Obama; Enough is Enough!
Reno, NV (July 12, 2010)—The Cloud Foundation and the public learned yesterday that seven wild horses died after being rounded up on the first day of the Tuscarora (Owyhee Complex) roundup in Elko County on Saturday, July 10. The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) contractor, Cattoor Livestock, rounded up 228 horses in less than 2 ½ hours over dangerous terrain. Choosing to begin the roundup on private land, BLM prevented the public from observing the first day’s roundup and the condition of the horses after they were captured. The Foundation strongly advises that humane observers be present at all times during roundups and processing to ensure the humane treatment of America’s iconic herds
“In light of yesterday’s devastating news, we call for an immediate stop to summer roundups,” states Ginger Kathrens, Director of The Cloud Foundation adding, “Tuscarora is another example of BLM’s reckless agenda.
BLM issued a press release announcing that the roundup had been suspended to assess the situation.
Upon hearing of the BLM’s proposed July Tuscarora 1,400 horse roundup, the Cloud Foundation, the public, mustang advocates as well as animal welfare groups sent comments to BLM asking the agency to postpone the roundup because of high temperatures and the obvious danger to foals only weeks old. BLM ignored thousands of public comments including warnings by wild horse experts. The agency forged ahead—despite the dangers and public outcry.
In response In Defense of Animals and Craig Downer, wildlife ecologist and Cloud Foundation Board Member, represented by the leading conservation group, Advocates For the West, filed with the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) to stop the BLM roundup on July 8.
On July 9, the Cloud Foundation’s Herd-Watch Program Director, Laura Leigh, filed suit to stop the Owyhee Complex roundup in Federal District Court in Reno. Yesterday Leigh’s attorney filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to stop the Tuscarora/Owyhee Complex Roundup.
“This is what we feared and this is what we wanted to stop,” explains Leigh. “BLM’s agenda absolutely disregards the welfare of these horses—unconscionable and unspeakable. It’s a shame. More horses have paid with their lives due to BLM’s unwillingness to listen to the public and allow us to participate in management decisions and observation of our wild herds.”
Secretary Salazar’s BLM Director and stand-in Mineral Management Services Director, Bob Abbey, temporarily halted the operation after one horse broke its leg and four horses were found dead on July 11 in the capture pens and others were “exhibiting signs of colic and brain swelling.’ Helicopter roundups during this time of year are known to be dangerous and cause dehydration of adults and young mustangs alike. Foaling season is defined by BLM as ending June 30 and the agency advises waiting until mid-August to begin helicopter roundups. The Cloud Foundation is requesting that independent humane observers be allowed to view the trap-site area and the wild horses as they come in, and that BLM immediately cancel the remaining 2 ½ weeks of this roundup
“These horses died at the hands of the agency meant to protect them,” states Kathrens. “This is all driven by a removal schedule and contractor availability. What about the welfare of the horses? We’re asking the public to call their Representatives and Senators and urge them to ask for a freeze on BLM’s summer roundups.”
Based on past experience and the current rush to remove 6,000 wild horses in three months, The Cloud Foundation believes that the BLM’s priorities are based on contractor availability rather than the humane treatment of wild horses—especially foals—some of whom may be only weeks or days old.
BLM is aware of the danger to the foals. Their 2009 Calico Roundup planning documents stated: “…Not only are young foals in summer months more prone to dehydration and complications from heat stress, the handling, sorting and transport is a stress to the young animals and increases the chance for them to be rejected by their mothers.”
If not canceled, the Tuscarora roundup will decimate three herds, Owyhee, Little Humboldt and Rock Creek, living in a vast 455,000-acre area about 90 miles northwest of Elko, Nevada. “Damage to livestock fences” is cited as one reason to remove the horses. BLM plans to leave only 400 wild horses in an effort to reduce the range damage caused by 4000 cattle allowed to graze the same area. In 1990, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report underscored that wild horse removals did not significantly improve range conditions and pointed to cattle as the culprit for public lands damage. Despite GAO noting the lack of data provided by BLM back 20 years ago, the public has seen no improvement in the piecemeal management of an agency that favors welfare cattle over legally protected mustangs and burros. Herd areas containing 10 to 30 times more livestock than horses are the norm rather than the exception.
Given the clear lack of accurate range censuses and the presence of over 37,000 wild horses in government holding at enormous taxpayer expense, advocates continue to call for an immediate freeze on the costly roundups. Congressional hearings are needed to discuss the shortcomings of an out-of-control program that threaten the future existence of wild horses and burros on lands set aside for their use in the West.
“Clearly this agency is out of control. They were warned and advised not to move forward. Now at least seven horses have died,” states Craig Downer. “It is time for Secretary Salazar to stand up and stop this disaster in the making—the lack of good leadership in this agency is causing the death of America’s treasured mustangs.”
