by Bob Abbey from Roll Call News (Raw and Unedited)
Facts and Science Disappear when Abbey Talks
Chief of BLM Propoganda Machine
In recent months, many Members of Congress have received e-mails, letters and phone calls from wild horse activists. These activists are waging an aggressive campaign, both in the federal courts and in the court of public opinion, that is aimed at stopping the Bureau of Land Management from gathering wild horses and burros from overpopulated herds on Western public rangelands.
With herd sizes growing at an average rate of 20 percent a year (thus doubling in size every four years), these removals are necessary to protect wildlife habitat, the horses themselves and the public rangelands from the environmental effects of herd overpopulation.
As it stands now, the free-roaming herd population of 38,400 exceeds by nearly 12,000 the number that the BLM has determined can exist in balance with other public rangeland resources and uses.
Unfortunately, the public’s demand for adoptable and sale-eligible wild horses has declined sharply in recent years, leaving more than 34,000 off-the-range animals in corrals and pastures that must be kept running with taxpayer dollars — accounting for more than half the BLM’s current wild horse and burro budget of $63.9 million. (It should be noted that all wild horses and burros in holding, like those roaming the public rangelands, are protected by the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.)
Because of the BLM’s spiraling off-the-range holding costs and the formidable challenge of dealing with unadopted horses, the Government Accountability Office recently found our agency’s wild horse program to be at a “critical crossroads.” In response, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and I announced an initiative last October as the first step toward putting the Wild Horse and Burro Program on a sustainable course.
The public has been invited to help shape this initiative by offering ideas to a Strategy Development Document that is posted on the BLM’s home page and is open for comment until Sept. 3. Everything is on the table for discussion except two things: (1) the euthanasia of excess healthy horses for which there is no adoption demand and (2) the unrestricted sale of unadopted animals.
Although these controversial management authorities exist in the 1971 wild horse law, as amended, the Interior Department and the BLM will not consider those management options as part of the new strategy under development.
As work on this new management strategy unfolds, it is regrettable that false claims, misleading statements and false characterizations about the BLM’s actions, motives and intentions relating to wild horse management are circulated on virtually a daily basis on the Internet by activists seeking a moratorium on wild horse roundups.
Such a moratorium is untenable. It would be devastating to the health of public rangelands and would be contrary to Section 1333 of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which directs the BLM to determine whether an overpopulation of wild horses and burros exists, and, when making such a finding, to “immediately remove excess animals from the range so as to achieve appropriate management levels.”
Lawmakers and their constituents concerned about wild horse issues should visit the BLM’s home page (blm.gov) for accurate, timely information on the BLM’s management of wild horses and burros. There they will find a link to detailed information on all aspects of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program, including real-time information about ongoing or upcoming horse gathers.
One Web page, “Myths and Facts,” debunks false allegations against the BLM, such as the claim that the bureau is selling or sending wild horses to slaughter. In fact, the GAO noted in an October 2008 report that the BLM is not in compliance with a December 2004 amendment to the 1971 wild horse law that directs the bureau to sell excess horses or burros “without limitation.” The BLM has also established a presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to maximize our outreach to the American people on wild horse and other public land management issues.
The BLM respects the passion shown by activists pushing for a moratorium on wild horse roundups, but the debate over proper management must not be distorted by allegations and characterizations that have no factual basis.
The bureau is committed to the well-being of America’s wild horses and burros, both on and off the range. By working to achieve appropriate management levels on Western public rangelands, the BLM will ensure that healthy herds can thrive on healthy public rangelands, both now and for generations to come.
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- BLM’s Bob Abbey Dances with the Truth and Drops the Ball AGAIN (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
GOOD GOD! SAVE US!!!!!
This creep gets “Roll Call” space????????
Science and News Update for Mrs. Abbey, Salazar, Emmanuel, Obama:
At the signing of the 1971 ACT there were over 70 thousand wild equines and 52+ million where found acres. And the numbers are now what “he whom speaks with forked tongue”?
Actually, this extermination, campaign of lies with the assistance of Congress and states are not that far off in methodology, process and results as what this Nation did to it’s Native Peoples.
p.s. seems tu**boy has a passion for AMLs. Interesting since the DOI OIG says the science in same is more than suspect. There you have the gist of their logic…AMLs. Attack those!
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Madeleine Pickens will be a guest on National Public Radio tomorrow at 9am PST. Other guests include: Multi award-winning investigative reporter from KLAS Channel 8 News, George Knapp and BLM employee, Tom Gory. Please listen as they will address the issues with the government roundups, Americans’ duty to protect a piece of their national heritage: the wild horse, and updated plans from Madeleine Pickens for developing her wild horse eco sanctuary. Should be a great debate! Don’t miss out on this one!!
