By John Holland and Valerie James-Patton
“Pure propaganda” was Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spokesperson Tom Gorey’s reaction in a recent AP interview when asked about the growing accusations that his agency is in the process of virtually exterminating the very herds of wild horses and burros that it is supposed to protect.
However, Gorey’s denial of the BLM’s intentions rings false in the light of recently uncovered documents from the BLM itself and of its own published plans and estimates. It is not possible to interpret these in any way other than a plan to virtually eradicate the wild herds.
Two internal-use BLM reports were obtained earlier this year through the Freedom of Information Act; Alternative Management Options Plans from October 2008 and the Team Conference Calls Report from July – September 2008. In these documents, BLM members presented, analyzed and discussed several management plans aimed at reducing the population of the wild horses on the range as well as those in holding facilities.
Proposals for reducing the populations included adjusting herd sex ratios with some of the horses returned being gelded, and an increased use of the contraceptive PZP, the use of other unauthorized fertility drugs called Gonacon and SpayVac and even surgical sterilization of mares (a process that has resulted in 10% mortality).
Also found in the Team Conference Calls report were these notes submitted by Don Glenn:
“Sally had an e-mail from a person in Canada who wants 10,000 horses that he would slaughter the horses and send them to a third world country. Don is going to send the email. Jim said he has a demand for horses going to Denmark, but they are having a problem getting titled horses.”
Adding further to the plan for sending wild horses to foreign countries, the following recommendations were submitted to BLM from BLM’s advisory board members at the June 15th, 2009, Advisory Board Meeting held in Sacramento, Ca:
“that BLM advertise and market sale eligible animals (with the intent clause) in foreign countries with known good homes by offering “select sales” for sale eligible animals 11 years of age and over, and for younger animals that have been offered for adoption three times during a 90 day period and that BLM continue to explore opportunities to foster foreign aid by providing sale eligible animals (with the intent clause) to foreign countries for agricultural (nonfood) use.”
The BLM’s response to these recommendations was that it is considering these plans as part of a 5 year strategy plan.
Clearly, the BLM has already been corresponding with foreign countries to market the wild horses with the intent to send the horses to slaughter. The board recommendation that the sales include the “intent clause” was clearly a fig leaf. The BLM is well aware that it would be impossible to enforce the intent clause in foreign countries.
But if that were not an obvious enough fig leaf, then the reference to “countries with known good homes” is a laughable one. It comes as no surprise that the notes from Don Glenn, who is also a member of the advisory board, were not mentioned at the advisory board meeting.
While Tom Gorey may continue to claim that it’s pure propaganda that the BLM is in the process of eliminating the wild horses, the notes regarding the slaughter of our wild horses in foreign countries, combined with the advisory board recommendation to sell the horses to foreign countries proves otherwise.
The BLM’s plan is now clear. They will first ignore the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act and gather virtually all the wild herds, working year-round until only a few small, sterile bands remain free. If delayed in one place, they will simply shift their schedule and gather at another as they did with Buckhorn when Calico was delayed.
The cost of feeding these captured horses, along with the 37,000 already in holding, will then precipitate an enormous financial crisis. This will leave the BLM with no option but to euthanize or ship to slaughter most of the horses in holding.
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Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Having proof of intent to slaughter is very important. We all know it is there. BLM has no business in wild horse and burro management. We have good people and the ability to transform this destructive movement into a proud national display of our wild horse and burro heritage. BLM wants to deny America’s right to enjoy and create a system that celebrates our wild ones and transcends the history of abuse, greed and denied rights these animals have suffered through despite laws to protect them. BLM cannot have the their way any longer, we, the advocates, will not let them. mar
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Mar, so right on!
RE: the FOIA papers. Wow, Cattor even warned this BLM team against capturing every 2 years, “that they would become harder to capture, so the cost could go up to %1000 to $1200 per head.”
They even ask how can Nevada justify zeroing out a herd!
Even indicate the potential illegality of housing horses outside of where they were in 1971!
Don Glenn is the one really pushing euthanasia in the August 12, 2008 call! Henri opposed. Don Glenn even sending the team an e-mail about 10,000 could be slaughtered and sent to 3rd world coutries. He just goes on and on!
They even acknowledge possible social structure damage by messing with sex ratios and removing older horses, etc.