Links of interest:
‘Herd-Watch: Public Eyes for Public Horses’ http://bit.ly/9Wvh58
Roundup Schedule- updated July 12, 2010 http://bit.ly/roundupschedule
BLM Wild Horse and Burro Management Handbook http://bit.ly/BLMhandbook
Straight from the Horse’s Heart – http://www.sfthh.com
Proposed Roundup of CA Wild Horses Criticized – Sacramento Bee 7/5/10 http://bit.ly/SacBeeMustang
The Mustang Conspiracy: Sex, Drugs, Corruption, and BP – investigative report http://www.abovetopsecret.com/mustangconspiracy/
After campaigning for Obama, Sheryl Crow at odds over his administration’s wild-horse plan (Associated Press)
Disappointment Valley… A Modern Day Western Trailer- excellent sample of interviews regarding the issues http://bit.ly/awFbwm
American Herds Blog http://americanherds.blogspot.com/
PR Firm Hired for the Destruction of America’s Wild Horse and Burro Herds http://bit.ly/czf3HB
Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit.
America’s Disappearing Wild Horseshttp://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/wild.html
Fact Sheet on Wild Herds & The Salazar Plan http://bit.ly/bfdX1y
Wild Horse and Burro Act http://bit.ly/a7hOeS
Link to this press release online http://bit.ly/day1Tuscarora
Past Cloud Foundation press releases http://bit.ly/TCFpress
Photos, video and interviews available from:
The Cloud Foundation
107 S. 7th St. – Colorado Springs, CO 80905 – 719-633-3842 www.thecloudfoundation.org
Related articles by Zemanta
- Press Release: Seven Mustangs Die in NV Roundup, Observers Barred Access (thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com)
- The Humane Society of the United States Calls for Moratorium on BLM Roundups Following Mustang Deaths (yubanet.com)
- Mustang Advocate Finds BLM Violates Own Rules, Files Lawsuit (ppjg.wordpress.com)
- NV Woman Files Suit to Stop Tuscarora Roundup (thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
If there were a program in place, say, an on-the-range Management Program, that studied these Herds, their forage & water habits, where they range, how far they range, how they behave, their Herd & Heirarchy structure, the Stallions & the Alpha mares, who’s the Mom, who’s the Dad, who did they come from, when they were born, knowing what these Horses know could indicate a reliable method of helping to keep their numbers ‘sustainable’.
Gosh, it might require some work, a desire to know the animals you’re managing. Perhaps volunteers or citizen specialists could be involved, people with knowledge of range & wildlife habitat, contributory disciplines working toe to toe with that particular BLM Office. The decision processes could take ALL factors into account, and VOILA, a working, logically Managed Wild Horse & Burro Program that doesn’t cost 10s of millions of dollars a year to maintain.
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On the range management would not only benefit the wild ones, it could also create jobs. Instead of making the Cattoors millionaires, why not use that money to help the local ranchers (especially in Nevada, considering they have the highest jobless rate in the country) by employing them as herd managers. Maybe they wouldn’t be so against the wild ones if they became stakeholders in their welfare.
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That’s what they do in Africa. They get the farmers to protect the elephants.
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I nominate you two as co directors of the BLM. If you can get this figured out with such clarity, minerals management will be a snap.
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I just read that BLM signed that Ruby Pipeline deal.
So Ruby wasn’t about clearing the HMA’s of horses because of BLM’s precious pipeline. What a bunch of pooh as in cattle pooh.
Okay, they cleared the HMA’s for Ruby–what about “real” livestock–the kind that goes mmmooooo. Are they being cleared off the land too?
We really need independent reports that this Elko roundup is now suspended. I fear the BLM is telling us that to throw us off. They could still be doing this roundup and not saying boo.
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The interview with Geo Knapp, Lisa Bloom (?) and M. Pickens with Jane Velez-Mitchell went tonight on HLN (Headline News-CNN)….not perfect, but good none the less.
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Forgot to add that the video of a pregnant mare and a mare with foal AND another mare with foal/yearling LIMPING is just sickening.
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Yep, and the best part is that the media is beginning to connect the dots. DOI/BLM/Collusion/Corporatocracy,etc.
HSUS posted this 2 hours ago. Madeline Pickens said the ASPCA is on board in a message earlier today.
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2010/07/moratorium_blm_horse_roundups_071310.html
Shout it from the rooftops – the “Magnificent Seven” did not die in vain!
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I haven’t found anything about the ASPCA calling for a moratorium so far. It sure would be a blessing if they did.
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Are the horses the only wildlife in the Owyhee, Rock Creek, and Little Humboldt management area that are suffering from dehydration? Where do the other animals get water?
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Louie…I seriously doubt that the equines are suffering from dehydration other than the trolls with permits fencing off their regular water sources and then they would move on regardless. Getting run to death is another matter, but DOI doesn’t pen deer, big horn, etc….however they do whack bison, coyotes, wolves, equines, mountain lions (yah-duh-yah-duh).