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George Knapp and Tom Gory go at it tomorrow… that should be interesting. Awesome, George! ,
mar
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It sure would be wonderful, but darn if I can find it. I need to listen on computer. I’ve “searched” George Knapp, Tom Gory and Madelin Pickens. Nothing came up for today. I imagine its the San Francisco station??
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I do, see now that perhaps Abbey has begun to crack.
My first clue:
he is really letting his roots go. . . hasn’t colored for months. . . .this is a sign. . . .
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3 – THREE – GOA reports on the Wild Horse & Burro Program, the most recent over two years old, and the only non-compliance he can cite is not selling Wild Captives to slaughterhouses, the Standard Rhetoric to emotionally blackmail Advocates.
NONE of the recommendations have been put into use except briefly, from the 1977 report stating livestock were overgrazing the ranges and should be removed to prevent ‘permanent and catastrophic damage’. The livestock were removed – for a while.
And Bureauists are always more than happy to stipulate to the “amendments” to the Act but can’t quite get their heads around the original intent.
“Amendement” is synonymous with “after-thought”.
There are many, MANY examples of “non-compliance” the Bureau is guilty of within their various areas of purview. We would be more than happy to publish THOSE as well.
mr. abbey, I realize you are the busy head of a busy agency but before you attempt to villify Advocates, be aware: While many are emotionally invested in trying to save these animals, as specified in the Unamended Act, still others have chosen to take the route of cold, calculated & fact-based investigation.
FORTY THOUSAND CAPTIVE WILD HORSES & BURROS. There is NO justification for that.
Do you hear that sound? I think it’s a stampede, and it’s coming this way.
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Errr…Lisa, according to Mr Abolishem, err Abbey…we are activists.
Let’s talk about the psychology of that term for a moment…err, maybe not because truth has never been an attribute of the DOI, USDA, etc.; nor has science.
Excuse me and the wild equines for breathing, Mr Abbey!
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Neesie, you crack my sh*t UP!!
I prefer ‘Advocate’ the way they prefer ‘gather’. Makes us sound all gentle and benign.
(insert evil laugh here)
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And they still can’t do math. 20% population growth per year does not = herds doubling in size every 4 years. 20% x 4 years = 80% . I would think to double population would mean 100%. That’s 5 years.
And besides, the National Academy of Sciences has stated that wild herds may only grow by 10% per year. The wild horse herds on Cumberland Island, GA only grow by 4 – 7% per year. So, where does this 20% number even come from?
It’s all guess work with Mr. Abbey’s agency. They don’t even know how many horses are really out there in the wild.
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20% comes from ranchers, natural resource extractors and and ton of help from state and federal agencies…Oh! with a ton of no science and a check writing Congress.
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That is a question we all need to answer. mar
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This math is based on a formula specific 3 to 8 year old Palomino mares, 11 to 15 hands high, who may OR may not have a limp, but should have at least one blue eye OR have given birth to dun, blue roan OR overo paint twins or triplets on a hot afternoon OR early evening in late October or November….
My God… i think i just busted a blood vessel…
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I am sure Mr. Abbey would use the 4 year formula by including that some of the previous years off spring would contribute to the numbers game when they start having colts. Its just a math thing from a basic math class. The growth rate as has been documented in the past hasn’t reached the 20 percent numbers as the BLM wants us to think anyway and before they reduced the size of the HMA’s, the numbers from the past hundred years just don’t seem to equal what they want us to think.
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Forgot to add…and just exactly to whom will be allowed the equal and opposing print time? If one doesn’t believe Congress and special interest jiggle, manipulate and self-servingly twist this debate…just read Roll Call.
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This never fails to amaze me; that lies can be used against us and the horses and the press and others who have listened to even HSUS say the roundups must stop before the horses are gone- do not hear them or investigate. It has been stated by many that the horses’ lands are being taken for private industry and profit. Multiple use is a lie and private industry on public lands is becoming a wave of privatization running over the HMAs and other public lands unchecked.
Our press appears to be gone and the ability to inform the public and to get investigations even through the courts is impossible? Law enforcement has no stance and when asked to lies to the advocates to keep them away from court ordered observation? This is America…… crumbling under the weight of corruption and special interests. mar
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obviously a junk science junkie… and totally unworthy to hold the position of power that he holds… perhaps it’s time to ask for his removal along with Ken Salazar… hope everyone keeps up the pressure… this guy is running scared…
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RT is this page edited?? mar
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Based on my reading….”by Bob Abbey from Roll Call News (Raw and Unedited)”
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Janet Ferguson’s husband and his two brothers, all living in different states have reported their lawnmowers breaking down the same time this week. According to Janet, this has been attributed to the BLM. mar
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Aahh…must be too much “wild equine” in the air…check the fuel to contaminated air ratio.
