Press Release from The Cloud Foundation
BLM aims Choppers at American Mustangs and young Foals
Pluto with his older brother ~ Photo by Makendra Silverman
Portland, OR (August 18, 2010)—The Stinkingwater wild horse herd of Southeastern Oregon is slated for a near complete removal in a summer helicopter roundup scheduled to begin today. Concerned citizens in Oregon and across the country have been calling for a stop to this unnecessary and costly action. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to roundup all 214 wild horses and young foals they claim live in the area and release back only 40, leaving 20 stallions and 20 mares. At least one mare with a less than two-week-old foal are in danger from this roundup. Horses will be pushed over miles of rugged country criss-crossed with barbed wire fences in this roundup planned to last five days.
“The range is beautiful with abundant water and forage but it is managed as a cattle ranch- not as a wild horse range”, explains Cloud Foundation Associate Director, Makendra Silverman, who visited the range last week in a Herd-Watch capacity. “I found a less than one-week old foal and named him Pluto, assuming he is the last foal of the season. Running Pluto over these sharp volcanic rocks and rough terrain even a mile could be fatal.”
Although outnumbered 20:1 by privately-owned livestock in Stinkingwater, BLM has determined that only 40 wild horses may live on this 133 square-mile range. Minimal genetically-viable levels are set at 150-200 adult horses. Not one Oregon herd, including the famous Kiger mustangs, have herd levels set above 150.
“We’ve seen this again and again,” explains Cloud Foundation Director, Ginger Kathrens. “BLM sets their ridiculously low “appropriate” management levels at non-viable numbers and then turns around and zeros out the entire wild horse or burro herd for being ‘too small to manage’—the American public wants our wild herds preserved, not destroyed.”
Advocates fear that deaths will occur in Stinkingwater as a helicopter runs panicked horses and foals through a maze of barbed-wire fences.
“In 1990 the Government Accountability Office Report underscored that wild horse removals did not significantly improve range conditions,” explains Kathrens. “The report pointed to cattle as the culprit as they vastly outnumber horses on BLM-managed public lands and reported that wild horse removals are not linked to range conditions, noting the lack of data provided by BLM. Oregon has lost over half of the original wild horse and burro herds designated for protection in 1971.”
“I hope that I might return to find Pluto and his family safe in Stinkingwater- enjoying the precious freedom granted to them by Congress but so often dismissed by the BLM” concludes Silverman.
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Links of interest:
Wild Horses: Management or Stampede to Extinction? Reno Gazette Special http://bit.ly/stampede2ext
Makendra’s blog post “a visit to Stinkingwater” http://bit.ly/VisitSW
Wild Horse Roundup Begins in California http://bit.ly/cuUZQN
PR Firm Hired for the Destruction of America’s Wild Horse and Burro Herds http://bit.ly/czf3HB
‘Herd-Watch: Public Eyes for Public Horses’ http://bit.ly/9Wvh58
Wild Horse and Burro Act http://bit.ly/a7hOeS
Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit. America’s Disappearing Wild Horses http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/wild.html
Disappointment Valley… A Modern Day Western Trailer- excellent sample of interviews regarding the issues http://bit.ly/awFbwm
Fact Sheet on Wild Herds & The Salazar Plan http://bit.ly/bfdX1y
Shortlink to this release online: http://bit.ly/stinkingwater
Shortlink to photos available for download:
Past Cloud Foundation press releases http://bit.ly/TCFpress
Photos (online here), video and interviews available from:
The Cloud Foundation makendra@thecloudfoundation.org, 719-633-3842
The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud’s herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.
107 S. 7th St. – Colorado Springs, CO 80905 – 719-633-3842
Related articles by Zemanta
- A Visit to Stinkingwater: An Oregon Herd (thecloudfoundation.wordpress.com)
- Twin Peaks – Roundup Under Way: Over Half California’s Wild Horses, to Be Gone (humaneobserver.blogspot.com)
- Two-Week-Old Wild Horse Shot and Killed Before California Roundup (ppjg.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Didn’t Obama support antislaughter and pro wild equine legislation when he was in Congress?