And yes, many wildlife and environ orgs get p,o’d about this so called mnagement of natural resources. You can bank money that if the equines are being beaten up, everything save for extractors and livestockers are getting screwed too.
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Louie – in videos I’ve seen, pronghorns follow the Neigh-bors.
In one of the Calico videos, muledeer were following the herd being rounded up.
They are ALL connected – by 5 centuries of cohabitation.
As far as I know, there have been no studies done on what happens to the smaller wildlife when the Wild Ones are taken out of the equasion. Sure, there’s more forage, but they now have to share the ranges with cattle, who are larger & more numerous.
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this the BLM says “Damage to livestock fences” is cited as one reason to remove the horses.
That is BLM BS!!! those are barbed wire fence attached to wood posts! When I saw the you tube of a rancher complaining about horses damaging fence. They showed a picture of medium thickness wood posts busted in pieces laying on the ground!
Those are barbed wire fences attached to wood posts!!! Even if a horse will push down a wire fence think he will bust up the wood posts? BS BLM!!! the horses are caught in the barbed wire and in their frenzy then the posts are breaking into pieces!
Most likely because they are trying to find their way to watering spots fenced off from them!
I wish mustangs could learn to jump fence like the elk and deer do 😦 it is crazy for the cattle ranchers to say that horses bust up the wood posts holding barbed wire!
Now I bet the BLM will on purpose let those mustangs die from lack of water just to say “we told you so”
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I am so afraid that the 7 is in reality 70… and a one day reprieve? OMG, please!
Please, law suits kick in! Please, media broadcast light some important fires!
Please, Madeleine ask your attorneys to join in the suits against the BLM roundups!
HSUS, please, will your attorneys help file additional suits!?
Entertainers, who are following and helping America’s wild horses, will you please join together and file suits against the roundups!?
Ginger, can we not start a fund to file another suit? I will go door to door asking for donations to help with this?! Will set up a table with information and asking for help to file another law suit! There needs to be many filed!!!
We have to do something since they are ignoring us and our phone calls are seemingly unimportant and you can’t get through to the BLM if you try… Cyberspace is not trustworthy… our words are so easy to delete and flag as junk.
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8 is now 12:
update from BLM:
Gather operations continue to be suspended. Two more animals died and two were euthanized because of complications related to water starvation and water intoxication.
Gathered: 0, Deaths: 4, Total deaths: 12
4-year-old stud, 4-year-old stud, 4-month-old colt, 3-year-old stud
link:
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/elko_field_office/blm_programs/wild_horse_and_burro/owyhee_rock_creek/reports.html
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I did receive an email from MP stating that ASPCA HAS signed on calling for the moratorium,
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There is a petition on Madeleine Pickin’s website–will go the the President
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This is what bothers me. Lack of water is being cited to prove that they need to be moved. How is this year any different from any other year? It’s been stated that they have had more rainfall this year than they’ve had in years. Those horses were alive before the round-up.
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I’m not trying to stir sh*t up – God knows we have enough anger & heartbreak among us to light up the entire U.S.
This is only for informational. Please take it in the spirit in which it is offered – because it’s not only our concern & respect for these animals that drives us. It’s also being well-informed.
http://www.petmd.com/horse/emergency/e_hr_dehydration
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When you have a president that has gone mute on animal welfare, the head of the DOI still in position with failure after failure and BLM employees arrogantly stating they are not the “bureau of horses” and they are not the ‘bureau of wildlife” then who in hell in the DOI is in charge of protecting wild horses, burros and wildlife and enforcing the 1971 law? Since they obviously don’t have anyone, then why hasn’t an agency been appointed that looks after the wildlife and works with the BLM on range management? Instead, they hire a PR firm to help the BLM look warm and fuzzy and give the appearance they are interested in public input. I’d like to see that invoice. We’ve been screaming for years to appoint a knowledgeable horse person and instead, they appoint more cattle ranchers. They have ignored GAO studies, ecologists and the taxpayers that employ them.
Our country has gone down the tubes and we have a government that only reacts to donations from lobbyists, in particular the Farm Bureau and Ag interests. The height of their arrogance couldn’t be any more blatant than legislation introduced by Jeff Fortenberry (NE).
H.R.1438
Title: To prohibit any Federal agency or official, in carrying out any Act or program to reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change, from imposing a fee or tax on gaseous emissions emitted directly by livestock.
All roads lead to the cattle ranchers on the wild horse removals and on the fight against horse slaughter. While the pipeline is a factor, notice they aren’t removing any livestock, just horses. Yes, RT, enough is enough.
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Has it already been posted here–the petition on Madeleine Picken’s website?
This one will go to the President and is sponsored by all major organizations.
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Check the sidebar to your right, Louie. Just added it so that everyone can participate.
R.T. Fitch
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I must have tunnel vision. I keep missing those sidebars.
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http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/news/?p=1530
“one small step for mankind…one giant leap for the Wild Mustangs
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