Press Release from Laura Leigh through The Equine Welfare Alliance
Equine Advocate Drops Law Suit
CHICAGO, (EWA) – Laura Leigh, artist, wild horse advocate and Subject Matter Expert for the Equine Welfare Alliance, in a gesture of support for the concept of cooperative dialogue dropped her lawsuit against Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) last week.
“Conversations with both Gene Seidlitz of the BLM’s Winnemucca district and Paul Steblein of Sheldon NWR lead me to the decision to show my support for the type of dialogue possible here and drop my legal action. I do however expect to have continued contact with both of these individuals as this process moves from theory to reality.”
Leigh’s attorney, Gordan Cowan of Reno Nevada said, “This was a ‘feel good,’ heartfelt issue that made me proud to have followed it through on a pro bono basis.”
The Bureau of Land Management‘s (BLM) California, Oregon and Nevada District Offices along with U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) are in the planning stages of creating a two million acre management complex for wild horses in Southeast Oregon, Northeast California, Northwest Nevada and the Sheldon NWR located in Northeast Nevada and Oregon.
“In general I am very happy about this,” said Paul Steblein, Complex Manager Sheldon-Hart Mountain NWR, “this is an opportunity to create constructive ways to manage horses across the landscape.”
The 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act mandated the protection of these animals as a national heritage species.
The act states in part: “It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.”
Currently USFWS land, although under the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior as is BLM, is not mandated by the regulations in the 1971 act.
“The advocates have a lot to offer this process,” Leigh stated “often there are accusations that advocates want to see horses ‘just run free and destroy the range’ that’s not the case. Advocates actually offer a viable management strategy.”
Steblein stated, “This is a time where we stop pointing fingers and figure out how to solve this.”
Leigh said she couldn’t agree more.
The Equine Welfare Alliance is a dues free, umbrella organization with over 100 member organizations and hundreds of individuals worldwide. The organization focuses its efforts on the welfare of all equines and the preservation of wild equids.
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
“Our Sheldon Horses” is an essay by Laura Leigh that brought me to my senses After the Cloud roundup last fall. I had heard about Challis, Idaho and 17 dead horses. Then came Pryor Mountain and all we could do was hold our breath. They all lived and the ones taken away were all adopted or bought. But not every roundup goes that way. I read Laura’s essay then and began to hear of the harshness other horses faced in Nevada. I still had no idea what to expect at Calico and Fallon but I had no more illusions. No roundup is the same. They change our lives because we want so much to prevent the kind of harm and devastation that has been happening for too long. Change and protection, preservation and good humane management for wild horses; this is what we want. mar
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I am all for open and honest discussion about our horses and the ways to keep them wild, safe and free.
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Laura, I have been very critical of BLM. My hope is for your efforts to turn that around for, obviosly the welfare of the horses, but also for my own peace of mind and that of all advocates. I support you all the way. This is a great start to turn things around. Thank you for all you do and congratulations to the BLM and US Fish and Wildlife Service and Steblein for opening this door to progress and cooperation.
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Laura, this was a very bold and trusting move on your part. Cross fingers it will all work out. My question – how long will it take to scope 2 million acres, and how many wild ones will be left by then?
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If we can get Fallon horses released, atleast some of them, on those millions of acres I will be thrilled. However, the question remains how many horses will these men allow on those 2 million acres and for how long. Will they decide in a few years those 2 million acres now needs to just be 1 million acres? You have to excuse my skepticism, but BLM talk has proven to be very cheap. I applaud your trust and interest in forging a new path, I just hope you keep that lawyer on speed dial just in case.
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Clearly stated on your part, Laura…Trust is earned and to date, that has not happened.
But you have taken the first step, heaven help them if they violate your attempt at cooperation.
Hug back at ya!!
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I totally agree, Laura. Like R.T. said – trust has to be earned, but that does works both ways. Don’t get me wrong, I blame the BLM for the way they have been stonewalling all these years. Still, we as advocates must be willing to, as they used to say, “Give peace a chance.”
We can’t drop our guard, as you said, but the dialog HAS to start somewhere or our horses will surly pay the price.
Perhaps the BLM’s perception of us really IS that we will brook NO compromise, that we want the horses free of all management. It seems to be a widespread impression, and not just the BLM.
The BLM HAS twisted our requests though. We ask for a moratorium on roundups, and they talk it up like we were fighting for NO management at all. I remember how frustrated and angry that spin made me.
But, if the BLM has realized that they are between a rock and a hard place, maybe they finally ARE ready to deal honestly with us.
I certainly hope so, because if they double cross us on this one – well… They may actually NEED those armed guards at their door.
