Press Release from HfH Advisory Council and The Cloud Foundation
Suit seeks immediate injunction, cites BLM’s violations of four Congressional Acts
New York City, NY (October 7, 2010)— A case filed today against Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar in federal court aims to stop the elimination of wild horses from Colorado’s North Piceance herd area. Plaintiffs Habitat for Horses (HfH), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), The Cloud Foundation (TCF), Toni Moore and Dr. Don Moore challenge the BLM’s ongoing illegal treatment of wild horses residing on public lands and it’s intention to completely remove all wild horses from this area beginning October 11, 2010.
The Plaintiffs’ attorneys, Bruce Wagman (Schiff Hardin) and Valerie Stanley, are asking the court for an injunction to stop BLM from removing any of these wild horses pending a complete judicial review of the BLM’s conduct. The complaint cites four counts and violations committed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): violation of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, the Information Quality Act and the Federal Land Policy Management Act. The suit has been brought against BLM Director Robert Abbey and Field Manager of the Colorado White River Field Office Kent Walter, in addition to Secretary Salazar.
“The BLM’s ‘shoot from the hip’ policy of indiscriminately destroying and removing long standing wild horse herds has to come to an end,” says R.T. Fitch, Volunteer Executive Director of co-supporting organization HfH Advisory Council, “Poor accounting, outdated data and disengagement from the reality of the range is the hallmark of the BLM’s business plan. They must be stopped.”
On September 10th, 2010 the White River Field office of the BLM issued its final decision to completely and permanently eliminate the herd of wild horses which has lived in partnership with the natural environment in the Herd Area for centuries.
“BLM and other public agencies have eliminated over a third of wild horse herds designated for protection by Congress in 1971,” explains Cloud Foundation Volunteer Executive Director, Ginger Kathrens. “Colorado has only a few hundred wild horses remaining and the destruction of yet another herd is unthinkable—cruel, costly and completely unnecessary. It is a managing to extinction policy that must stop.”
This action is co-funded by HfH Advisory Council and the ASPCA. A suit filed last week to protect the nearby West Douglas wild horse herd has so far resulted in a one-year postponement of that “zeroing out action.” The case remains in court.
The Cloud Foundation, HfH Advisory Council, ASPCA and over 200 other organizations and tens of thousands of members of the public continue to call for an immediate moratorium on BLM wild horse and burro roundups. To date the BLM has not changed course and plans to roundup and remove a total of 3,295 wild horses and burros before the end of the year. Currently, nearly 40,000 wild horses and burros are held in pens and pastures at taxpayer expense.
Links of interest:
Legal documents filed today: http://bit.ly/d7ePWk
Congress Sends Letter for Wild Herds to Secretary Salazar http://bit.ly/54sign
Roundup Schedule- http://bit.ly/roundupsched
American Herds – “What’s Left?” http://bit.ly/WhatsLeft
Unified Moratorium on Roundups Letter http://bit.ly/MoratoriumLtr
Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit. America’s Disappearing Wild Horses – A History http://bit.ly/8ZCk8e
Straight from the Horse’s Heart http://www.sfthh.com
Stampede to Oblivion: An Investigate Report from Las Vegas Now http://bit.ly/Stampede2Oblivion
Shortlink to this release: http://bit.ly/COmustangSuit
Photos, video and interviews available by request from the Cloud Foundation
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, p. 719-633-3842 www.thecloudfoundation.org
The Habitat for Horses Advisory Council is the “The Legal Voice of the American Equine” and is comprised of like-minded equine welfare oriented organizations and individual advocates. The Council works to progress relevant issues imperative to furthering the safety and well being of horses, both domestic and wild, in the United States. Habitat for Horses Advisory Council is a registered 501c4 non-profit corporation. P.O. Box 213, Hitchcock, TX 77563, p.1-800-974-FOTH www.hfhadvisorycouncil.org
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
We are at peak destruction of the herds and we are now under the BLM gun ourselves; to stop the removals and impounding of our wild horses and burros. We have known all along that lives are in the balance. Lives we appreciate and share spirit with. Families who have their own society and law. Every effort you can attempt will be supported, RT and company, Ginger and Friends. Keep going. For the wild ones. mar
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This is a corporate world – all American – trying to end run around the public. Manipulate the politicians into doing their bidding for their profit which is the bottom line. Ask Halliburton and the most recent ex-vice-president what bottom line is. Make money where and however you can, ethics and equal opportunity be dammed. Watch who is making money on this destruction and you will have your perpetrator.
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Thank you.
