(The News as We See It) ~ by R.T. Fitch
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has appointed a hunter, rancher and a horse trainer to the WHB Advisory Board. Equine advocates around the world had hoped that the BLM would live up to their staged promise of increased compassion and understanding but instead they have proven, once again, to wage all out war upon our native wild horses by staffing their advisory board with enemies to the horses versus knowledgeable advocates and horse people.
You would think, at the very least, the Humane Advocacy position would be filled with a founder or director of a respected equine rescue operation but instead it is a stable manager from the east coast with little or no experience with wild horses. The grave that the BLM continues to dig for America’s wild horses just continues to get deeper and deeper.
The rancher “has permits with the BLM in allotments that include wild horses” shows that there are no “personal” interests involved with this appointee and the hunter, that’s a no brainer…probably would like to add wild horses to the list of the hunted. What am I talking about, they are obviously already on it!
Below is the actual BLM release on the three “non-biased” appointees, may God give us strength:
H. Paul Durbin, the new Wildlife Management appointee, is a retired financial professional and member of the Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Society, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and the Arizona Elk Society. Mr. Durbin, who lives in Chandler, Arizona, is a lifelong hunter, angler, and outdoorsman who appreciates the legacy and importance of the public lands. Mr. Durbin’s interest lies in the quality management of public land resources. Mr. Durbin succeeds Larry Johnson of Black Eagle Consulting, Inc., who served until his position was filled.
Timothy J. Harvey, the new Humane Advocacy appointee, lives in Campton, New Hampshire, and is the owner of Merry-Go-Round Pens, LLC, and a lessee/operator of a 78-stall facility. A horse professional for more than 20 years, including extensive experience as a trainer, Mr.Harvey is also an established clinician and organizer for equine professional events. His specialties include hoof care and colt starting. He is an innovator and operator for a therapeutic riding program centered on fostering emotional well-being, primarily for abuse victims and people with anger management issues. Mr. Harvey succeeds Richard Sewing, who passed away last year.
Gary Zakotnik, the re-appointed member for the category of Livestock Management, is a rancher who lives in Eden, Wyoming. Mr. Zakotnik, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from the University of Wyoming, owns a cattle operation in western Wyoming and has permits with the BLM in allotments that include wild horses. He has on-the-ground experience working with BLM allotment management plans, forage allocation, and rangeland monitoring to protect the land’s resources.
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Absolutely mind-boggling, but so not unexpected. BLM continues in the great tradition of “speaking with forked tongues.” they have the sleight of hands politics down pat.
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Very impressive (hmmm) and very much conflict of interest. Can one member be a holdout for the wild herds? We will see. I am not holding my breathe for this one. We should at least welcome them with our objections. mar
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Gee–did they pick out the horse trainer because he works with “anger management”? Sure there is a lot to go around here–myself included!
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Great, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation CEO, David Allen came out with an editorial to several western papers about his feelings on the wild horses: To read his editorial just goggle: “Wild Horses: Only A Balance will Work”. Now we have someone who is a member of RMEF on the BLM board.
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PS, I have some inside information that Dave Allen for RMEF actually wrote that article as a favor to his friend, Ken Salazar.
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To appoint an advocate of Elk and Bighorn sheep (by advocate, I mean keep enough of them healthy enough to hunt) to the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory program instead of an advocate of wild horses and burros is mindboggling. Why is there no person on the advisory board who loves wild horses and burros? What a sham and a scam.
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I am not the least bit surprised. The battle for the wild horses can only be won in court or by getting them on private land. Working with the BLM is not now nor has it ever been an option! Keep up the pressure for removal of Salazar though. I do that EVERY chance I get. It might not help the wild horses since no doubt a new appointee with his mindset is waiting in the wings, but it would be a small victory!
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Keep up the pressure– write/call/email the White House 3 times a week.
Mr. Harvey could be “the way”. If he is managing a 78 horse facility in NH and “works well with people”, then he might listen to the wild horse advocates. (Horse keeping in New England is very different from “wild horse ranges” in the west– we don’t have any wild ones– most of our horses are stabled and coddled!)
Give it a try– many voices to a new ear. Certainly all the other ears have gone deaf.