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Laura, while I’m glad that there is an ‘opportunity’ for open communications I don’t feel you did the right thing by dropping the lawsuit. I’m sorry if you get mad at me after this post, because I really do appreciate all that you do, but I think you and your lawyer fell for this one hook, line and sinker!
After trying to help some of the other adovacates clean up the mess of hog tied less than 1 month old foals left on the desert to die of heat stroke or preditors ripping their fragile bodies apart, horses with broken bones etc. I find this really unacceptable. When, where and how do these jerks become accountable?
I am grieved to know how many times these specific individuals have lied, broken promises and done what they want inspite of what is right and even legal? All they have to do is make promises on a (fictional) faciltiy that isn’t even approved yet?
Suzanne, they WILL double cross us. Sheldon was supposed to be a wild horse refuge from the get go, not a place for hunters of antelope, deer and goats. It was originally established as a WILD HORSE refuge in the mid 80’s. I was one of the people back then writing letters of support, attending meetings to move them there…
Horses from Lahontan HMA and also V.C. range were rounded up and sent there as starter herds. What happened to their protection? Larry Johnston (who is on the WH advisory board) and also President of NV Big Horn Sheep and on the Safari Club International, and his hunting buddies got to dept of AG and FWS and suddenly it was a refuge for deer, sheep and antelope they could hunt freely on and there were “too many horses”. The round up 4 years ago at Sheldon, conducted by the infamous Cattoor bunch, horses died horrible devistations.
One has to keep in mind that when the dept of AG, FWS or any other entenity besides BLM does a round up, they DO NOT HAVE TO FOLLOW BLM GUIDE LINES AND PROTOCOL for wild horse round up!
I’m thinking that these jokers want to get a hold of OUR wild horses for that reason. They don’t have to have approval of congress, they don’t have to follow wild horse/burro gather guidelines set up by BLM,and Sheldon is a mere 800 miles from the Canadian border.
If many of you think that Calico was bad, you missed out on Sheldon which was far more extreme considering the small numbers. I suggest you read this to see what happened. If you have questions, ask, I’ll be glad to tell you what I know.
Reno News and Review…Horse Traitors is about the Sheldon fiasco complete with photos. If you can’t click, make sure you copy and paste. While it’s not exactly a favorable article to wild horses due to the slanting of the article by Paul Steblen, you guys know enough to read between the lines. The photos are worth their weight.
http://www.newsreview.com/reno/content?oid=70607
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Guess the Fallon horses 4 yrs and younger started to get gelded today. Weren’t they told to put this on hold until the judge’s ruling? Trustworthy, my donkey.
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Has the BlM given any indication as to which wild ones will populate this MegaComplex? Horses already in the area? Relocations from other HMAs so they can decrease wild horse AMLs and allow for more human activities? Horses in holding?
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Can there be honest dialogue without trust? Guess we’ll find out.
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sorry the BLM has so much bad baggage and they have gotten away with so much over the past years,there is no trust.
To the core of their ‘management’ there are flaws that are not open for weeks,months,years of more ‘debate’.
The use of helicopters or any aircraft to round-up horses, must stop. The older mustangs must be managed in their range,darting must be used to give birth control and vaccines, the adoptable mustangs must be gathered/feed baited in a calm manner.
Surely the most adoptable mustangs will be the youngsters most attracted to bait areas and let them see humans around and choose to go to them. These mustangs who will be attracted will make the best companions to man.
At this time in a mustangs wild life, only the most savy fearfull of humans, run and hide, jump the barriers, run through wire mustangs are the range survivors.
Overrunning horses to the point of road founder and dehydration, terrorizing them with plastic bags, shockings, trailer rides, squeeze shutes to power tool hooves and geld while they are aware…. think mustangs ever forget this kind of start?
BLM has to change from the very core of their management. They have to stop treating mustangs like some less than the respect given beef cattle horse,eat on the hoof.
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Laura – THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR KEEPING A WATCHFUL EYE ON THIS AND HELPING TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER. Nothing scares or hurts me more than the mistreatment of America’s Mustangs — except the legalization of horse slaughter in this Country.
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Laura, I still agree with you about dropping the lawsuit and at least giving this idea a chance. Still, it DOES infuriate me that they are going ahead and gelding the “colts” – NOT stallions – before the IDA lawsuit is settled. This may be okay in the “letter,” but it certainly isn’t in the “spirit.” Oh well.
I’m still hoping this works out.