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YES! So wonderful to see Kent Walter named in this too – he signed that !#$%d EA & ROD (for Piceance,West & East Douglas) that claimed 85 horses was too few for West Douglas. According to Kenty boy and his BLM White River office, W Douglas was a genetically compromised herd, had to be completely removed because there were fewer than 200 while he claimed BLM “wanted” to focus all efforts on managing the East Douglas herd for optimal vigorous condition as they were such a plum herd in a plum spot. Then out of the other side of his CONNIVING mouth, he went on record that East Douglas “needed” to be taken down from over 300 to just ~125 animals, far below the 200 animal minimum that he previously claimed was “required” for West Douglas (i.e. required for any herd as per the EA statement which noted that experts established this necessary minimum and which is true).
CAUGHT! You don’t get it both ways even if you believe everyone will miss it. Not too bright apparently, Kent allowed and approved that lying piece of tripe EA and ROD where one herd has too few to exist/must be zeroed out for that reason, they want to “optimally manage” the other herd but then INTENTIONALLY take it down into low population numbers just like they used to justify exterminating the first herd. Certainly appears to be a move so that next year, they can finish off the East Douglas herd too and zero them out as well. Unethical conniving criminal obstruction of the 1971 Act – if this isn’t it, what is? Just on this one point alone, they all need to lose their jobs, anyone who wrote anything in that EA. They certainly do not deserve one penny of our tax $$ paying their salaries when they blatantly lie and set up their actions to exterminate these horses from THEIR designated lands, OUR horses from OUR lands. Grrrrr….
I hope he reads this here again – I sent him a letter telling him exactly this but no response. Then again, what can you say when you are caught redhanded, looking like the fool and conniving devil that you are?
Sorry, got a little excited but I am SO THRILLED to see this action being brought, so VERY richly deserved by these skeevy cretins. I’m behind you ALL THE WAY, guys! Sue ’em ’til they can’t see straight!
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Keep donating to legal funds and keep doing what we have been doing. Annie’s army is marching forward–picking up where she left off. Lots of work to do. Lots of house to clean–starting with the DEPARTMENT OF THE INFERIOR.
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http://wildhorseletters.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-lawsuits-just-keep-coming.html
Please add your letters to the president on this blog. Pick one, old or new, paste it into the comments on any post, any day. Let’s fill it up with REAL letters begging our President to do the right thing. They cannot deny our letters if they are right there, archived in public view. Please share this widely so we can build it.
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Kathleen, I tried very hard this AM to post a letter. It was VERY unclear just what to do. So I wrote a letter in the Comment box. Then it sent me to a spot that listed a bunch of “list as”. I gave up and tried to go back to the letter. Nope it send me back here. You should make it clearer. My letter might still be in the comment box,. but I can’t find it. It also said “post copies of your letters?” Copy old letter I have written, copy the one in the sample letter area???
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Kathleen, I went to the site and tried to add a letter. The directions were very unclear to me. It said “copies of your letters” Old letters that I had written?
Anyway I wrote a new letter in the comment box, altho it said no comments just letters. When I went to post it, it took me to a box that wanted me to select something or other. I didn’t understand so I went back to the original, or tried to. Instead I ended up back at this site, SFTHH, Help
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Shirley, I’m sorry you had trouble posting your letter. I hope you will try again. Nothing was received as a comment so whatever you did actually did not get through the comment process past the screen you typed on. I’m not sure what the “list as” response was when you tried to add your letter because the blog is set to accept comments from anyone, even from “anonymous” people – there is no limit on anyone being eligible to comment. Please read at this link which explains the purpose and How-to for the blog: http://wildhorseletters.blogspot.com/2010/09/tell-world-voices-for-voiceless.html
Also, I’ve revised the title section of the Blog to make it clearer what we are doing – please review it and let me know if this is helpful. Please note the same link I shared above is also linked in the last sentence of the title area text just before the Gandhi quote.
Included in the info at the above link is the point that we do not care if your letter is new or old — if you wrote to President Obama on this issue at any time since he has taken office, feel free to share a copy of your letter on the blog. We hope you will share all your letters to the President and that our collection will grow so that it cannot go unnoticed. That’s the entire point, exposure.
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Thank you RT and others. Its a sad day when the only way citizens voices can be heard is to sue your own government. RT can you list the case#. I like to go on the PACER system and download the opposing filings also, just to see what nonsense they are snowing a judge with.
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Morgan, this is a good idea. Can we all do this? mar
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This gives you a more thorough idea of the entire case. I was doing this on one of Laura’s cases, was in the process of downloading Abbey’s filings when I had company come to town. The PACER system can be a bit difficult to navigate at first. But if the case is in any Fed. District court it will find it and then you can go in and start downloading the docs. They give you so many pages for free and after that it is 8 cents a page. You put in a credit card and they bill it quarterly. If I get the case # and get a link I’ll post it to make it easy. Also helps to have which district court it is in, but that’s not absolutely necessary.
