Wild Horse Advocates R.T. Fitch, Elyse Gardener and Ginger Kathrens
By Alan Prendergast of Denver Westword
Despite a federal judge’s decision halting a roundup last year, the Bureau of Land Management is once again seeking to “zero out” a small herd of wild horses in Western Colorado, triggering fresh protests. The West Douglas Herd, located south of Rangely, is comprised of approximately 100 horses distinct from a larger herd to the east. BLM officials insist the area is “not suitable” for horses and has been seeking to round up the mustangs for relocation or adoption for decades.
But late last year US District Judge Rosemary Collyer halted the latest proposed roundup, ruling that the BLM had exceeded its authority and failed to prove that the herd was overpopulated or consisted of “excess” animals.
Undeterred, BLM has prepared another environmental assessment that proposes a roundup of the entire herd, possibly using helicopters as well as bait-trapping, this October. That prompted a detailed critique of the plan from the Colorado Springs-based Cloud Foundation that raises some interesting arguments concerning the herd’s viability and the cost of removing it.
Cloud Foundation director Ginger Kathrens points out that BLM’s own data shows the herd’s population has remained static for years, with even a slight decrease since 2005. Yet the environmental assessment assumes a 20 percent annual increase in population for the next five years to justify the roundup.
Although the BLM hopes to offer many of the horses for adoption, the adoption rate hasn’t kept up with the roundups. There are now nearly as many wild horses in government-maintained pastures and holding facilities as there are roaming the range.
“Please consider that the removal of a mustang costs already strapped American taxpayers over $2,000 in addition to a possible $2,098 to $4,700/year holding cost for the rest of the horse’s life if they are not adopted or sold,” Kathrens writes. “Why not apply the initial savings of over $172,0000 to range improvements, livestock and fence removals, noxious weed treatment, water improvements, and any number of projects that would improve the West Douglas area for wild horses and all other wildlife species?”
But BLM’s assessment insists that the herd’s removal is necessary “to establish, maintain and preserve a thriving ecological balance” in accordance with the 1971 law directing the agency to manage the herds.
Don’t expect the controversy to get resolved neatly anytime soon. By the time the scheduled roundup approaches this fall, the first stampede will probably be one of free-roaming attorneys, headed back to court.
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
So in other words the BLM does not even go out into the field to count horses, they just sit in front of the air conditioner and make up a number. This shows what pompous a**es they really are. Pull up your boots and go stomping all over the people, the courts and Congress. I just picture them as a steamroller rolling across the west crushing horses and citizen rights as they go.
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…more stoooopid! Typical.
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This past Memorial Day I was driving from Utah down past Rangely, Colorado and came on wild horses grazing in a field on the west side of the road. It was a bachelor band of 4. Three of the young stallions were agitated that a vehicle had stopped along the road and began to retreat along a river. The remaining stallion was not so afraid and kept grazing. He looked older and had some battle scars on him. After a few minutes, as his friends crossed the river and began to head into the mouth of a canyon, he decided to catch up with the fleeing group. There was dust rising out of the canyon and a bay stallion was coming with his band of mares and a foal to water. His band slowed and stopped as the bay stallion raced ahead towards the bachelor band to chase them from the place to descend to the water. He neighed at the bachelors and charged the 3 retreating stallions who huddled and turned back but did not want to return across the river and stood under low trees while their friend caught up. The bay stallion then descended to the river, out of sight and this gave the bachelors the opportunity to then wheel about and head to the mouth of the canyon where the bay stallion’s band was waiting. The lead mare saw them running towards her family and she turned and led them back into the canyon with bachelors now running up to them from behind. They all disappeared in rising dust into the canyon. I wondered where the bay stallion was. Minutes later he emerged from the low river bank and began to search for his mares. He ran up and down the river side track neighing. He went back to the canyon mouth and then back to the river side. He was smelling the bachelor band mingled with his family. He finally decided they had all gone back up the canyon and neighing for them he ran, head high, back up the canyon. I hope the lead mare kept her family together. The bay stallion may have had a fight on his hooves. He had assumed his family was behind him. Now they were lost with the bachelors. He was young and shiny and not battle scarred so I think he had made a mistake that may have cost him some mares or his whole band. I hope it was settled without too much fighting. These were all beautiful horses, healthy and very cautious. The lead mare had not followed the bay stallion because of the bachelors’ presence. He has been too confident they were with him. This all took about 30 minutes as the sun went behind the mountains. They were horses from the West Douglas HMA. mar
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Thank you Mar. Beautiful. Lets work to keep them where they belong on the range so that others might experience such a sight.
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Is someone contacting this judge ?? Does she just accept this new twist of BLM, the rogue change of their strategy so they can carry out their evil plan ? How on earth can a judge’s order not stand solid ? How on earth can BLM come with some newly created twists and fairy tales ? What means a judge’s order anyway in this country ??? Nothing ??? Why are they always exempt ?
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A little off topic here, but, for anyone sending comments on the”Strategy Development Document” via “old fashioned mail” to D.C., Cindy at American Herds made a strong suggestion. Send it with receipt requested. Mail to D.C. can take a long time–weeks– due to security screening. If they refuse to sign for it???
