Secretary Jewell speaks about connecting young adults to public land at University of California at Berkeley March 26th

Is anyone going early with signs to protest the abuses to our public lands?

Secretary Sally Jewell Photo by BLM

Secretary Sally Jewell Photo by BLM

BERKELEY, CA – On Thursday, March 26, 2015, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will discuss the future of the National Park Service and the importance of connecting young adults to America’s public lands as part of the University of California at Berkeley’s annual Horace M. Albright Lecture in Conservation. Albright was a key supporter of the creation of the National Park System and the second director of the National Park Service.

President of the University of California Janet Napolitano and historian Douglas Brinkley will join Jewell in a panel discussion on “America’s Two Best Ideas: Public Education & Public Lands.”

This event is part of UC Berkeley’s initiative—America’s Best Idea: The Next 100 Years—a partnership with the National Park Service and National Geographic Society to support national parks and protected lands for future generations.

The discussion will be webcast live and archived for future viewing.

Who: Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California
Douglas Brinkley, Historian

What: Panel Discussion on “America’s Two Best Ideas: Public Education & Public Lands”

When: Thursday, March 26, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. PDT

Where: Wheeler Hall, UC Berkeley Campus 2222 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720

Media: Credentialed members of the media must RSVP by 12:00 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, March 25 to Ann Guy at (510) 301-2646

Breaking News: Protesters want to end native wild horse abuse and use mustangs to fight wildfires

PM Wildland Fire Risk 2013

Wildfire risk potential version 2013, data origin & source: USDA Forest Service

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For immediate release:

More than 40 international protests today to stop the roundups and stop horse slaughter

OAKLAND, Ca. (April 27, 2013)–Protect Mustangs™, the Bay Area-based native wild horse conservation group, is holding protests today in Oakland and Rock Springs, Wyoming to save indigenous wild horses from roundups, abuse, slaughter and pass the SAFE Act. The Oakland rally is held outside the Rockridge BART station from 3:30 to 6 p.m. The Rock Springs rally is held at 70 Gateway Blvd at 2 p.m. The group wants all the wild horses in government funded holding to be returned to the range to help reduce wildfires. More than 40 international protests, spearheaded by Nevada’s Patty Bumgarner on Facebook, are being held to save the horses. Protect Mustangs™ requests Congress stop the cruelty, the slaughter and save taxpayer dollars–especially during the Sequester.

“We are united across the country to say no to slaughter, roundups and cruel overectomies in the field,” states Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs™. “We want our wild horses to be protected. Did you know America’s wild horses are indigenous? Are you aware that CalTrans found ancient horse fossils while digging the fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel?”

The horse, E. caballus, originated in America over a million years ago and returned with the Conquistadors if it ever went extinct in the first place. With history written by the Inquisition, one must read between the lines. It was heresy for Old World animals, such as the horse, to have originated in the heathen Americas.

Novak points out,”Recent DNA testing proves our iconic wild horses are the same species as E. caballus–the original horse.”

Esteemed scientists Kirkpatrick, J.F., and P.M. Fazio explained the following in Wild Horses as Native North American Wildlife (Revised January 2010). The Science and Conservation Center, ZooMontana, Billings:

‘The key element in describing an animal as a native species is (1) where it originated; and (2) whether or not it co‐evolved with its habitat. Clearly, E. 6 caballus did both, here in North American. There might be arguments about ‘breeds,’ but there are no scientific grounds for arguments about ‘species.’

The non‐native, feral, and exotic designations given by agencies are not merely reflections of their failure to understand modern science but also a reflection of their desire to preserve old ways of thinking to keep alive the conflict between a species (wild horses), with no economic value anymore (by law), and the economic value of commercial livestock.’

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) received $78 million last year to run the Wild Horse and Burro Program. Two-thirds of the expenses went towards caring for the equids in captivity. Despite the federal budget crisis, the program received a $2 million increase in funding for their 2014 fiscal budget–including $6 million for the helicopter contractor.

California’s Senator Feinstein chairs Energy and Water subcommittee as well as rules on Interior issues within the Committee on Appropriations. The Committee gives taxpayer dollars to fiscally irresponsible and cruel wild horse and burro roundups despite public outcry.

Roundups and removals are linked to mining and toxic fracking in the West. It appears native horses are being removed to fast track the extractive industry’s use of public land for private profit yet the public and the environment are hit with the costs.

Native wild horses will soon be zeroed out from Wyoming’s “checkerboard” public-private land–allegedly in preparation for the largest natural gas field in the country. The conservation group has requested a $50 million fund be created to mitigate environmental distress from fracking on the range.

