Archive for February 18, 2011

Wild Horse Groups Win Another Round and Vow to Preserve Targeted West Douglas Herd

Posted: February 18, 2011 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
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Press Release from HfH Advisory Council

Groups Warn that BLM Withdrawal of EA for Roundup Doesn’t Ensure Agency Won’t Try Again

HOUSTON  (HfHAC) – The Bureau of Land Management has officially withdrawn its 2011 plans to decimate the West Douglas Wild Horse herd, a small, isolated herd of wild horses in northwestern Colorado.  Plaintiffs in two lawsuits challenging the BLM’s long-held efforts are claiming a victory, but are concerned BLM will issue another decision to eliminate the herd in the future.  Therefore, plaintiffs have vowed to continue their work in the courts and through public campaigns to prevent BLM’s long-held plans to destroy this herd.

The battle over the West Douglas herd is nearly two decades old, and only through the efforts of concerned citizens and organizations have the horses been saved from the BLM’s desire to remove them all from their homelands.  “The BLM has long known their management practices put them on shaky legal grounds, and they are worried they will be prevented from zeroing out this herd, as they have done to so many others throughout the West,” stated Barbara Flores of the Colorado Wild Horse and Burro Coalition. “It appears they are trying to find legal grounds for eradicating this herd through a temporary retreat and regrouping.”

In 2009, the individuals and organizations won the first case in the United States against BLM’s practices of eliminating wild horse herds when Judge Rosemary Collyer set aside BLM’s 2008 roundup plans.  When BLM announced in 2010 that it was going to try again, Habitat for Horses Advisory Council, Inc. joined the efforts.  R.T. Fitch of HFH Advisory Council explained, “BLM’s path of destroying wild horse herds has got to be stopped.  We have supported the recent litigation with extensive resources, and we do not intend to back down.”  Another suit was filed in 2010, and a motion to hold BLM in contempt of Judge Collyer’s order was filed.

“Experts have predicted that wild horses and burros will go extinct in eleven years if BLM continues with its present course of roundups and removals,” advised Ginger Kathrens, Voluntary Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation.

For now, the groups remain vigilant.  They have presented suggestions for just how to accomplish this by a range science expert and professor, but BLM has so far refused to implement them.  “BLM’s promise to take a comprehensive look at wild horse management in the White River Resource Area is just window-dressing unless BLM agrees to find ways to maintain the horses among other multiple uses,” explained Hilary Wood of Front Range Equine Rescue, a plaintiff in suits against BLM since 2006.

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Action Alert: Wild Horse Advocates to Rally at BLM Meeting

Posted: February 18, 2011 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
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Update from the HfH Advisory Council

Advocates to Voice Concerns Over BLM Cruelty

Ginger Kathrens, Rob Plisken and Terry Fitch during "March for Mustangs" D.C. in March of 2010 ~ photo courtesy of Cloud Foundation

Houston (SFTHH) – The Obama Administration’s Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will be holding a meeting in Phoenix, AZ March 10-11 2011 allegedly to discuss their failed Wild Horse and Burro strategy.  This is the perfect opportunity for the Wild Horse Advocacy Movement to not only be heard but to be a physical presence in representation of the rapidly disappearing great American Wild Horse.

HfH Advisory Council is joining the Cloud Foundation in a calling to arms across the nation for wild horse advocates to rally at this meeting either in person or electronically.  Volunteer Director of the Cloud Foundation Ginger Kathrens will be present as will be wild horse advocates R.T. and Terry Fitch from the HfH Advisory Council and many others.  Collectively they ask you to stay tuned for further information and announcements but ensure that the dates of March 10th and 11th are circled on your calendar as this is our opportunity to speak out, for the horses, against the deadly and unnecessary BLM stampedes that have devastated the long standing native wild horse herds across the U.S. west.

Our main and simple message is to call for a moratorium on the roundups until science and verified data can be applied in an effort to tell us how many horses remain in the wild and exactly how many are held in holding.  We need to put the brakes on this reckless and bloody horse harvesting machine before there are no longer any viable herds remaining on our public lands.

The meeting itself will be held at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel at 340 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004.  Currently the staff of the Cloud Foundation is looking into potential options for advocate accommodations.

Public comments will be heard on the morning of Friday the 11th with registration commencing at 8:30 AM.  A printed text of the comment to be made must be submitted at that time.

If you are unable to attend the meeting, the BLM is accepting electronic comments through their website here. You can find a sample form on the Cloud Foundation website.  Likewise recommended talking points are also made available to assist you in filling out your form.

For additional information on the meeting specifics you can visit the BLM website by clicking (HERE)

Updates to Follow!

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Honey Bandit Wild Horse Story Makes a Difference in D.C.

Posted: February 18, 2011 by R.T. Fitch in Horse News
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Update from Honey Bandit and the Gang

Obama’s BLM Loses Millions Over Cruel Stampedes

The D.C. Patrol

We have great news here in Washington DC.  The U.S. House has approved an amendment on a voice vote that would cut $2 million dollars from the BLM.  According to Indiana Republican Dan Burton, his amendment is to send a signal to BLM that the American public wants more humane treatment for the Mustangs across the West.  This means that the additional $12 million dollars that have been requested would not be available to aid with the roundups.  So that is a whopping $14 million dollar savings.

According to Virginia Democrat, Jim Moran, the law that was passed 40 years ago was to protect the wild horses and today there are more than 40,000 in holding pens and and only 30,000 in the wild.  Advocates believe that there are even less than that still running free.

This is wonderful news for wild horses that are still free.  We still have a long way to go, but this was a huge step in the right direction.  In other news, BLM is working with the University of California Davis on a long term (possibly 7 year) contraceptive.  The University of Colorado is in competition with UC Davis to come up with the best formula for this birth control.  Just think, if we can stop the roundups for a time until the proper studies are done, and the birth control is successful, the way we manage our wild horses could be changed forever.

There wouldn’t be a need for round-ups if the reproduction was controlled.  Of course this would be based on accurate and independent studies having verified the true number of wild horses left in the wild.  But this was a good trip, and a very successful one.  We came to defund the round-ups, and as of today, we are half way there with the House having approved the defunding.

So write to your representatives, and let’s keep this ball rolling.   PTL that Honey Bandit’s plight did not go unnoticed.  Thank you for all your support.  It takes all of us and we need to keep up the momentum.  Videos of the actual roundups simply are what they are.  There is nothing but the truth, and it sends a very clear message.  You be the judge.  The video is on youtube and it was made by Ginger Kathrens for congress to encourage them to defund the round-ups.

Thank you for your help and continued support.  I cannot wait to wrap my arms around Honey Bandit’s neck when I get home tomorrow.  It has been hard being away from him, but my hubby was there to get him “unstuck” and watch over him and the rest of the family.  We still need your support and thank you with all our heart.  God Bless.

Honey Bandit & the Gang
palomino.honeybandit@gmail.com
530 339 1458

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