Do any of these people (Salazar/Obama etc) actually see this on-line information from Craig Downer/RT Fitch/Elyse Gardner/Ginger K ?? Do they see/listen to our side of the issue? I’m tired of paying them to ignore us. How do we get that portion of our taxes refunded?
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Ann, that was my question. When I went with my heart, soul and mind to that place, the White House, I found a bunch of chickens with their heads cut off.
We are sold. Long time ago. I don’t think there is any hope. I’m sorry to say. Maybe we win in court, but a filibuster is no doubt in the works for our summer bills. And if they do pass, this process of targetting a certain angle or objective of our own is too easy for them to step around. At this point, the citizens of the US are expendable and ignorable, as those in power set their sights toward a place in a new regime.
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Mr Harvey is the way, he is already making changes. He is currently talking with a vet to pilot test a program that would use vasectomies instead of gathers, pzp, and castrations to control herd numbers. Vasectomies can be done in the field with minimal disruption, will not destroy existing herds and families, and won’t change stallion behavior. He hopes to be able to STOP gathers this way all together!!!!! Hey, it is worth a try! It sure sounds a lot better than what is happening now!
By the way, his appointment is a volunteer position. No pay. He is doing it because he wants to. It is his passion, not his job. And he is spending a lot of time at HMAs, holding facilities and is present on many gathers.
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vasectomies !!! yes, thank God someone sees a better way! I hope hes not pushed back with the old school blm methods of discruction.
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Hi Ann, I lost your other post – about the radio shows. Write to Christine at The Cloud Foundation and perhaps they will be able to find that particular radio spot about the sex ratios.
I need to get back to those radio spots myself and attempt to get caught up – I did not realize how many there were that I missed on Howling Ridge and elsewhere – but I think they arr all linked on TCF.
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SUE THEM FOR THIS SPECIFIC INGREGIOUS VIOLATION OF IMPARTIAL MANAGERS/MANAGEMENT RIGHT NOW!!!!!
SUE THE EVER LIVING BLOOD LUST, EXTERMINATOR CULTURE THAT HAS DISEASED THIS ORGANIZATION UNTIL THEY ARE PARALYZED!
SUE THEM EVERY WHICH WAY ‘TIL A MONTH OF SUNDAYS.
We need advocates to “pow-wow” on multiple suits on all insidious fronts: board make-up, round-up schedules, lack of science, death, adoption, slaughter/rendering rates, intent to subvert the spirit of the 1971 Act (Hell, I’d find a way to sue regarding the Burns Amendment) and a gross failure to manage populations with accurate counts certfiable by independent contractors that have no monetary interest in land, sport hunting, water, forestry, mining or development.
We need to get multiple plaintiffs, multiple action suits and fundraise. We also need to start making a public demonstration of nonviolent dissent at the Obama environ/wildlife abuse policies. ‘nuf said on a public forum…we need to start planning of PF and get the supporters going.
There are hardly any equines left for pity’s sake!
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Denise I agree with you 100% and am feeling the same frustration…as people seem to be focused on spaying and nuetering the wild horses…and this is a conversation headed in the the wrong direction…People are bringing their domesticated animal views and applying them to the wild horses…if this is your posistion you might as well support the salazoos..Stallions do NOT contribute to population explosions, they contribute to GENETIC DIVERSITY..many stallions is what stops the inbreeding..you don’t get more foals with more stallions..don’t geld any of the stallions, don’t give them vasectomies..this is a process for domesticated horses..they do this with wild horses so they can safely be adopted..wild horse stallions in the wild should be left untouched..Thats as insane as BLM policies.
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This is from the Wild Horse and Burro Program facebook page:
“The BLM Director recommends nominations and sends the names forward to the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture. The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture appoint the nominees. Decisions are based on the criteria listed in the note posted above.”
Why is the Department of Agriculture involved in choosing the WH&B Advisory Board? They have no jurisdiction over wild horses. What a complete sham this board is. Why don’t they just appoint all ranchers and do away with the pretense of this phony board?
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USDA has some involvement, most importantly the Federal Forestry Service.
