-23)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces that the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will conduct a meeting on matters pertaining to management and protection of wild, free-roaming horses and burros on the Nation’s public lands.

The Advisory Board will meet on Wednesday April 22, 2015, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time and Thursday April 23, 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. This will be a two day meeting. Public comment is on the 22nd at 3 p.m. and written public comments may be submitted also for the Advisory Board. See detailed information below.
ADDRESSES:

This Advisory Board meeting will take place in Columbus, Ohio at the Hyatt Regency Columbus, 350 North High Street, Columbus, OH 43215, telephone 614-463-1234.
Written comments pertaining to the April 22-23, 2015, Advisory Board meeting can be mailed to National Wild Horse and Burro Program,WO-260, Attention: Ramona DeLorme, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, NV 89502-7147, or sent electronically to wildhorse@blm.gov. Please include “Advisory Board Comment” in the subject line of the email.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ramona DeLorme, Wild Horse and Burro Administrative Assistant, at 775-861-6583. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board advises the Secretary of the Interior, the BLM Director, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Chief of the Forest Service on matters pertaining to the management and protection of wild, free-roaming horses and burros on the Nation’s public lands. The Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board operates under the authority of 43 CFR 1784. The tentative agenda for the meeting is:
I. Advisory Board Public Meeting

Wednesday, April 22, 2015 (8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

8:00 a.m.Welcome, Introductions, and Agenda Review
8:50 a.m.Approval of August 2014 Minutes
9:10 a.m.BLM Response to Advisory Board Recommendations
9:30 a.m.Wild Horse and Burro Program Update
12:00 p.m.Lunch
1:15 p.m.Program Update continued
3:00 p.m.Public Comment Period Begins
4:30 p.m.Public Comment Period Ends
5:00 p.m.Adjourn
Thursday, April 23, 2015 (8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.)

8:00 a.m.Program Update continued
12:00 p.m.Lunch
1:15 p.m.Working Group Reports
2:45 p.m.Advisory Board Discussion and Recommendations to the BLM
5:00 p.m.Adjourn
The meeting site is accessible to individuals with disabilities. An individual with a disability needing an auxiliary aid or service to participate in the meeting, such as an interpreting service, assistive listening device, or materials in an alternate format, must notify Ms. DeLorme two weeks before the scheduled meeting date. Although the BLM will attempt to meet a request received after that date, the requested auxiliary aid or service may not be available because of insufficient time to arrange for it.
The Federal Advisory Committee Management Regulations at 41 CFR 101-6.1015(b), requires BLM to publish in the Federal Register notice of a public meeting 15 days prior to the meeting date.
II. Public Comment Procedures

On Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 3:00 p.m. members of the public will have the opportunity to make comments to the Advisory Board on the Wild Horse and Burro Program. Persons wishing to make comments during the meeting should register in person with the BLM by 2:00 p.m. on April 22, 2015, at the meeting location. Depending on the number of commenters, the Advisory Board may limit the length of comments. At previous meetings, comments have been limited to three minutes in length; however, this time may vary. Commenters should address the specific wild horse and burro-related topics listed on the agenda. Speakers are requested to submit a written copy of their statement to the address listed in the ADDRESSES section above or bring a written copy to the meeting. There may be a Webcam present during the entire meeting and individual comments may be recorded.
Participation in the Advisory Board meeting is not a prerequisite for submission of written comments. The BLM invites written comments from all interested parties. Your written comments should be specific and explain the reason for any recommendation. The BLM appreciates any and all comments. The BLM considers comments that are either supported by quantitative information or studies or those that include citations to and analysis of applicable laws and regulations to be the most useful and likely to influence BLM’s decisions on the management and protection of wild horses and burros.
Before including your address, phone number, email 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.

 

 

BLM states 37 wild horses have died at Nevada facility not including dead foals and others

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

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

Concern mounts over hidden death count

We learned today that the BLM’s public affairs officer (think public relations expert) eventually responded, on April 18th, to our inquiries from April 12, 2013, wherein we requested to know the number of dead wild horses at the Nevada short-term facility since January 1st. 

The Acting Facility Manager refused to give us a simple death count. He told us we must file a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to know the number of dead wild horses at the facility from January 1, 2013 to April 12, 2013 . This appeared to be a blatant lack of government transparency.

We saw the public affairs’ officer’s email for the first time this afternoon. It was unopened and was lost amongst emails. We don’t understand why the BLM did not respond back to our last email to let us know they had eventually answered our question. Emails can go unseen unlike certified letters.

We are very concerned the BLM facilities are not keeping an accurate death count related to roundups and holding facilities. The BLM admits they are not including the unbranded foals, aborted fetuses, animals born dead nor dead newborns in their count. One must ask, “How many are really dying in holding facilities after roundups?

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: Information you requested regarding deaths at PVC
From: “Emmons, Heather” <hlemmons@blm.gov>
Date: Thu, April 18, 2013 3:58 pm
To: <anne@protectmustangs.org>
Cc: James Beck <j1beck@blm.gov>

Anne,

Sorry for the delay in responding to your question. As Acting Facility Manager at the Palomino Valley Center (PVC), Jeb sought advice on your question as to what constituted a FOIA request and was originally told that it met those qualifications. Upon further evaluation, we realized it does not and apologize for the miscommunication.  Jeb is off for the next couple of days, and we wanted to get back to you as soon as possible, so I am writing to you on his behalf.

To answer your question: How many horses have died at the facility since Jan 1, 2013?  According to the Wild Horse and Burro Program System, the number of horses that have died at PVC from Jan. 1, 2013 through April 1, 2013, is 37. This number does not include stillbirths (aborted fetuses, animals born dead and newborn animals found dead) and young foals that died before they were freeze marked. Foals are freeze marked when they are weaned. This varies with the size and condition of the foals and the mares, but usually occurs sometime between three and six months of age.

Additionally, the National Wild Horse and Burro Program is currently reviewing its reporting procedures for modification.

If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact me, or my colleague Debbie Collins at the National Call Center:

Heather Emmons: 775-861-6594 or hlemmons@blm.gov

Debbie Collins: 1-866-468-7826 or dacollin@blm.gov

Thanks,

Heather

Heather Emmons Jasinski 
Public Affairs Officer
Bureau of Land Management 

1340 Financial Blvd. 

Reno, NV 89502
775.861.6594 | hlemmons@blm.gov

Links of interest:
April 12th request for mortality rate, refusal and told to file a FOIA: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=4114

Mustang Monday™ November 21st: Email President Obama

Mr. President Stop the Calico Roundup! (Photo © Cat Kindsfather, all rights reserved)

In all time zones for Mustang Monday™ please email President Obama and ask him to Stop the Calico Roundup now. Tell him that less than 2 years ago 1,922 wild horses were rounded up and that you don’t want them zeroed out. Mention there is no accurate head count and estimates cannot justify a roundup when thriving natural ecological balance (TNEB) exists on the range. Bring up the fact that the National Academy of Science is conducting a study on management but needs to have mustangs on the Calico range to study. Tell the President that wild horses are valuable and should not be cleared off public land to make way for the ‘New Energy Frontier’ but rather there can be a win-win with the wild horses roaming freely on their home land.

Click here to send your email http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/submit-questions-and-comments  Send a copy to Contact@ProtectMustangs.org and we will post it on this site.

You can Tweet the action by using this link http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ea06j6 . Please use the hashtags #MustangMonday and #WildHorses or #Mustang .

The last Calico roundup was the deadliest roundup in history. Let’s make our voices heard and stop this now!

In gratitude,

Anne Novak

Founder and Director of Protect Mustangs

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @ProtectMustangs