I suggest they go to the experts and have the DOI fix their mechanical problems. They have always been superb scientists and Americans.
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Note: This problem with lawnmowers and the BLM is not well documented. It is largely speculation at this point. Warning: any color lawnmower may be susceptible to this, any state, any age! If you don’t hear your neighbor’s lawnmower running, give your neighbor a call and check up on them.
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Shouldn’t they call BLM? Bureau of Lawn Management? mar
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No Comment
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Oh!!! This just gets better and better!
Let’s see…hmmmm CQ-Roll Call let’s Abbey spew spittle speak, doesn’t do any bi-line other Abbey, no comments and can’t contact squat anybody to register a rebuttal or counter opinion! Good job Congressional Quarterly-Roll Call (private entity, btw)….the First Amendment at it’s highest level of special interest meddling.
So let’s have fun. The following are the switchboard numbers for CQ-Roll Call:
202-419-8500
800-432-2250
Flame on folks regarding Abbey’s post with no rebuttal, etc outlet. Not just because they gave this disingenuous person a platform but more importantly, because they don’t allow dissenting opinions any avenue of equal, First Amendment venue and then pretend to “give news” to the interested Americans/voting public.
Up side?….they must be getting really desperate!
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Here’s the name of the CQ-Roll Call Head:
Susan Benkelman
Sends out a boatload of info, trash and opinion and readers aren’t allowed to contact this “golden child”.
Funny. Don’t you think?
But Abbey gets face time!
This, folks here (as we already know is the problem) causes the continuation of special interest and lobbyist meddling. Oh…what a surprise. And great job serving democracy Ms Benkleman. But I suppose you’l keep contributing to your 401 k and paying rent while a variety of wildlife will be massacred by “special contributois” at CQ-Roll Call. You are a keeper..Ma’am.
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Bob Abbey works for the government, not the people. He really needs to get his facts straight. Maybe hold a few town-hall meetings, have a debate or two??
The government has always worked at a snails pace, lots of hoops to jump through for what and but WHY?
For more than a decade the state (WY) has tried to negotiate with the feds.
“The governor of Wyoming is threatening to sell off state-owned land in Grand Teton National Park to private developers. He wants to pressure the federal government to come up with a good deal for the land….” “… known as state school trust lands — they’re supposed to generate funds for public schools, and are supposed to be “managed for maximum profit.” “The problem is that the land is worth over $100 million, but the state is currently only getting about $3,000 a year from grazing leases to a cattle rancher.”
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129007236
I AM NOT implying Wyoming should really sell part of our national heritage, but I am in favor of the tactics. The government continues to deny, deny deny- But doesn’t $3000 per year sound like welfare ranching?
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I saw Cloud yesterday. I was told by the driver that the reason two of Cloud’s kids were taken last year was because Cloud had made the yearling filly one of his mares. Don’t ask me how the day went…outside the car it was fine….
Cloud was amazing. He was in this little open area and when he saw the car he started walking over toward us. It was kinda neat.
Bolder was dirty and quite black on his hind end. I saw a youngster being nipped on the rump by the stallion to move along and catch up with the family.
Bolder’s son Echo looks a lot like Cloud.
Two Boots is an amazing black stallion. I was on the path leading to this pond, I turned around and there they were. I quietly told the horses to give me a minute and I would clear the way for them. Even though I stepped aside they still gave me an even wider gap–just to make certain I couldn’t touch their baby; who was as cute as apple pie.
Flint’s and Feldspar’s kids are BEAUTIFUL. Even at a year apart they look so much alike.
They said that they saw Bigfoot. I don’t know who he is but Ginger was quite happy to hear that he is alive. It was thought that he had succumbed to old age/weather since no one has seen him.
Lots and lots of pictures and I don’t know who everyone is. After I get home and can resize them I’ll try to put them up someplace. And others can help fill in the missing gaps.
It was truly a stunning place to go. You ABSOLUTELY need 4 wheel drive with high clearance to get up Burnt Timber. It was rocky, steep and sometimes scary as all get out. Ginger tells me that if you go Crooked Creek its a highway and much smoother. I can’t say because we didn’t go that way. You have to have patience and be willing to look for horses. Up at the top they are here and there. There not all in one place.
