Do they want to roundup, remove and kill wild horses & burros to make room for energy corridors?

PM Energy Corridors on public land

Study of ‘West-Wide’ Energy Corridors

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) released in May a study that provides a foundation for upcoming regional reviews of energy corridors on western public lands to assess the need for revisions and provide greater public input regarding areas that may be well suited for transmission siting. The regional reviews will begin with priority corridors in southern California, southern Nevada and western Arizona, and provide more opportunities for collaboration with the public and Federal, Tribal, state and local governmental stakeholders.

The study examines whether the energy corridors established under Section 368(a) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 are achieving their purpose to promote environmentally responsible corridor-siting decisions and to reduce the proliferation of dispersed rights-of-way crossing Federal lands. With the aim of encouraging more efficient and effective use of the corridors, the study establishes baseline data and presents opportunities and challenges for further consideration during the periodic regional reviews that BLM and USFS will conduct.

The corridors address a national concern by fostering long-term, systematic planning for energy transport development in the West; providing industry with a coordinated and consistent interagency permitting process; and establishing practicable measures to avoid or minimize environmental harm from future development within the corridors. Section 368(a) directed several federal agencies to designate corridors on federal lands in the 11 contiguous western states to provide linear pathways for siting oil, gas and hydrogen pipelines and high voltage transmission and distribution facilities. The contiguous states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.

The BLM, USFS, and DOE, among others, undertook an unprecedented landscape scale effort, including a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, starting in 2006 and completed in 2009–when the onslaught of mega roundups and removals started–that designated nearly 6,000 miles of corridors, issuing two Records of Decisions and associated land use plan amendments

As required by a 2012 Settlement Agreement that resolved litigation about the corridors identified, the BLM, USFS and DOE established an interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explain how the agencies will review the Section 368 (a) corridors on a regional basis. The MOU, signed in June 2013, describes the interagency process for conducting the reviews, the types of information and data to be considered, and the process for incorporating resulting recommendations in BLM and USFS land use plans.

The full-text of the corridor study is available online at: http://corridoreis.anl.gov.

The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of AmericaÂ’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2015, the BLM generated $4.1 billion in receipts from activities occurring on public lands.
–BLM–

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.




San Francisco protest against horse slaughter ~ Friday, January 10th

Protest Horse Slaughter Med

Come to the San Francisco Protest Against Horse Slaughter! We are coming together to stand against slaughtering domestic and wild horses. We stand with Attorney General Gary King ( @NewMexicoAGO) in New Mexico who is fighting against Horse Slaughter plants opening. King’s case will be heard in court Monday.

When: Friday January 10th from noon – 1pm
Where: Corner of Market & Montgomery, San Francisco, California
Bring: Handmade Signs and friends to hold them!

Questions? Email us at Contact@ProtectMustangs.org

Check back here for updates and on Facebook.

Links of Interest™:

New Mexico AG sues to stop horse slaughter: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/12/19/new-mexico-ag-sues-to-stop-horse-slaughter/4133191/

Judge blocks horse slaughter for at least 48 hours http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2013/12/state-judge-in-new-mexico-blocks-horse-slaughter-at-least-for-48-hours/#.Us7pEvas1Nc

Countersuit: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/06/us-usa-horses-slaughter-idUSBREA0518720140106

Farmington teen organizes awareness event against horse slaughter: http://www.daily-times.com/four_corners-news/ci_24864867/farmington-teenager-organizes-awareness-event-about-horse-slaughtering

Gary King: http://www.garykingforgovernor.com/

Protect Mustangs on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs

Gary King Calls on the Governor to Have State Do the Right Thing on Horse Slaughter

Protect Mustangs.org

Protect Mustangs.org

January 8, 2014

(Albuquerque, NM) – Candidate for Governor Gary King today called on Governor Martinez to take immediate steps to block the proposed horse slaughterhouse in Roswell by directing her Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) to take into serious consideration the opinion of the state environmental hearing officer who yesterday recommended that the operational permits to the Valley Meat company be denied.

“By waiting to block the permits, Governor Martinez has not only endangered these majestic horses, she is wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars. She could end this highly controversial project now by instructing her cabinet Secretary in charge of granting or denying a permit to the Valley Meat company to consider the strong evidence against this project,” said King.

“Horse slaughter is wrong. Human consumption of horse meat that may contain drugs could be dangerous. Discharging thousands of gallons of waste every day from an industrial horse slaughter operation would harm the environment,” said King. “Governor Martinez could have taken action long ago to address this controversy. This isn’t about politics – it’s about the humane treatment of horses and good stewardship. The only question is whether she will finally make the right decision. ”

“I am grateful to the many thousands of people from within New Mexico and around the country who have signed my petition, asking Gov. Martinez to stop the horse slaughterhouse. While the state court will hopefully make the right decision, this has gone on too long,” King added.

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Horse slaughterhouse wants to file lawsuit against hero

attorney-general-gary-king*304

From Gary King:

Right now I am doing everything I can to protect our majestic horses by blocking the horse slaughterhouse in New Mexico. Our latest victory was last Friday, when we won a 10-day temporary restraining order in court that keeps the horse slaughterhouse from opening in violation of our state laws.

Now, the same people who want to slaughter horses are coming after me.

It was reported today that they’re now going to sue me for slander and harassment.

Why? Because I’m leading a national fight to keep them from opening, a fight that has mobilized people both inside and outside of New Mexico who simply won’t give up on our horses. And I will not be intimidated.

I grew up in a ranching family. I love these animals and I know what’s at stake. I’m not going to stop fighting – and when I become Governor I will continue to stand up for our New Mexico values.