“Tourists love to come to Wyoming to see our wild horses,” states Melissa Maser, outreach coordinator for Protect Mustangs™ in Wyoming and Texas. “We’d like to see native wild horses protected for future generations.”

Advocates are documenting wild horses being removed throughout the West as healthy and with fewer foals. The starving and overpopulation myths from BLM spin doctors are fabricated to sway Congress to fund roundups and removals.

“We’d like to find a win-win for wild horses in the West,” explains Novak. “Native horses will help reduce wildfires that cost insurance companies billions of dollars annually and contribute to global warming. We have requested the BLM put a freeze on roundups and return the 50,000 wild horses stockpiled in holding to public land. This will take the burden off the taxpayer and help to reduce wildfires.”

Protect Mustangs™ is 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.

# # #

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak, 415.531.8454 Anne@Protect Mustangs.org

Kerry Becklund, 510.502.1913 Kerry@ProtectMustangs.org

Photos, video and interviews available upon request

Links of interest:

Gone viral~ The Associated Press, February 10, 2013: Wild-horse advocates split over interior nominee http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020332496_apnvwildhorses1stldwritethru.html

US property exposed to wildfire valued at $136 billion says report: http://www.artemis.bm/blog/2012/09/17/u-s-property-exposed-to-wildfire-valued-at-136-billion-says-report/

KQED Horse fossil found in Caldecott Tunnel: http://science.kqed.org/quest/2011/05/26/new-fossils-from-the-caldecott-tunnel/

Gone viral~ The Associated Press, March 24, 2013: Budget axe nicks BLM wild-horse adoption center http://www.denverpost.com/colorado/ci_22862206

Horseback Magazine: Sequester prompts call for wild horses and burros to be returned to the wild http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/21568

Horseback Magazine, March 8, 2013: Protect Mustangs calls for fund for Wyoming wild horses http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/20979

Horseback Magazine: Group takes umbridge at use of the word “feral” http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/19392

Ruby pipeline and wild horse roundups? http://www.8newsnow.com/story/12769788/i-team-bp-connected-to-wild-horse-roundups

BLM’s 2014 Budget: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2013/april/04_10_2013.html

Why are the wild horses being removed? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCWWgOugF2U

Wyoming Tourism’s video of wild horses: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tRZkBXkbyY

Protect Mustangs™: www.ProtectMustangs.org

Protect Mustangs™ on Facebook

Protect Mustangs™ on Twitter

Protect Mustangs™ on YouTube

Protect Mustangs™ in the News

Information on native wild horses: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562 

Rally to Protect America’s Horses 4/27 in Oakland

Stop the Roundups

Photo © Cynthia Smalley, all rights reserved.

Saturday April 27 from 3-6 pm outside Rockridge BART on College Avenue

JOIN US to Rally to STOP the Roundups!

RETURN all 50,000 Captive Native Wild Horses to Public Land. (Now displaced from their families and freedom, they are held behind bars n BLM short and long term holding facilities and human prisons)

BAN horse slaughter for human consumption and BAN the export of horses to slaughter. PASS the SAFE ACT

The Sequester puts all wild horses & burros in government holding at risk. Freeze the Roundups due to the Sequester!

Read more here: http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/21568

Please invite your friends!

This is a family friendly rally.

Protect Mustangs
www.ProtectMustangs.org

Discover Mustangs
www.DiscoverMustangs.org

April 27th is an international day to protest wild horse roundups, holding them captive and horse slaughter.

BREAKING NEWS: Oakland to protest Reno’s wild horses facing slaughter

Reno: Damonte wild horses trapped w/ cruelty

Nevada trapper drags 4 month old foal by string around neck to send to auction (Photo © Bo Rodriguez)

For immediate release:

BREAKING NEWS: Bay Area Residents Protest Killing Wild Horses near Reno

Barbie Hardrock stands up for American mustangs from Europe

OAKLAND, Ca. (January 4, 2013)–Protect Mustangs, the Bay Area-based wild horse preservation group is organizing a peaceful protest during rush hour tonight outside the Rockridge BART Station (College Ave. in Oakland) from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Members of the public of all ages are gathering to show they want the cruelty & slaughter of indigenous wild horses to stop now. The preservation group recently learned of Nevada’s interest in opening a horse slaughterhouse to kill wild horses on tribal land near Reno. Many protests are being held in conjunction with the Carson City Protest, organized by the Wild Horse Preservation League, where the protestors are marching at midday to deliver Governor Sandoval letters from around the world asking him to stop the cruelty and let the advocates help the horses find homes or sanctuary.

“We stand together to demand a STOP to the crimes against America’s indigenous wild horses,” explains Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs. “We enjoy photographing the very horses they want to slaughter when we go to Reno/Tahoe. These horses are on the edge of Reno. Did you know horses evolved in America and wild horses are a reintroduced native species?”