I don’t know if BLM sent the horses down Burnt Timber or Sykes. They tell me Sykes is worst than Burnt Timber which as I said was steep and scary. Britton Springs isn’t so far as the crow flies but then there way up high and can clear alot of the terrain. I would hate to be one of the horses from a year ago and sent up Burnt Timber. It would utterly exhaust me. It’s no wonder that horses got back up foot sore.
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Margaret – THAT is a day in Paradise. I wish I coulda been you for just a few moments – to be able to carry a picture like that in my wallet for the rest of my life.
Makes all the rest of this pale by comparison.
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Thanks but alot of it I can’t talk about. I can only say that it wasn’t as easy as I must have made it sound.
The horses are so special. Not just to me but to all of us who work so hard for them. They don’t know our names for them nor do they really care. But to watch a stallion nipping on his offspring and understanding what I am seeing only makes the experience that much richer. For that, I owe a huge thanks to Ginger because of her films and how she explains things.
I also have a picture of a Marmot. I guess he’s part beaver and something else. This one lives up near Taggart Lake in the Tetons. They live in the rocks.
And moose! I saw two bulls at the junction of 22/390 in Wyoming. It is believed they are twins who have lived together since birth. It’ll be hard this fall as they go into the rut because at that point they are driven by hormones. Friends and family are forgotten in those times. I can only hope that afterwards they can go back to being best buddies and family.
I saw lots of bison. They make this low grunting sound. At first I was a bit worried that they were getting ready to charge. But as I took a moment to really listen it sounded like they were talking to each other. Probably saying something like–who is that silly woman taking our pictures when its about to pour rain on our heads! They sounds never increased in volume or intensity. If it had you can bet I would have been backtracking out of there in a jiffy.
I’ll try tonight to resize a few photos and try to put them up at photobucket. I hope RT that you’ll let me post the addy so people can see them if they choose too. Or you could even put them up here if you care to.
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Margaret, Its so wonderful to hear your report with the names of the horses. Makes it seem so real, as if we are there.
Thank you.
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Wow, Margaret, what an adventure! Amazing you saw Big Foot! I just watched Challenge of the Stallions again today. . . it is so sad that the offspring of Cloud were taken off the mountains. . . also that so many foals were lost again and again to mountain lion predation, verified by the BLM trapper at the time.
PZP use I am afraid will prove to be overkill on these horses. People don’t seem to know the mountain lion count; they don’t seem to be able to get a handle on it. They only go by Lions “harvested” to base their guesses. And years there is too much snow to hunt them, they all survive. And take foal after foal.
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HEY BOB,
KNOW HOW TO SPELL “CATTLE?” DOES ANYONE WRITING BLM PRESS RELEASES KNOW HOW TO SPELL “CATTLE?” I JUST HAVEN’T SEEN YOU GUYS USE THE WORD. ARE YOU ALLOWED?
OR MAYBE YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO WRITE NUMBERS IN THE MILLIONS? I SEE YOU GOT THE NUMBERS IN THE 30 THOUSANDS — FOR THE HORSES.
BUT THE NUMBERS IN THE MILLIONS TO GO WITH THE SPELLING OF THE WORD CATTLE? I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE YOU DON’T GET ALL THOSE COMMAS AND ZEROS.
OH WAIT. WITH MONEY YOU DO. BUT NOT COMMAS, ZEROS, AND CATTLE TOGETHER. MAYBE YOU’RE NOT ALLOWED TO USE THOSE COMMAS AND ZEROS WITH THE WORD CATTLE.
WHY DON’T YOU BOB? AREN’T YOU ALLOWED? WHO IS NOT LETTING YOU?
I’LL TELL YOU WHAT, I GOT A GREAT IDEA BOB. LET’S JUST YOU AND ME MAKE A BUNCH OF APPOINTMENTS AND GO AROUND TO THE HOUSE AND SENATE OFFICES. WE’LL GO TOGETHER, JUST YOU AND ME. YOU CAN SAY HOW MANY THOUSANDS OF HORSES THERE ARE OUT THERE ON THEIR LEGAL RANGE. THEN I’LL SAY HOW MANY MILLIONS OF CATTLE THERE ARE OUT THERE ON THE HORSES’ LEGAL RANGE TOO. HOW ABOUT THAT?
THEN YOU WON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING IN TROUBLE BECAUSE YOU SAID IT. I’LL SAY IT FOR YOU BOB. IT’S OK, WHATEVER THE REASON IS YOU CAN’T SAY IT YOURSELF BOB, I’LL SAY IT FOR YOU.