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Mar, I would love to get to see a band like that, someday. I would love for future generations to get to experience that, as well.
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It was an unexpected drama. The fact that these horses were so cautious stood out. The road to the HMA was gravel and there was a widened and dried rutted track going into the canyon. Tracks on it were ATV and I think these horses are chased by people. This is a heavily hunted HMA so these people come in here on ORVs all the time. A man at the Denver workshop spoke and said these horses were all “In rough shape” and needed to be removed. I was furious. These horses were in excellent condition. There is local pressure to remove them but Colorado will not just sit by and let this happen. Monika, I am sure Judge Collyer will have some sharp words for this continued display of arrogance by BLM. I know Valerie Stanley is aware of this. mar
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I think the prior lawsuit was sucessful because the BLM wanted to remove the horses as they were not in their herd area or their original area.
It was shown in the court that they were not in that area because development has pushed them out of their area.
BLM is now apparently coming up with another reason to remove them,”rough shape.”
I hope they will see the fight of their air-conditioned lives (the decision-makers).
Another thing: Catoor Livestock should have NO SAY-SO WHATSOEVER on determining the pre-roundup condition of the horses BEFORE the decision is made to have the roundup.
That would be “conflict of interest.”
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Mar, I am guessing someone has been in there recently to document the HMA and the condition of the horses?/
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I have not heard from the Northern Colorado people about what they do. I have asked and suggested someone meet me up there but I have not heard back from anyone. I keep hearing how well organized they are so I hope they all have info and some kind of plan.
As far as I know there has been no one there to do documentation. It is about 8 hours from me. 3 HMAs in one rugged area. Anyone like to go?? mar
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When would you be going to this Northern Colorado HMA? And where is the nearest town? I could perhaps join and help with sharing some expenses – though I would not be able to tromp around the actual HMA maybe I’d be good for grunt work behind the scenes?
I think I’m a day & 1/2 half south of you.
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How about giving me back my tax dollars that I’m spending on keeping a horse in long term holding. I could easily take riding lessons again. And then when the time was right–I could even adopt one. And look at all the money I’d say the government!
I’d need a great trainer–someone who could help me to learn and listen to a wild horse and be able to quietly communicate.
He’d just be a buddy for me. Not a horse that I have to ride. But a horse that could find pleasure in having a human for a friend and me having a horsie friend.
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Mar, local pressure from who? Do you know?
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He was a rancher… and it may include hunters. mar
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Please remember that the East Douglas/Piceance Roundup is very soon. August 25th to September 3rd. BLM is removing 340 of 380 horses. This is 2 HMAs. West Douglas is close and BLM has changed the roundup date and have not rescheduled. It had been for August 13th to 16th for all of the horses. I think anyone close to the area should be keeping an eye out for activity. BLM has done two gathers this year at unpublished dates. Possibly more.
These roundups in NW Colorado are highly destructive of these herds and leaves the gene pool nonviable. Of course BLM may change the numbers and simply zero them out. It is hoped they will not create another emergency to allow complete removal. I no loner feel that any BLM schedule is to be accepted. The point anymore, for them, is to throw us off to prevent the photographs and video from coming out. They make their plans and choose locations all to avoid us and control what we have to tell and show the public. mar
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I may be wrong, but I think Colorado might be just a bit different than Nevada.
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Louie, BLM is not different upstairs among the suits. Beware of stealth roundup on West Douglas. If you caught a contractor rounding up horses unannounced who would you call??
Can a contractor legally capture and remove protected wild horses without the Public’s Knowledge???? Any one know the answer? Something tells me they should not and if you found them doing it you could have them arrested. There is a procedure to follow. It is supposed to make a difference.mar
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Interesting question you pose there. and while we are on the subject, sort of, has there been any update on Cindi’s complaint to the FBI? or is that still being investigated to see if they can even step in?
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Other than the fact that Obama has to be insulated from the public and his aides decide which letters he’ll read–does the man even KNOW wtf is going on in his administration????
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I thought there might be more public support for them in Colorado. The people in Nevada who are fighting so hard for them seem to be outnumbered by people who buy into the hype. It helps to have enough people to fight back.
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Louie, They do have support but I would say, ironically, the sparsely populated NW corner of Colorado is a trophy elk paradise and very rough back country and ranchers and hunters have been critical like the man at the workshop who told us that the West Douglas horses were in bad shape. He just wants them out. Maybe he was an outfitter and not a rancher. There is room for the horses. BLM just caves to special interest not to advocates. mar
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I remember them flying the banner over the DOI building in Denver. They flew it until sundown.
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Why take the horses land they was here before us just like the native Americas they was here before us and we took there land and killed most of them off! How can America be so cruel! Isn’t the wild horses part of the native Americans! Or must we take that away from them to! The America people are going to rob our lands from all the species that are supposed to be here! For oil and junk! The wild horses is part of the native Americans culture why take the rest of what’s left of there culture! The wild horses should be free to roam on there land just like the native Americans!
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