Channel 8 – CBS Las Vegas Nevada
VIEW the Full Program HERE, (5 Segments)
On Saturday the I-Team aired a primetime special detailing the long history of alleged mismanagement in the BLM’s wild horse and burro program.
Half of the country’s wild horses are in Nevada and the BLM is gathering them off of public land in record numbers with increasingly thin justifications behind the roundups.
Critics allege the BLM has repeatedly engineered or otherwise contributed to the conditions on public ranges, which are later used to justify the removal of horses. Fences have cut the horses off from water and forage all over the west, which BLM then uses as a reason to round them up.
Overall, BLM has gathered a quarter of a million horses off the public range, but what’s happening now is different from previous years, both in scale and long-term intent, and it is happening with virtually no oversight.
“They are saying, ‘Okay, we will do what we want.’ They just totally caved in. What the public doesn’t already realize is that these greatly reduced herd management areas are already a very serious reduction. But now they’re just going for broke. They are saying, ‘Hell, get rid of them,'” said Craig Downer.
“We have taken the number of horses off the range by over 50-percent in 20 
years. For these people to say the horses are out of control, the numbers are out of control, there isn’t anything out there that’s realized a 50-percent decrease in the last two decades. Certainly not the number of cattle out there,” said Jerry Reynoldson.
By almost any measure, there has been a dramatic shift. The pace of the government roundups has jumped over the last several years, averaging more than 9,000 head per year. As of early 2009, there are more than 33,000 horses in places like Ridgecrest, California or Fallon, Nevada — more horses than exist on the open range.
Once they get to government corrals, they’re no longer wild horses. Essentially they become wards of the state — welfare horses living off the public dole and for the rest of their lives, they will be warehoused at either government pens or private ranches.
Chief Investigative Reporter George Knapp will explore how the wild horse program got in such bad shape and what can be done to turn it around, including a plan by billionaire philanthropist Madeleine Pickens that would create an eco-tourism destination featuring the horses.
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
This was so well-done–said so many things that needed to be said in terms of the lies and manipulations of the BLM. It was hard to watch at times, but this needs to be in the email box of every elected and appointed official. He left few stones unturned, and portrayed the BLM and DOI as it should be.
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I’m in the process of downloading the first segment now. I’m SO glad they broke it in to segments! Our ISP has a limit on how much we can download per 30 days – and it’s not all that much. Trying to download an hour video would certainly put us over the limit. I was trying to figure out how I was going to get it all.
It may take a while, but I will get all 5 segments ASAP.
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I agree with you Mustang Jack, Where are they, Where were we. I am just as guilty, I was in Nevada and properly saw the last of the Red Rock horses, I saw signs for help wanted for wild horse round ups, didn’t question it, just figured they are moving them away from high populated areas. Oh they moved them alright, and butchered them. There is no doubt in my mind that they are almost all gone. I didn’t know about horse slaughter until a friend emailed and told me how sick she was over feedlots and pmu horses. I didn’t know what she was talking about, did some investigation and was floored. After seeing what has happened to the domesticated, I started looking at the wild. Cheap source of horse meat, with no questions asked. I am heart broken, like so many of you are. I watched George’s video, cryed my eyes out, calmed down enough to get a good look at the horses in holding. There is not no more that a few hundred in any of them. Our president walking with his daughter, did he tell her , oh look sweet heart these are wild horses that the blm captured and ruined there lives. Take a good look, they are almost gone and we did nothing about it. I am going to Washington next week and I am going to plead for a count and to stop the round ups. If Salazar gets his way and moves those horses, they will be gone, Our wild horses will be a memory. That’s when I throw in the towel. I never thought I’d say that, but I will be done with United States of America for letting greed come before the innocents God gave us.
Lin
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So far this is the best and most piercing report on television. My hat is off to George and crew for this necessary work. mar
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Barbara Ellen Ries
Hi, all. I contacted KLAS-TV to find out what their policy is on other stations airing Knapp’s report. They have reciprocal agreements with all CBS affiliates. All other networks can call KLAS-TV to get information on running the program.
We should all start calling our local stations to air the report. The more calls, the better chance we have of getting this much needed information out to the public. I’m sure you all agree that the I-Team report, The Stampede to Oblivion, was outstanding. It was factual and the most informative media segment we’ve seen on what is really going on behind the extinction of our wild horses and burros.
In addition, the person I spoke to said that CNN has aired some of their reports so that is another media we should also include in our calls. I would also include WGN (Chicago-773.528.2311). They broadcast on cable throughout the country.
If the stations want to contact the KLAS-TV newsroom, the number is 702.792.8870.
Please cross post this far and wide and ask everyone to start calling their local stations!
Thanks.
KLAS-TV
George Knapp
cc. gn
John Holland & Vicki Tobin
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Oh god. I’m in shock. Just turned TV on and saw stabbing of a horse to death. I am furious and so sad. Can’t watch it any more .. just can’t. I want to educate myself and learn more, just not sure my heart can take it. Thank you for enlightening us.
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