WE CAN START WITH THE 54 LAWMAKERS WHO WROTE AND SIGNED THE LETTER YOU SEEM CONCERNED WITH NOW BOB. IT WILL BE GREAT!
WE’LL JUST BE TELLING THEM THE TRUTH….YOU WON’T GET IN TROUBLE FOR THAT, WILL YOU, BOB?….BOB?….
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Way to Go, Rob. Thanks.
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Keep that energy comin’ Rob! lol
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I called Susan Benkelman, she gave me the editors number. Charlie Mitchell 202-824-6830. He is who you would need to contact to have a rebuttle/comment letter get in.
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Ookee Dokee…let’s get bck ontrack here. Mr Abbey, bought and paid for with our tax dollars, with an April OIG report of problems with science (not to mention the crap stats and comments) was allowed a platform on one of the most important Congressional “mouthpieces” in this country.
Reminder…everyone elected or working for Congress reads this. Lobbyists read this (and apparently seem to have an “in”).
Do the link RT provided. Demand equal time. Ring the phones off the hook ’cause seems good ol’ CQ-RC doesn’t do emails…how funny?!?!
I wonder if Honorable Landrieu, Ensign, Byrd’s replacement, Grijvala, Rahall, Whitfield will find the time to demand equal time at such an important DC mouthpiece? We shall see.
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So Bob, you say that “the euthanasia of excess healthy horses for which there is no adoption demand…….the BLM will not consider those management options as part of the new strategy under development.”
How seemingly generous of you. HOWEVER… you were SECRETLY planning to do just that not too long ago, Bob. Remember? And the plan was not to tell anyone, remember that Bob? Only we found out about it.
You guys really need to do a better job keeping your lies straight. Because we ADVOCATES are doing a much better job paying attention than you are. And we are exposing all your lies. And people are noticing.
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Oh the lies we weave, when first we try to decieve.
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except two things: (1) the euthanasia of excess healthy horses for which there is no adoption demand and (2) the unrestricted sale of unadopted animals.
Robin I think he meant that these options were not up for discussion. In other words “They were written in Stone” and not to be discussed.
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The BLM Public Relations machine, including Bob Abbey’s forays into ‘print,’ is being bought and paid for (by us, yes) in order to engage us and slow us down and get us on tangents and derail us if possible.
The fight may be waged on line, primarily, but the horses and the Advocate Activists are on the range and they need Your help.
It is one thing to counter what BLM spins but you have to keep reaching beyond what you already know and confirming old news. Do not put anything past DOI/BLM and find a route to keep the Advocacy Active and alive, please, off the blogs. Have you fed your Advocacy today?? If everyone of you here would give $25. a week to support Active Advocates in the field we would be moving a little faster and have more current and pressing information worrying BLM. Talk is cheap somedays. Feed the Advocacy well and watch BLM squirm more. They are not squirming enough. mar
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I like Rob’s idea! also, I think you(Rob) and Bob should go out to the LTH and STH facilities and actually COUNT the horses that are left there.
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P.S. AM I A “WILD HORSE ACTIVIST”? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN BOB? AM I ONE STEP AWAY FROM BEING A WILD HORSE T-WORD? YOU ALREADY HAVE ME PEGGED IN AN “AGGRESSIVE” CAMPAIGN.
WHAT I AM, IS THE HOLDER OF A B.S. IN WATERSHED HYDROLOGY “WITH DISTINCTION” FROM THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, AN M.S. IN EDUCATION, AND A 12 YEAR VOLUNTEER FOR THE BLM.
I GIVE THE HORSES A LEGAL VOICE. I CAN NO LONGER VOLUNTEER FOR THE AGENCY IN GOOD CONSCIENCE WITHOUT DOING SO.
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You go Rob!!!!
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So Mr Abby where is your prized pregnant mare and you running her with a helicoptor for 10 miles? where is your 2 month old foal being pushed with a helicoptor?
Mr. Abby, for adoption notices you put up HANDBILLS and get radio mentions and have a small list on the blm website of adoption dates. That is not enough. Please look at how dog and cat shelters list the animals on the internet! Think if they used HANDBILLS (with no pictures) that would be enough to get the word out? of course not!
The BLM have to try HARDER using the INTERNET to adopt the wild horses. Every single wild horse you have in holding and in adoption facilities should have a picture and history up on the internet.
The wild horses are not over populated on the wild… YOU made the land smaller using thousands of miles of barbed wire fencing and letting more CATTLE than horses on the same range.
And you have millions and millions of empty acres with NO wild horses on those acres. Places where horses thrived untouched by man for hundreds of years are EMPTY.