Guess he is letting Slaughterczar have his way so as not to anger the extraction and welfare livestock trolls. Newsflash Mr. President…they have and always will dispise you, so why sacrafice our natural resources and wildlife for voters you will never get????????
Question: If Congress said 71k wild equines where found with the 1971 Act was/is supposed ro be the acceptable numbar for population, why are they rounding up what’s left of 31k free-roaming wild equines? Isn’t that well outside of their mandate/standards levels? Factor in the 33k plus dying in concentration camps and it’s off the graph of any form of management save for extermination. How any judge doesn’t see that is beyond my comprehension.
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My suggestion is that we start a online petiton to list the wild horses as an endangered species..there are certainly less of them upon the land than any other species of wildlife unlisted at this time..when they are branded and removed they are no longer considered wild and free roaming..so 37,000 in holding doesn’t count toward the total of wild horses left…In 1971 after wild horse annies act was passed…a bill came before congress to list them as an endangered species…congress adjorned before voting on it and didn’t pick it up when they back..The wild horses are more at danger because their reproduction rate is so much lower than other species..if they are lucky they have a foal, and if they are really lucky…it survives…we certainly don’t see a 20% foal rate on herds being rounded up..and folks-even if it was 20% that is not sufficent…most wildlife have multiple births and litters during a year..not the horses..it is rare for twins to concieve and be carried even in domestic breeding programs and survival rates are low without intervention..The reason mother nature designed wild animals for multiple births and multiple pregnancys within a season..to help those species survival..Someone has got to straighten up the garbled science of the crayon division of BLM and put it into the prospective of other wildlife. Over population is a BS theory of the BLM manufactured to serve their undisclosed purposes..which we now see unfolding..Lets start that petition on several sites and scare the bee geezus out of the BLM..could it get worse BLM..YES IT CAN!
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Lets present these petitions with as much statistics as we can roundup showing the relation of the numbers animals as they now exist on the land to the number of wild horses, lets show the annual birth numbers..we are fighting the BLM’s “spin” numbers and have to overcome that propaganda that has been drilled into people..so just a simple petition will not do, show people convincing statistics that prove our contentions..everyone put that petition on your facebook page..brow.beat your friends until they put it up! Everyone could pick a species and research it out..many of us have become involved in trying to help these other species and have statistics..post them if you do so we can pull this all together as a petition)s) and a PDF that we can forward to our elected officials
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Sandra Is at Stinking Water today and I hope she will see what becomes of Pluto’s band. They better beware of our cowgirl in their midst! mar
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Oh Lordy, don’t get shot Sandra we need you. What would we do without you keeping us in line and fired up? Cowgirls rule, esp the outspoken ones.
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Sandra is on her way home to tell us what she saw…. so far OK. mar
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Has anyone of us had any positive input when we contact our senators besides shock when we tell the aides what is going on. I’m sick of being told this weeks version of “I’ll let the Senator know” and yet NOTHING has been done. Nor is it likely that anything will be done based on the non-reaction we have seen so far. Doesn’t mean we quit though, oh no! Banner being designed and will be coming to a fence near me soon.
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Morgan, I mailed the BLM what I consider a postive and constructive proposal for the BLM WH&BP going forward. There were some criticisms of past actions, but not much more than the Agency has already admitted.
I requested confirmation they received the packet, but nothing so far. At least it hasn’t been returned unopened. The contact process is such a maze, I wonder if I should submit it again electronically?
I’d be happy to send it as an email attachment to anyone who’s interested. Some advocates may dismiss it completely, which is perfectly fine with me. I’m only one person with ideas that may conflict with other’s positions, but, regardless, I sure would appreciate some feedback.
My email address is: lckhorn3@sisna.com.
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Linda,
Maybe it is time for R.J. to publish it, Linda. I feel it is a very valuable, clearly written, thoughtful plan that is well illustrated from a real horse person.