I still say, SUE ‘EM TO DEATH; quickly, efficiently and competently. Break down the situation into small, digestable parts and start chipping away. The details must be kept private and amongst true supporters of our equines. Herd Watch is vital and I’ve been remiss in joining and will correct immediately. But they are the watchers and seers…we need cash to sue and some brilliant brains to frame the suits….maybe we could hire WWP? At aminimum a good lawsuit for our wild ones would read every piece of paper from them and craft a strategy.
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Agree 100%. The time for trying to work with them is over. It’s kind of like the President hoping for bipartisanship. Ain’t gonna happen. Sue every single one of these round ups. Start with Tuscararo for knowing that it is animal cruelty in advance.
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This is what I hope is stirring but we do need to raise money. Herd Watch needs funds also. I am afraid the public is standing by waiting for the worst to happen again before they move. Bad news travels fast and the horses are always the victims. Civil Disobedience can be used but it knocks out precious people and resources when someone is hauled off to jail. But we do need to do more and keep adding to our base any effective strategy. And keep contacting all those we can to stop this insanity. Now. mar
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BTW, USDA may also have some connection to the vets that DOI/BLM chooses to utilize. Anyone know if DOI has a budget for or vets as part of their staff. If they don’t, that would be another great thing to sue them on. OK, TMI on a public forum.
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Looked up the 2009 contract for the vet at Calico when I was looking up how much we paid Cook and Cattoor crime families.
We paid the vet $50,000
Cooks and Cattoors $2.7 million
A little front end loaded on the expenses I’d say.
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Vet(s) should be paid for a contract requirement via RFPs (inspection, gelding, PZP for mares, etc) and then a fee per service/treatment for additional needs (colic, feet problems, euthanasia of unplanned deaths, etc). Again, how does BLM get these vets? I wonder how colic treatments were administered? Hahh!
Cattoor? USDA? BLM permanent staff?
The Gulf Disaster has shown the US and world for that matter, how dysfunctional DOI is….and still Slaughterczar sits on his environ destruction throne.
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Clean out the DOI/BLM and start over. It is the only sensible thing to do. Get the old boys out and the science and smarts in. mar
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I agree Mar. They know what they know, and that is all. Call it history, call it habit, call is human shortcomings. Whatever you decide, it’s old and it’s not working!
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BLM – are you nuts? Beyond nuts? What shear abject BS – even for you!
Know what you have just said and done to us? “Let them eat cake” and rubbed our face in it.
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I hope no one takes offense at my post. I am only posting MY experience for whatever’s its worth.
Last year, I was out to dinner and I was placed with this other couple. The man was a hunter. You know that we came from totally different backgrounds. But we had a nice visit, a nice time chatting. I came to understand that this man would give up 1/2 of the meat from each animal to the community (this would be in Africa). In the states, you use what you hunt. You don’t hunt for no reason.
Several years ago I was at one of the ranger stations outside of Yellowstone. There was a bottom jaw of a deer in this bin. Hunters were asked to do this–so the rangers could keep accurate count on how many animals they had. On my drive back to where I was stayijng I had this to comtemplate. How did I feel about hunting–if one used the whole animal for food? vs. the rack on the wall. I did come to my own conclusion. I don’t like hunting. But if one hunts to feed his family thru the winter–and he’s not wasting anything–does that change in anyway how any of us feel?
Personally I’m not surprised that the BLM ignored us again. Sadly it isn’t just Salazoo (although we all like to blame him) it also is OBAMA. If you read Michelle Malkin’s book you can see the absolute conflict of interest happening each and every day in our Nation’s capital.
To try to end this on a positive note…all we can do is what we have been doing. Call, write, and fax. Talk up a storm. And know that when Obama comes up for re-election we will need to make our voices heard over all the rest. Rest assured Obama will be a one term President. And what’s sad is–he could have had it all. Instead he’ll go out with a soiled reputation.
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No offense taken Margaret. I live in Montana, and I do not hunt, but many people I call my friends do. They hunt to feed their families. I don’t hunt, but I am not against it, if people do it right. I do think that there is a time a place for hunting. However, the RMEF’s CEO is not just for hunting, that is not why I took offense in his editorial, you really must read it. The RMEF has come out against wild horses. For no reason except the fact that the CEO is friends of Ken Salazar. There is no conflict to my knowledge of any conflicts between wild horses and Elk. I just shutter to think that a member is now on the BLM board.