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If anyone attended this meeting can you get news back as to what was said? mar
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If dropping the suit improves dialogue that in turn improves the reasonable longevity of these equines…fine. If it doesn’t, then many of us will have been validated (once again) regarding our suspicion and distrust of Federal and State management entities.
Also, from a logic and legal perspective I have a problem with these statements:
“The 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act mandated the protection of these animals as a national heritage species.
The act states in part: “It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.”
Currently USFWS land, although under the jurisdiction of the Department of Interior as is BLM, is not mandated by the regulations in the 1971 act.”
First, these are by their very biologic and genectic nature a “migratory” species. That any management entity can extrapolate from the Act that if they weren’t found specifically on the land when then Act was made law is basically semantic BS. Removing them because they are not on that 16 digit grid coordinate is disingenous at best and a definitive attempt to manage outside the spirit of the Act.
Secondly, we still have the problems of the so-called science that any management entity chooses to utilize without reasonable public/advocate input, no resolution mechanism when disagreements exist, lack of transparency regarding contract requirements/award and advocate round-up evaluations. My point here is that if the interested parties (of which advocates are not officially recognized in any status other than “public/citizen input”) are contiually ignored, at odds with the managment intent (removal at all costs) and essentially can’t agree on the ground rules of the Act’s intention, the equines will never win.
Good luck Laura, but my DOI(BLM)/USDA/State competency and faith bank account is zero balance.
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Actually Denise, their account is overdrawn.
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That’s very funny. Unfortunately, the equines aren’t laughing. But thanks for the chuckle in all of this ugliness.
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Laura:
I understand what the thrust of the “long term holding” issue is with regard to that specific lawsuit. I also understand that there are several lawsuits in the environmental and advocate communities against several entities (BLM/DOI proper/FWS/Forestry/USDA/etc….which begs the question re: equines: Why so many different players with one ACT? Divide and conquer?)
My point? If the Act is to protect and realistically manage wild equines, then multiple entites at state and fed level managing same is, again an attempt to maintain the status quo and diminish the 1971 Act and the equines. It effectively diffuses any manageable oversight, continuity and essentially requires a myriad of proceedural gunk on the part of those displeased with any management efforts.
It’s costly, time consuming, confusing and doesn’t “manage” wild equines as evidenced by the multiple round-ups, deaths and HMA reductions.
The governments have found ways to play with the language of the ACT. But you said that already. I get it. But certainly the reduction of acreage, deaths, selling to slaughter, 3 strikes poop and multiple jurisdictions for these animals by it’s very results violates the intention and spirit of the Act.
For God Sake, if we can’t get scientific, validated population numbers from the get go, how can one manage effectively? How can one even ask an intelligent question at those farces called Advisory Board meetings????
The basic premise is big time BROKE.
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BTW, how many wild equine’s lawsuits have been won by advocate litigators/plaintiffs? Anyone keeping score? Last I heard it was the West Douglas Herd suit…but even that was just a delay and pending (?).
I would recommend to anyone considering suing the monolith called the US and State Governments to do a little homework. I’d start with reviewing the cases filed by the Western Watershed Project. Why do they seem to have so much success and we don’t? Not a criticism; a sincere question. Granted, WWP isn’t out there fighting for the wild equines, but they sure are tackling the same entities we are battling.
Sometimes I start to think that lawyers have a tendency to suffer from the infamous “not invented here” disease…sort of an ego thing. And unless you are on a personal Crusade, it’s hard to get the best of anyone for that litigation because by it’s nature, it doesn’t pay and actually costs you. Yeah, I know…never look a gift horse in the mouth.
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Seems like other lawsuits are targeting the use of the land within the ecosystem first.
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From Western Watersheds Project site: “At essence, WWP’s legal strategy is to “marry” law with science – proving to a court how an agency’s decisions (or failure to act) is harming the land and violating the law.”
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true15, I agree that “native” may not catch on enough to curb currently planned roundups. But I feel the failure we are now experiencing of the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burros Act and the failure of so many important legislative actions were not committed at the time, but committed by neglect and apathy afterward, which allowed legal gutting of the intent of the Act. I have come to learn late in life that no matter what we win today, next year, or 10, 200 years from now, they are all fleeting if we then think it’s a done deal. No, nothing is ever a done deal. Even our own constitution is not a done deal, we must be always vigilant. Every day is a new beginning for generations of wild horses and wild horse advocates.
Apologies for the “sermon” like response – I’ve been reading too much from CATO Institute perhaps!
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In my opinion, the suits would fail if they were based on or even mentioned wild equines. Protection of land, water, and wildlife (especially threatened, endangered) make for a winning strategy. Part of our job is making sure wild equines “get to come along for the ride”.