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Janet – R.J.?
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wrote: I mailed the BLM what I consider a postive and constructive proposal for the BLM WH&BP going forward. There were some criticisms of past actions, but not much more than the Agency has already admitted.
I requested confirmation they received the packet, but nothing so far. At least it hasn’t been returned unopened. The contact process is such a maze, I wonder if I should submit it again electronically?
I’d be happy to send it as an email attachment to anyone who’s interested.
I would email again as an electronic email attachement “for sure!
Can you print the report on this forum too ?
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ps I meant to say Linda wrote that; I would email or publish on blog
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Morgan, let me know what you come up with on the banner, so I can order one 2-thought I would get to it this week but going to 2 different “stampedes this week in 2 different states and don’t think I will have time..If you can post it others can go there too..I am not to lazy to do it myself..just too tied up at the momment..thanks
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still no luck finding camo outfit or stars and stripes for stampede appropriate dress..LOL
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Sandra, you have to go to a Western store for the stars and stripes and how about “Academy ” or Cabellas for Camo.
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The executive branch has failed us, the judicial branch has failed us so all that is left is the legislative branch. I called the natural resources committee today and their suggestion is to keep the pressure On Senator Landrieu and Reed. Landrieu needs to make sure her bill is voted on. Personal letters are the best way. Yes I had a positive reply from my congressman (one who never votes for animals or environment) but said he would vote for legislation to stop roundups.I will say the natural resources person was shocked that I am from pennsylvania. We need to get more people involved.
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good job Faith!
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Thanks for the tip Faith about the National Resources Committee. I will give them a call as another person from Pennsylvania!
I am wondering if we should send written letters by certified mail to make sure that they are at least opened? Emails can be deleted so easy.
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IDA has a couple of well written letters — to personalize and send–they go to Obama, BLM personnel( Abbey/Salazar). I don’t know what really happens to those messages….. BLM is out of control.
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WHAT THE HELL IS GOING HERE WITH THE BLM,THEY THINK THEY OWN EVERY WILD HORSE HERD IN AMERICA!!! THEY ARE ALL OVER THE WEST REDUCING WILD HORSE HERDS. I AM SO ANGRY OVER THIS AND IT NEEDS TO STOP AND STOP NOW!! I WOULD LIKE TO PUT SOME OF THOSE BLM PEOPLE OUT ON THE DESERT AND CHASE THEM WITH A HELICOPER. THESE HORSES WERE HERE BEFORE ANYONE ELSE AND THEY DESERVE ALL THE FREEDOM THEY NEED.TELL THE CATTLE BARONS,THERE DAM COWS ARE THE ONES DESTROYING THE RANGELAND,NOT THE HORSES.I PLAN TO PROTEST EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE ROUND UPS.BLM PULL YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR BUTT AND LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE AND NOT YOURSELF.
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And, read Makendra’s report on the Cloud Foundation blog. She found barbed wire out there and volunteers are asked to go help clean up. WHAT is the BLM doing? That is THEIR job and they should be doing it.
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HI Sisterhood, and brothers! just a brief note before I go out and feed my critters in the dark…Pluto is alive and well and the darling of the photographers…he now has his own following! and may well be adopted by the young son of the very kind and generous ranch owners, who own the “lamb’ ranch//Little pluto was fortunate that he and his band were in close proximatity of the gather site and they were captured by them selves and were already at the holding facility, bagged and tagged as 130 and 134..15 horses were taken the day before, momma was chalked with the mark 18 on her hip at the gather site…which I asked about..why 18 if there were only 15 horses..I was told there were no reported horses put down for any cause and all OLD Stallions are returned to the HMA..NOT gelded…Tara was unaware that geldings had ever been returned to this HMA, and I had updated her on that…No question that came to mind was unasked, and I had many..I have one point to make-to any of you who attend these roundups..find your voice, do not be silent and do not be intimidated! more later before I leave for Twin Peaks..a last note…Pluto was not the youngest or last born..a very tiny pale palamino-the size of a new born falwn came in the last herd..it was terrifying as they fought the helicopter all the way and refused to go near or in, and at this point I raised a fuss…and had a defining momment…of conversation with our BLM guide about what the protocols are of the WH&B handbook on young foals and why that needs to be followed…nothing like a good dust up to make me happy!!!