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Here is the letter that appeared in the Missoulian, January 21, 2010 written by the CEO of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
I respect and applaud Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s perspectives on solving the wild horse crisis. All wildlife will suffer if we continue to manage wild horses according to the status quo.
Wild horse herds are flourishing. Some people feel we must give them more space but land is a limited commodity. There’s only so much to go around, and elk, deer and other wildlife as well as farmers and ranchers are already using our dwindling, open landscapes.
The concept of harvesting wild horses is an emotional topic for people who don’t understand or subscribe to the concept of how “culling some will strengthen the whole.” But that concept helped make America a world leader in wildlife conservation. There is no logical reason why populations of wild horses cannot be managed in the same way as elk and deer.
The American rancher is not the bogey man, either. He works hard to make the land provide us with sustenance and his herds graze the land for its own good as well.
Salazar offers possible solutions such as fertility control and more sanctuaries. These may work in some areas but would prolong the inevitable problem of too much competition for too little habitat.
Remedies cannot be based on emotion. We must use common sense. We don’t live in a zoo. Wild things need wild places but since man lives here too, and in greater and greater numbers, there has to be a balance. Only a balance will work.
M. David Allen, President and CEO, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Missoula
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Just more BS here. Hunters are not necessarily the enemy. But putting people who are on the board of the national elk group who are at odds with wolves is just another shove to the horses off the range. There is no longer a population problem with the horses. We should announce that loud and clear. Salazar is just continuing the Bush Era tactics he came in on. These men are manipulators and liars, JMHO. News persons and the public keep hearing the same old song and dance and swallow it because of the deep twists that take anyone interested literally months to untangle.
M. David Allen has not a clue what balance is. He poo poos all those who have science and compassion on their side. He is just another jerk who will attempt to raise his own popularity on the backs of dead horses, mho. mar
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Thanks Sandy, good post. I’m not anti hunting either, until they go after the wild horses.
M. David Allen:
“culling some will strengthen the whole.” Culling them to ZERO will strengthen what exactly?
“The American rancher is not the bogey man, either. He works hard to make the land provide us with sustenance and his herds graze the land for its own good as well.” :
1) Except they DO NOT provide us with sustenance – they export their beef.
2) And “cattle graze the land for its own good” – what good is that?
3) And what names do we call other portions of our society who have been on welfare as long as cattle grazers on public lands?
“We must use common sense”. Agree – and common sense tells me:
1) if there is land available off of public lands for preserves for wild horse, then there is land available off of public lands for cattle grazing.
2) If cattle grazing on public lands stopped this year, the American public would start to realize over $550 million dollars a year in tax savings.
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You lost me when you said you read Michelle Malkin, who I consider to be one of the most offensive people on the planet. And the wild horse issue does not have a lot to do with hunters. Ranchers and other interests.
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Except that hunting organizations have come out against wild horses – they have joined cattle interests in pursuing ridding the land of these pests.
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“To try to end this on a positive note…all we can do is what we have been doing. Call, write, and fax. Talk up a storm. And know that when Obama comes up for re-election we will need to make our voices heard over all the rest. Rest assured Obama will be a one term President. And what’s sad is–he could have had it all. Instead he’ll go out with a soiled reputation.”
Like this idea of not reelecting a man with zero innate understanding of the way to really kick some butt and solve problems. He talks tough, but he doesn’t have the awareness or history as a lifelong citizen, maybe never a man in the trenches himself, to know what to do.
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This problem predates President Obama by about 4 decades.
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When, WHEN, Obama does as you say, or any of the other innane things anti democrates make up just to bash Obama, I will join you. In the meantime I’m rallying votes for his party and when the time comes for him also, because all the lies will not win over the truth (unless “they” mess with the voting machines again). He has not soiled anything yet, and I do not expect that he will.