Put those wild horses you keep in tiny corrals back on their lands!
Take down the 10 thousand miles of barbed wire fence and those horses in holding will stop costing millions when they are back out on land where they thrive for FREE.
And do NOT BLOCK the water..we know that trick of blocking water and that trick of yours kills horses and that will never be allowed.
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Well, considering the DOI was found to have no scientific integrity, I think we can all ignore any statistics Mr. Abbey throws out there. I think it is time for Mr. Abbey to retire after 32 years of clearing the lands of wild horses. Time for the good ole boys network to be dismantled.
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To whomever wrote this drivel:
Your blatent use of the inflamatory PR word “activist” is completely transparent to us. I realize it’s vital you portray the “advocates” in the most negative light possible to keep your job. You’ve been tasked with manipulating an audience of the uninformed and you’re doing your very best to please your masters. Personally, I couldn’t stomach working as a BLM PR poodle, but it’s your job and you’re welcome to it.
Please keep in mind we won’t stop our “advocacy” until we’ve INFORMED countless more citizens about the BLM’s betrayal of our American Mustangs & Burros and our public lands and waterways. Then the people who pay your salary can make up their own minds based on facts – not spin and propaganda.
P.S. If we WERE “activists” by now you would have seen way more “activity” than you bargained for!
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“except two things: (1) the euthanasia of excess healthy horses for which there is no adoption demand and (2) the unrestricted sale of unadopted animals.”
That quote really shook me. I am sure he is stating that these will not be open for discussion because they are Part of the plan and needed.
Selling with out “restriction” is especially appaling. At least Canada will no longer take them.
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Shirley, I know we talked about this when the WH&B “new proposal” came out. I thought it meant these options were OFF the table, but now I’m not sure. Does anyone know for sure?
If they indeed ARE going to be options the BLM will not discuss/remove, then I guess my above post to Bob was totally wrong. But, unlike Bob and the BLM, at least I can admit it.
Anyway, thank you for pointing that out for me Shirley.
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Sounds to me that Mr. Abbey and the good ole boys are feeling some heat from the public that is exposing them. They are trying to cover their tracks with all of their media babble. I don’t like my tax dollars paying for this on top of the way they waste my money paying the Catoors to harass and kill the public’s horses. We must be making big waves if the BLM feels it necessary to try to defend itself this way. The only thing is, they continue to expose how they have totally mismanaged this program. I guess they think everyone is as incompetent as they are. They finally published the Calico horse updated today-TUESDAY. You see, they can not only NOT add they also do not know the days of the week.
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All it takes is one phone call to the BLM to discover they are liars. My husband and I were not involved until the round-up on Pryor Mountain. We called BLM over Labor Day weekend and were assured the older horses would be released, as per the published “plan.” Then the waffling began – they would adopt the older horses – no they wouldn’t because they weren’t “adoptable” and finally an opportunity to give to a good cause – buying back Conquistador et al so they could remain FREE. Just one phone call is all it takes to open your eyes and then you are an “activist” not a taxpayer or an interested party, an “activist.”
Well, Mr. Abbey, two can play that game. I do not believe the WH&B program has had a director since Jim Baca left. You are a mere figurehead, and a very paranoid one due to recent bad press your agency has earned, not just from the public, but from the HSUS, ASPCA, and 54 members of congress. The momentum has started, but let’s not forget who started it – your agency did! There are more people on board for the wild horses now than there are opponents. Senator Landrieu has put your agency on notice. You will face tremendous adversity in September when your agency “testifies” before Congress. You will watch as your “scientific” methods vaporize. And maybe, just maybe a new agency with true science, one lacking the round-up mentality will emerge! But don’t worry, I’m sure “Secretary” Salazar will find another place for ya!
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DEMAND CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY-ROLL CALL PROVIDE REBUTTAL TO BOB “FAIRY TALE” ABBEY’S MEGA CRAP….SEEMS CONGRESS HAS MORE THAN ONE ONE TROLL PROTECTING SALAZAR, THE GULF DEBACLE AND THE EXTERMINATION OF THE WILD EQUINES.
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fFYI….. Congress can shut these garbage speakers and equine killers down in a heart beat…at any time. And they don’t because???????
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Whatever everyone is doing, KEEP ON doing it. We are speaking TRUTH to power.
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Check out “Roll Call”. There is a catagory under “investigations”. That is where this article belongs.