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very tiny pale palamino-the size of a new born fawn came in the last herd..”
What happened, was it penned (with its mother) or did it escape.
Thanks for the report. Glad Pluto seems safe.
You are very brave.
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They were finally gathered the last pass they came down the barbed wire fence in frount of us and we were all down on the ground so as not to distract them..they didn’t even look at us..but I was making a plan if that foal was pushed into the barbed wire i was going in to get it out knowing someone was going to be trying to grab me by the leg..that was tense..they stood against the fence and then turned and went down hill to the trap..the gather ended and we were escorted out and to the highway and 30 miles to the holding facility where I wanted to see pluto myself to know he was alright…it was only 2 hours later some of the horses arrived from the gather…the mares with tiny babies didn’t arrive..all the other mares and their foals in another load came and were reunited immediately upon arrival..these guys are so much better than what we saw at the calico’s..so I do not know ..with my own eyes that the baby is OK..it was as tiny as a premeey..but she was not a big mare and could have been a young maiden mare with a first foal they tend to be born smaller..Imagine tho, a thourbred is conditioned and built up to run a mile and a quarter, and many break down..this foal was brand new ..at most a day..and ran for miles with adults..I got to tell you it had the heart of a champion, I just hope it will survive any after effects.
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Thank Sandra for the report. glad to hear about Pluto and his fan club. We knew you would ask the questions and wait for the answers. Clap off the dust and hit the sack you’ve got miles more to go and many questions yet to ask.
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would like to say we were all very well treated by the BLM personel at the Burns location… no armed gaurds or violations of civil rights….And there is no doubt…I tested poor Taras patience thru a very long day that started at 4:30 am and ended at around 2:30, and have tremendous respect for her, Normally i am a laughing and joking person, but the roundups themselves are very tense, I am so aware of what can and does go wrong, and that this is the last day of their wild and free roaming life as a wild horse..it is sobering..but i urge you all to fight the sadness with dermination, to do more, to say more, to ALWAYS speak for the horses…My speaking up-is not some militant action, but a duty and responsability, these are OUR horses, they are NOT owned by the BLM as signs everywhere in the facility tell you, they are held “IN TRUST” for the American people as our are public lands..This has been definatively stated in a court of law, and we must assert our ownership by voicing our concerns over “policys” of the BLM and work to change them.
I have posted some of my experience and thoughts over at TCF on the stinkingwater post of Makendras, as I know her heart is invested there as well and she is out of town as I will be soon -and little time to post when i return…If you are reading from home and cannot go on the road, trust me, I take each and everyone of you with me when i go, we give each other power and strength as we all do our part to keep the horses wild and free! The sisterhood and brother hood that makes up the family unit of the ‘wild and free roaming”, mustang advocate!
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they are held “IN TRUST” for the American people as our are public lands..This has been definatively stated in a court of law,”
If we could only find that pro court of law NOW. I am so disappointed by our Justice (?) system.
If I were only 60 years younger I’d be out fighting with you for our Horses. Keep up the good work.
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Shirley, it is your 60 years of experience and wisdom that is MUCH needed. It doesn’t matter where you are or how you do it–just know that you are VALUED.
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Wow, Louie, thank you. Made my 82 years feel like 50 again. LOL.
I’m writing, I’m phoning, I’m donating. Sometimes I get confused as to what I did last to who. But there sure are some GOOD, energetic people on here to be thankful for. Go, team, go!
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Lov ya Shirley! Keep showin them your dust and kicking up your heels..even if we no longer wear 4 in. heels…
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