History is plain and the truth is – this escallation against the wild horses occured with the last administration and I beleive Obama will catch up to this. He has had more on his plate in 18 mnths than most Presidents face in two terms, passed health care and finance reform, inherited this Bush Cheney caused economic melt down with 1/2 a congress that votes NO on everything, and an oil spill caused directly by Cheney’s secret deals and resultant deregulation of basic protections for the oil industry. I could go on. I see no such concrete evidence against Obama anywhere, just lies and more lies.
Yes, the problems today predate Obama, by about 30 to 40 years.
“lifelong citizen”? – has what to do with wild horses?
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I take it back- I think Obama will serve the full allotted two terms, because that is easier for the financial establishment- they don’t have to recondition a new administration as often that way. Watch- they’ll move towards a lifetime dynasty if they can. At least, he’ll serve the two full terms for sure. Wish it were different, but he’s not in control. Maybe it’s Wall Street, Bilderberg. Maybe it’s 300,000 Saudis?
What does this mean for us, and our fight for the lives of the Wild horses and all oppressed and abused? I think it means end times, and beyond that, seek God within yourself. Or perhaps we start at the bottom, go up even through the BLM to whichever officials have intuition and will budge, convincing the individuals to make a stand.
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I am not against hunting either, for trophy only, no, to provide family food, fine; however, it seems that hunters are not as a whole wild horse advocates, so to me, this is BLM’s very definite answer to the idea of moving in a new direction. They are NOT going to, at least not in the forseeable future. I see no hope for the horses this summer; Obama is NOT going to butt heads w/DOI, to me, government is broken; what’s happening in the Gulf, out west w/the horses, the immigration crisis, whatever DC is doing is NOT working. Special interests are running America it seems, and unfortunately, wild horses don’t have a special interest group w/ govt influence behind them.
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No, Jan, they just have the American public paying the bills for their costly stupidity and mistakes they cover up with more stupidity. DOI/BLM needs to get overhauled and the science and humane action take over. When the horses lose land, we do too. mar
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I thought the timeline for applications was August deadline ? When was the deadline ?
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I talked with someone who was in the area of one of the helicopter round-ups. It was hunters that found a mare that had been just left–she was down. They stayed with her until she recovered and was able to get back on her feet. This was a while back–not this year.
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Louie, I think it is more the hunting organizations. Perhaps even, some of them will do as the Arabian Horse bunch has and start an off shoot organization that represents the 19 out of 20, instead of the 1 out of 20 who make the decisions for the organization.
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I have made the point many times. The agency that manages land is conflicted in its mandate to also manage wild life. We are not likely to move Congress to designate an agency specifically for wild life, not one run by hunters, ranchers, or zoo keepers but one specifically mandated first to protect our Wild Mustangs then other animals, and sea life. Since Congress isn’t likely to act we must form a citizen advocate agency that gives us our own mandate. If law is violated arrests need to be made. The BLM doesn’t protect our land, water, air, or wild life, it manages as a entity that is profit motivated. The EPA supposedly protects our land, air and water. Nothing protects wild life which we have just as much a right to. Not to hunt, hook, remove or manage but to enjoy in their natural environment. We as a people don’t seem to get anything about nature right and need to leave it alone, not as a fragmented series of postage stamps fighting for minerals, and the greedy but intact, self sustaining, unmanaged. Let the Mustangs trample the gardens, over run the cattle, stampede the hunters and graze in peace. It’s our right as Americans as the very symbol of the land of the free.
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Beautifully spoken!
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These bureaucratic agencies have far too much power. That is a bigger problem than any of us have realized. You have too many appointed officials.
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I want to qualify all my statements about our President, here, where I have been most elaborate online: I love him. I think President Obama is a good man, with a great heart.
Just imagine the turns a lesser President would have taken, at this junture, where our outspokenness- indeed our true heartfelt words- have become so dominate in the plane. I truly do love and wish him all the strength and stamina he needs to endure, and to rescue us-as I believe is his motive and intention.
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I just heard a lawyer interviewed on a radio program. This lawyer has sued the FDA seven times and won all of the cases. He is very strong on constitutional law and very much opposed to abuses of power by the various bureaucratic agencies.
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Western Watersheds wins their lawsuits too. We need to sue to stop every round up. The BLM has been corrupt from their inception.
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Louie, Please tell us who this is… or tell me at Herdwatch@gmail.com
Is that OK? mar
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