“We have been working with The Hidden Valley Wild Horse Protection Fund and other groups to bring awareness to the crisis,” continues Novak. “The public around the world is outraged. Some people even refuse to travel to Nevada because of this. Citizens have requested Governor Sandoval stop trapping native wild horses and selling them off at auctions–where kill-buyers go to pick up horses. He has done nothing–only turned a deaf ear.”

Other protests are being held such as the primary one in Carson City, one in Mill Valley tonight at The Depot Plaza sponsored by Wild horse Protection Act as well as protests held in Phoenix, on the East Coast, Europe and elsewhere.

“We are sharing out posts of people protesting today from around the world. Our first photo came in from Barbie Hardrock’s band, Roquette, in Europe,” says Kerry Becklund, director of outreach for Protect Mustangs. “Join the movement to protect wild horses on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs.”

“American mustangs are so beautiful to watch living in freedom but now they are hard to find because there aren’t many left,” explains Hardrock who enjoys visiting the American West to take photos of wild horses.

“Native wild horses create biodiversity and reverse desertification when managed using reserve design,” states Novak. “Roundups and removals are cruel–slaughtering them is a heinous idea. We want to make sure they are protected.”

# # #

Media Contacts:

Anne Novak, 415-531-8454, Anne@ProtectMustangs.org

Kerry Becklund, 510-502-1913, Kerry@ProtectMustangs.org

Contact us for photos, video and interviews

Links of Interest:

BREAKING: Shocking meeting minutes reveal Nevada wants to slaughter wild horses! Read them here: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=3405

News reporting: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/b4490271c8d34f06a683a62a375d2f2e/NV–Wild-Horse-Slaughter

Protect Mustangs in the news: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=218

America’s wild horses are native: http://protectmustangs.org/?page_id=562

Requests to Governor Sandoval: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=3189

Barbie Hardrock protest photo: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151389882539756&set=o.233633560029004&type=1&theater

Rocquette’s website: http://rocquette.com/

The law and the BLM roundups: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=3248

Mill Valley protest sponsored by Wild Horse Protection Act. Jan 4th 5:00-7:00 pm at the Depot Plaza. Info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/296738457113266/?suggestsessionid=5884581321357255870

Here are ways you can take action: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=454780331247658&set=a.240625045996522.58710.233633560029004&type=1&theater&notif_t=photo_commentMore information here: http://protectmustangs.org/?p=3343

Sponsored by Protect Mustangs www.ProtectMustangs.org where you can find a lot of information on the wild horse crisis.

Protect Mustangs is the California-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.

Barbie Hardrock joins Protect Mustangs' Oakland protest through the web (Photo © Rocquette)

Barbie Hardrock joins Protect Mustangs’ Oakland protest through the web (Photo © Rocquette)

 

Peaceful Protest to Protect America’s Iconic Wild Horses Jan 4th in Berkeley-Oakland

 

PM HV Girl with sign trap to slaughter

Join us for a peaceful protest Friday, Jan 4th outside the Rockridge BART Station during the evening rush hour from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (on College Avenue @ Oakland/Berkeley border) to show we all want the cruelty & slaughter of indigenous wild horses to stop now!

We stand with our fellow advocates in Nevada to demand a STOP to the crimes against America’s iconic wild horses! We stand with the American public who wants ALL wild horses protected (BLM & NDoA). Stop the roundups!

This is a family friendly protest. Bring signs and candles!

Let people know that they can have their peaceful protest wherever they are. One person and one sign is enough, more people and signs are great too! Take a pic and post it to our FB page we will share out! https://www.facebook.com/ProtectMustangs

 

Here is the event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/530479583642398/

Associated Press Reports: Nevada Horse Advocates Fear Slaughter http://www.sfgate.com/nation/article/Nevada-horse-advocates-fear-slaughter-4165757.php

 

 

Honor the Wild War Horse

 

Wild War Horse (Photo © Cynthia Smalley, all rights reserved.)

California is home to some wild horses blended with ancestors of WW1 cavalry remounts. These treasured herds are found east of the Sierra Mountains, between Susanville and the Nevada border.

“We want to see horses treated humanely–they have carried us in battle and helped us plow the fields–just like in the movie WAR HORSE,” explains Anne Novak, Executive Director of California-based Protect Mustangs. “American wild horses deserve humane treatment. BLM needs to revamp their protocol to ensure the horses’ safety as well as create transparency within the Wild Horse and Burro Program. Right now too many bad things are funded with taxpayer dollars.”

Protect Mustangs’ 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.