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The reason I say this is because of the “feral” vs. “native” status. If we could settle that in favor of “native”, everything would be turned on its head and government/commercial interests know it. I don’t see a change happening anytime soon, despite the scientific evidence.
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I agree. The battle between feral or native is a lost battle from the start. Land and its resources should be the targets, specially since in the Calico complex, all the natural springs will be dried out by Rudy and other developments.
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Linda, I do think “native” is chatching on. From my first visits to Wikepedia for example it has changed to include an opening for native. I predict that will gain even more strength. We must keep hitting on that over and over. The ARE native. Everything else is semantics of course.
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Agreed, Roxy. I think that you will find that everytime I write about the wild ones it will be preceeded with “native”.
The other issue that we need to continually get in front of the public’s eyes is the fact that the horses are “good” for the ecology of the range, they give back. Craig Downer has some great discussion on this point, I will be adding more information in the near future.
Be safe
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A very important issue. Looking forward to read the articles.
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Over the past month, our local paper has published several articles that indicate the DOI is exploring reductions/restructuring of energy development and other human incursions on our public lands. Many were authorized/expanded under the Cheney/Bush administration. I just hope the DOI/Congress/states take action, and this doesn’t turn out to be another “paper tiger”.
I agree, the timing is right for dialogue on rebalancing multiple uses on public lands. If the government goes back to a “drill, baby, drill” mentality, much of our “National Heritage” – both lands and species – may be lost forever.
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Hi Linda, Does your local paper publish these articles on line perhaps. I would be very interested in reading them. This is certainly good news all the way around, if, as you say it does not turn into a paper tiger.
I recall all the hoopla about Obamas Omnibus protection of public lands as being the biggest protections ever. But when you start with the worst ever is being the biggest improvement really that great – I mean, measured against what? There were already numerous reductions over the last at least 20 years of administrations prior to Cheney/Bush – just little bits chipped away, then Cheney/Bush put in big reductions.
FYI – Anyone new must see “Bush, Oil and Mustangs” and Robert Redfords “Public Lands” You Tubes.
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Did you mean “Forever Wild” hosted by Redford? I only found the trailer on youtube.
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Hi true15, I used to query Robert Redford BLM (not Public Lands). It seems to be gone. I will look for Forever Wild though – sounds interesting.
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Laura, I agree. There has been little reporting by anyone on ROAM. And that is where the door is to open for a “National Heritage” species in my opinion.
And along those lines, what is the news of the committee that Craig Downer and Madeliene Pickins were appointed to? I have not found any reports on that.
I and a few others were also very active in the DOI Ideas pages. I wonder what has happened to that? I did write to them that I would be very disappointed were that to end up a futile waste of energy.
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Roxy, “native” is catching on. But may be not fast enough to stop the round ups.
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ONDA, Oregon Natural Desert Association has had some good successes too–esp they had cattle removed from a riparian area. http://onda.org/
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Hallelujia!!! (sorry about the spelling; to continue….) Amen! You got it! And WWP does too.
We have to start suing with the same strategy because they use EPA, NEPA regs. We have the same approach, but seem to be lacking in some form (and yes, Craig does a great job)…but we need more.
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Thought some folks might like to read the full text of the President’s remarks at the April 16th America’s Great Outdoors Conference:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-americas-great-outdoors-conference
It seems to extend an invitation for public comment and participation. Draw your own conclusions.
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Linda, thanks for this.
Poor guy – he is truly Clueless. I would feel sorry for him if the potential outcomes were not so tragic.
Important reading for everyone, though I admit so far I have only glanced through – will give it more time later perhaps – it is hard to get past all the praises for Salazar. If Roosevelt were such hero then Obama would go out into the wilderness himself wouldn’t he? I’ve already been out there – he seems to me a purley city guy. But he can’t understand unless he acutally experiences “it” – does not have to be a lot or all encompanssing, but more than a day trip or picnic that he mentions for sure. Though he makes a joke of this, perhaps he should hunt and shoot a bear or dear then eat it, at least catch a fish or two, and find out what that is like, and hopefully come away with the respect that wilderness, wildlife and all that offers really deserves.
Hopefully he will do better on these promises than healthcare turned out. But I cannot find fault with one of his conclusions – we are an energy glutenous bunch whose numbers are growing outragiously. So what do do about that? I think I know and will stay in this battle too. But who knows for sure?
So will there be another DOI Ideas page for energy for us all to comment on I wonder? I hope so, and maybe we missed that opportunity with the transparency one already, I know I focused just on wild horses, wish I had expanded that now. It is all intertwined isn’t it?
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