Thank you for joining me in support of this endeavor. If you live in New Mexico, I need your help to gather signatures for my nominating petition to appear on the ballot for governor in November, and ensure that I can keep working on this important issue. Please click here to download the petition, print it out and sign it, and please get any other New Mexico registered Democrats to sign as well. Then mail it to my campaign by January 20th at:

Gary King for Governor

PO Box 40
Moriarty, NM 87035

Thank you for all your kind notes and support of my campaign.

Gary King

Democratic Candidate For Governor
Gary King for Governor

AG King Leads Fight Against Horse Slaughter in New Mexico

Gary King

AG’s Request for TRO Granted; In Effect Until Jan. 3 Hearing

(SANTA FE)—New Mexico Attorney General Gary King applauds the efforts of his office as they together continue working to stop Valley Meats from beginning commercial horse slaughter operations in Roswell, New Mexico.

At AG King’s request, First Judicial District Court Judge Matthew Wilson has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that stops Valley Meats from opening as they planned January 1, 2014.

Attorney General King sought the TRO because Valley Meat had stated it would begin operating even though it lacked the required regulatory approval. With the newly scheduled hearing, the court can now more fully consider the dangers posed by commercial horse slaughter and Valley Meat’s long history of non-compliance with existing laws.

The hearing on AG King’s request for a longer-term injunction is January 3, 2014 in the First Judicial District courthouse in Santa Fe.

The filed TRO is available on the AG’s web site, www.nmag.gov, under news releases.

On December 19, Attorney General King filed a lawsuit against Valley Meat Company, its owner and two related companies that want to bring commercial horse slaughter to New Mexico.  Commercial horse slaughter is a new, untested enterprise that poses health and environmental risks to New Mexicans. Horses in America are not raised to be eaten, and are widely administered drugs that are forbidden for use in food animals.

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Temporary restraining order to prevent horse slaughter plant from opening filed by Gary King

From Gary King

Dear Equine Advocates,

Gary King

Today I announced that I have filed a lawsuit asking for a temporary restraining order to prevent Valley Meat Company, the proposed horse slaughter plant in Roswell, from opening in two weeks.

Valley Meat has a very poor track record of compliance with environmental and safety laws, racking up literally thousands of violations over the years, and we have no reason to believe they plan on improving their practices. These violations pose serious dangers to public health and safety. For example, the company has requested a state permit that is required before it can discharge wastewater, but has now stated publicly that it will begin operating on January 1, 2014, whether or not it receives the permit.

The slaughter of horses, no matter how it’s done, presents a genuine risk to New Mexicans’ health and to our natural resources. Horses in the US are not raised to be eaten, and therefore are administered drugs that are banned for use in food animals. These drugs are either harmful to humans or their effects are unknown. Combined with the risks to our groundwater, I simply cannot stand by and let this plant open.

Thank you for standing with me on this important issue. Please visit my website to find out how you can help in this continuing fight. Together we can do what’s right for New Mexico.

Best,

Gary King

Livestock’s Heavy Hooves Impair One-Third of BLM Rangelands

33 Million Acres of BLM Grazing Allotments Fail Basic Rangeland Health Standards

WASHINGTON – May 14 – A new federal assessment of rangelands in the West finds a disturbingly large portion fails to meet range health standards principally due to commercial livestock operations, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).  In the last decade as more land has been assessed, estimates of damaged lands have doubled in the 13-state Western area where the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts major livestock leasing.

The “Rangeland Inventory, Monitoring and Evaluation Report for Fiscal Year 2011” covers BLM allotments in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.  The report totals BLM acreage failing to meet rangeland health standards in measures such as water quality, watershed functionality and wildlife habitat:

  • Almost 40% of BLM allotments surveyed since 1998 have failed to meet the agency’s own required land health standards with impairment of more than 33 million acres, an area exceeding the State of Alabama in size, attributed to livestock grazing;
  • Overall, 30% of BLM’s allotment area surveyed to date suffers from significant livestock-induced damage, suggesting that once the remaining allotments have been surveyed, the total impaired area could well be larger than the entire State of Washington; and
  • While factors such as drought, fire, invasion by non-native plants, and sprawl are important, livestock grazing is identified by BLM experts as the primary cause (nearly 80%) of BLM lands not meeting health standards.

“Livestock’s huge toll inflicted on our public lands is a hidden subsidy which industry is never asked to repay,” stated PEER Advocacy Director Kirsten Stade, noting that the percentage of impairment in lands assessed remains fairly consistent over the past decade.  “The more we learn about actual conditions, the longer is the ecological casualty list.”

Last November, PEER filed a scientific integrity complaint that BLM had directed scientists to exclude livestock grazing as a factor in changing landscapes as part of a $40 million study, the biggest such effort ever undertaken by BLM.  The complaint was referred to a newly appointed Scientific Integrity Officer for BLM but there are no reports of progress in the agency’s self-investigation in the ensuing months.

At the same time, BLM range evaluations, such as this latest one, use ambiguous categories that mask actual conditions, employing vague terms such as “making significant progress” and “appropriate action has been taken to ensure significant progress” that obscure damage estimates and inflate the perception of restoration progress.  For example, in 2001 nearly 60% of BLM lands (94 million acres, an area larger than Montana) consisted of grazing allotments that were supposed to be managed to “improve the current resource condition” – a number that has stayed unchanged for a decade.

“Commercial livestock operations are clearly a major force driving degradation of wild places, jeopardy to wildlife, major loss of water quality and growing desertification throughout the American West,” Stade added, while noting that BLM has historically been dominated by livestock interests.  “The BLM can no longer remain in denial on the declining health of our vast open range.”

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Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) is a national alliance of local state and federal resource professionals. PEER’s environmental work is solely directed by the needs of its members. As a consequence, we have the distinct honor of serving resource professionals who daily cast profiles in courage in cubicles across the country.

Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) Links:
Posted from the PEER press release