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OR–we can all write to them at this address:
1255 22nd Street N.W. · Washington, D.C. 20037
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These would be the people to contact at “Roll Call” about this article:
Editorial Masthead
Editorial Director and Senior Vice President: Mike Mills
CQ STAFF
NEWS
Executive Editor: Susan Benkelman
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“Activist”–our country was founded upon activism. If not for activism, we would all be speaking with a British accent and flying the Union Jack. I’m proud to be a part of our country’s heritage. Perhaps Bob forgets our country’s history–whoops, I guess that’s a silly statement, when you consider his lack of understanding of American’s respect of the history and heritage our wild horses. symbolize. And yes, we are doing something right and the House is doing something right–to see that he is scrambling to do damage control on the rising numbers of Americans who are fed up with the BLM’s wild horse policies.
I go to our Farmer’s Market every week and set up a booth and talk to shoppers about our wild horses–have done this for 9 weeks. Every single person I have talked to (100’s of folks) knows that our wild horses are being tragically rounded up, is against the BLM roundups, and wants to know what can be done to stop it. So it’s not just a handful of “activists,” Bob. It’s the American public.
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After spending several hours with the U. S. Code yesterday, I wrote both of my senators and representative. The U. S. Code that Mr. Abbey refers to also states that the BLM should consult ecologists and biologists who may not have any connection to federal or state government before removing horses.
Here’s money saying that there are no census numbers to support Mr. Abbey’s contention that wild horse herds are growing at a rate of 20%. At least not valid and independently verifiable census numbers.
His personal leadership of the BLM has not been an example of either ethical or scientific integrity. If the BLM were conducting its horse management program in a manner that was consistent with good, peer reviewed science, then they would not have to worry about the light of day illuminating the story for the public. But, as we know, they are not, so he is trying to sling mud.
In addition, to writing letters to members of Congress and other political leaders, I agree that an effective strategy is to meet face to face with our elected leaders. Some other ideas are to meet with media in our local area and try to get articles published. One last idea, we might try to work with the public schools in our areas and do a joint lesson with a language arts teacher where we present information about wild horses and their plight at an age appropriate level. The language arts teacher might be interested in teaching a letter writing lesson, and this would give students something to write about. It can also be a good lesson about citizenship, so if it works out better for social studies, it could be presented here. Just ideas…
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Look at you, dear Hoofhugs, all bangin’ out the research.
Looking beneath & behind.
We see the face of this every day. I see Bureauists, hearing them repeat the same litanies over and over ( if I hear “…thriving ecological balance” one more time, I’m gonna tear a building down with my teeth), the same variations on a theme, I have to wonder if even THEY no longer look behind the curtain.
mr. abbey seems genuinely surprised things are going sideways, as if the notion of an agency declaration no longer taken at face value by the Public is beyond belief.
Also we have to take into consideration WHO mr. abbey’s article was aimed at. It sounds a bit desperate.
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One of the points that I included in my letters yesterday that the 1971 law was passed unanimously by Congress. I questioned by whose authority could the Secretary of the Interior pressume to be the one man change or act in a manner contradictory to a law unanimously passed by Congress and signed into law. The same U. S. Code Mr. Abbey cites has a section 1339 which explicitly states that the Secretary does not have the authority to move the wild horses from where they lived in 1971 to other public lands.
Second, I reminded them that the Secretary had already been found to have lied about scientific evidence to a federal judge.
The U. S. code describes a pattern of behavior as that which has happened in two or more cases. So, we need to put our heads together, get names, dates, detailed descriptions of events, and develop documentation of where there are consistent patterns of poor horse management practices.
Wonder why the article did not include Mr. Abbey’s time spent in a Nevada real estate agency or his work as a consultant?
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As the HMAs come up for comment they often say what the % growth rate is to that population and I see 10%, 12% and some lower. That 20% is way out of line. BLM knows it and uses it for the extreme it creates. It is spin. It is a decoy and it is a lie. mar
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editing….
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Bob- Why do you conveniently forget horses die? Young ones old ones, wild and domestic. The mortality rate has got to be taken into consideration!!! Anybody who has watched the Cloud Series, saw death up close and personal. Spend one afternoon with Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom for confirmation. ALL animals die- at some point their life will end. So why doesn’t the government take DEATH into consideration? I know we’ve all asked this same question… over and over and….
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“As it stands now, the free-roaming herd population of 38,400 exceeds by nearly 12,000 the number that the BLM has determined can exist in balance with other public rangeland resources and uses.”
Hey Boob! (well, “if the shoe fits…”)
You directed me to your agencies website, (blm.gov) “for accurate, timely information on the BLM’s management of wild horses.” (Ask and you shall receive, Boob… Bob, whatever) What I learned there, Boob, was that the shoe does indeed, fit! :
“The BLM estimates that more than 38,000 wild horses and burros are roaming on BLM-managed rangelands…” The key word being “ESTIMATES”.