Reading these particular team reports is very telling – not sure what just yet, need to digest for a while. It almost sounds like the early discussions are against the proposals.
Sept 9, 2008 Bob Cribley wants info for Henri for “advocacy group meeting” on October 11th. Is there an “advocay group meeting”? If he is talking about the advisory board meetings, they made a clear public statement that they cannot talk directly to the public at the meeting – how the ____ is that an advocacy group meeting? Or, if there is a separate “advocay group meeting”, who are the “advocates” and what are they “advocating”, and why haven’t any of us heard about that? Maybe this team was misled about what the advisory board meetings are about?
Anyone know this info – Who developed the outline of options? Did this team develop it or was it provided to them, and if provided to them, by who? Maybe those answers are there and I just didn’t pick up on them. Will have to read a couple of more times. And who are these team members – what are thier allegances, backgounds, expertese? Did the team have a charter or any ground rules to be unbiased, etc.
7 meetings total? Then only a “DRAFT?” No final report?
I would suggest psychological support for these people, not just for anyone involved in euthanazia!
This whole thing is bizare to me. D____d BLM, just STOP!
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Hi Roxy,
After reading the reports several times over, I finally understood what a lot of this is about.
The team members were mostly BLM employees, and the team conference calls was the preliminary researching and analyzing of different herd management options. The final submitted report is included above in the hyperlink under Herd Management Option Plans. The second section of that report under The General Summary, is the most detailed and revealing.
The reason BLM wants to destroy herd structure is to remove the wild horse status from the horses in order to convert cattle grazing permits for wild horse use on public lands. It’s illegal for them to use cattle grazing permits for wild horses, so by removing the “wild-free roaming” status, the BLM attorneys feel they can convert the grazing permits for wild horses on public lands in places where the
horses were not found to exist in 1971, and these herds would be non-reproducing.
I’m pasting below information found in the report and how BLM concluded they could place the horses in long term holding, “Salazar’s preserves”:
Current regulations state that “Wild horses and burros shall be managed as self-sustaining populations of healthy animals in balance with other uses and the productive capacity of their habitat. Management activities affecting wild horses and burros shall be undertaken with the goal of maintaining free-roaming behavior.”
BLM attorneys concluded that “One could argue that a non-reproductive herd is not self-sustaining. By managing for sterile animals we may be taking away their “free-roaming” behavior by altering the social interactions.”
Under the 1971 WFRHBA, BLM is not authorized to relocate wild free-roaming horses and burros to areas of the public lands where they do not exist.
However, BLM attorneys sited that “BLM is not prohibited from moving excess wild horses to Long Term Holding areas on public lands because no case law implies such a prohibition.”
All current long term holding facilities are on private lands, not public lands, and because no long term holding facility has ever been on public lands, BLM has decided there is nothing prohibiting this.
Besides destroying herd structure, the other main goal is to reduce the population down so low, that the remaining herds that are non-viable. Eventually the wild horses will just die out.
This is truly an evil plan.
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Roxy,
I should have added that most of the information pertaining to what I just wrote about, is under the “Buyout of Permits” in both the reports.
I also should have explained that BLM wants individuals (Madeleine Pickens) and humane groups to buyout the grazing permits, and pay for the “preserves” or long term facilities on public lands. You’ll find places in the report where BLM admits they are having trouble finding pastures for these preserves, and they might end up having the humane groups pay for “feedlots”.
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Valerie, Thank you, it helps to have other eyes interpret. I’ll read the “buyout sections” again. Yes, I did get most of that after a few readings. ESPECIALLY THE “EVIL” INTENT!
Hopefully our judge this week will see that this is a shell game they are playing and he won’t want to go down in history as having been dupped by them.
We must push on, we must be successful against this insane culture!
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You’e welcome!
Laura Allen from the Animal Law Coalition just posted an article about the reports.
There’s a lot of information, and she summarized it well.
Here’s a link to the article:
http://www.animallawcoalition.com/horse-slaughter/article/1120
Yes, all eyes and ears are waiting for the judge’s decision. The IDA attorneys have great information and arguments, and hopefully the horses have a chance this time.
Merry Christmas to everyone!!
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Valerie, Thank you so much for this and all your work. Merry Christmas, Love and Peace, Mar
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You’e welcome, Marilyn!
Merry Christmas to you as well!
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