It’s just an “estimate” Boob, but at this stage of the game, it’s probably not a good idea to say one thing, then send people to a “facts” page that shoves your foot in your mouth.
You DON’T KNOW how many wild horses are left on public lands. Taking that FACT into consideration, you CAN’T KNOW 12,000 is too many. You just flat-out lied.
You’re not only a boob, Bob… you’re a stupid one, thank God!
Go ADVOCATES Go!
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YOU ARE A GOOD GIRL, MELISSA OHLSSON.
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Ok, we got Boob on the run – this is definatly a Defence strategy.
He tried a total blackout in attempt to keep us quite – backfired!
In fact when that blackout escalated back on them they sent the women, Debbie and Heather to attempt Offense on us (BTW, I’m personally offended and embarrased for them that BLM sent women out on the Offensive while the men hide behind their desks) with claims from the “Uninformers” BLM that we are “Unimformed” – backfired!
A couple of more cats out of the bag – 1st Amendment – backfired! FAA flight prohibitions – backfired! Emergency roundup due to lack of water – backfired! Every tale of “starving” horses – backfired!
“Informed opinon from oneof the public” – it is cattle that are overpopulated on Public Lands, plain and simple. Here is my science, as good as BLMs, AMU, HMA, XYZ, ABC for “estimated” acceptable Cattle population on Public Lands – ZERO, NONE, NOTTA.
Acceptable amount of tax dollars to be paid to welfare ranchers – ZERO, NONE, NOTTA.
Any rational reason that BLM should even be in the FRWH&B business – ZERO, NONE, NOTTA.
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American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
Dear AWHPC Supporter,
We have been sending you frequent emails asking you to take action to oppose the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) summer offensive against our wild horses. Please know that our letters are having an effect. Never before has the BLM been under such intense public pressure, and now Now is the time to keep it up! Please read below and take action. Thank you so much for caring!
Sincerely,
The AWHPC Team
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Thanks Louie,
We need all of these we can get.
And good reminders also of the work that needs to be done.
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Go to the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign website and see the letter. Letters need to be out by FRIDAY.
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Thanks Lisa!
Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcuB7bygqfU
to watch my new video, “Wild Horses Want You to Know”. It’s a compilation of roundup photos, protest/rally pics and BLM BS! I checked back here to collect some of Boob’s lies to post on my FB page then I’m off to the AWHPC website to get my letter out by Friday’s deadline! Squirm Boob, squirm… Good lackey, here’s a cow pie… JUMP!
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My video, “WILD HORSES WANT YOU TO KNOW” can be found here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jO-IEL0ysI
Sorry for the mistake!
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Melissa,
Beautiful, powerfull! The music is bold and perfectly paced. You are so talented.
Thank you.
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Yes, Melissa, I just watched it and emailed it to several people.
Very very good!
You get an A++
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Face the Facts and do not lie, the Ruby Pipeline is your greatest concern now and all the natural gas from our public lands and lets not forget mining this is important to for the Greediness of the Govt and especially you two Mr. Salazar and Abbey I was wondering if someday President Obama could come to the west and see the symbol of our freedom running the range and then go to one of the corrals after a roundup not a gathering that word stinks. The Cattlemen are having a good time over the policies of the BLM too but be wary of our Govt gentlemen your next and then our public land will no longer belong to the American people but to our Govt in which we will have to have permission to enter.The Native Americans were first, the Wild Horses are ongoing as of now and Cattlemen Beware the East is invading the west and they have more money to do it and WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA will suffer way more than we are now, look where we are already and it’s not getting any better. I PRAY FOR OUR LEADERS!! and most of all for all the WILD HORSES AND FOALS who are losing their mothers in these corrals.
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Wendell, Right on! So well said.
Two things need to happen NOW (more, but I’ll just state these two for now):
1) Cattle interests need to wake up. Give that wild horse land back, remove as many cattle as you can right now, more next year, support the moretorium on roundups and “join” rational, reasonable, science based wild horse managment conversation and stop the stockpiling of wild horses – do this before the Public wipes our all Welfare Ranching tax allotments.
2) Hold BLM accountable NOW for energy projects – lets not waite for a BP sized Gulf Spill – this should concern everyone. There must be real conversation and compromise on energy sharing the Public Lands – not just bulldozing across the wilderness, fast track, no permits – just spelling disaster for EVERYONE in the making.
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If we do not learn from history we are doomed to repeat it.
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