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Morgan,
Excellent idea on the defendant’s filings via PACER. If you are already downloading and paying for these docs, there is a good possibility you could upload them to a google doc and make them open to anyone to view (but not edit). This means the docs would only need to be purchased ONCE and anyone interested could view them. By all rights, our govt should make these available for free but this could be the next best thing. Just seems crazy for multiple people to be purchasing them when one set could be simply shared. Just a thought.
Another option might be to put them on one of the plaintiff’s websites along with the plaintiff filings which they freely share with us. Of course the various plaintiffs would have to agree (and their lawyers) but the point is anywhere they can be shared would be a good thing, more eyes looking, more brains mulling it over. Why these should be kept from us – like all the other baloney – is part of the entire point: WE ARE PAYING FOR ALL THIS ON EVERY END and WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS, FREELY, to all of it.
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After watching the Intense video above, my heart continues to break for the Wild Mustangs, as it has for many years, We all must continue to Fight for their Lifes, our voices for them must be heard !!! Please all of America call the Presidents comment line and implore him to stop this tragedy (202-456-1111) Our voices must get louder and louder until he listens ,call as many times a day as you can !!!!!!!!! This one thing everyone in America can do, believe me it helps more then we realize……………Meanwhile the screams of the Mustangs continue , can we all imagine the vicious attacks on them by the BLM, an Agency appointed to Protect them?????? America if you truly believe in beauty , Pride and most of all if you believe IN FREEDOM Please help these Beautiful Wild Mustangs, Please JOIN with us Show that you will not stand for this any more…………………………………….AMERICA USE YOUR VOICES TO SAVE THEM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The letter I faxed to Senator Durbin’s office resulted in the aide calling to reassure me that I WILL be meeting with the Senator, maybe not before the elections, but it will happen. A wise person recently said that all we need is ONE highly ranked Senator to call for the moratorium. Maybe it will be Senator Durbin, or maybe your senator! If you feel there is any chance one of your senators might step up beside Mary Landrieu, now is the time!
We also need to support the lawsuits both to keep the names and faces of our warriors in the media and in the hope that a fair federal judge emerges. Surely there is someone around who isn’t a Bush appointee!
This is all I can do given my temperament. It would be unwise for me to observe the cruelty of a roundup.
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Does anyone know if the white stallion of the Silver King herd is OK?
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Shirley it ended badly. The stallion either died on his own or was “humanely” (Bulls Lies and Menegele speak for shot in the head) put down. His mare was forced to endure the same trailer ride with him to the land of black hole. His foal was left behind never to see his mama again.
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No apologies, Mar. I WAS talking about the white stallion, but its good to know of all the horses that the BLM tortures. I just can’t believe how cruel they are. Watching that video of the red stallion hitting the fence and the bas.. hand just continuing to tie up his horse and not even look at the hurt stallion. That was so inhumane, it made me sick.
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The White Stallion was taken to Gunnison. Laura followed and saw him there, but missed unloading while being thoroughly searched and he cameras taken away. He was OK. She has made a request to adopt him and had hoped they would send him to Broken Arrow instead of out of state. Adopters have the ability to request a horse be delivered to them within 400 miles. I hope he is returned to Nevada. She also asked that he remain intact. mar
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Are we talking about the same horse? I thought the sorrel at Silver King was the one she was asking about…ooops I may have gotten the horses mixed up. If so, I apologize.
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FROM THE FEDERAL REGISTER—BLM /LAND SALE
fr10se10N Notice of Realty Action: Competitive Sale of Public Land Near
Size: 13248 , Score: 209 , HTML , PDF , SUMMARY
[38]
fr23jn10N Notice of Realty Action: Competitive Sale of Public Lands in
Size: 14749 , Score: 207 , HTML , PDF , SUMMARY
[39]
fr06au10N Notice of Availability of the Proposed California Desert
Size: 8609 , Score: 206 , HTML , PDF , SUMMARY
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Louie can you give us links this? Or at least the web addy where you found this?
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Here is more BLM land for sale;
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9IMCV480.htm
thanks, JF. mar
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I am just learning about BLM land sales. It appears to me that there are land sales (sale of land itself) and land leases (either of the land itself or the resources on the land i.e. oil etc).
Mar, this one in WY appears to be a land lease (which at this time I know nothing about).
Louie, I am still trying to figure out all of your research that you discovered to see if any of those are #1 land sales and #2 have a future date that BLM will still accept objection letters.
Have either of you (or anyone) found any BLM land sales with future dates of acceptance of objection letters?
I want to write to them if there is … but I’m so far not finding any. Has anyone? Thank you.
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I know I am “preaching to the choir” as they say, but each of us must know someone else who NEEDS to know what is going on. Take a look at this abuse and think about the suffering that must have occured to this innocent wild animal … our animal … and then pass this on to someone else who does or should care.
http://www.amillionhorses.com/statepages/nevada.htm
Nevada
AMH ID Number: NV2
Lot: Palomino mini with blaze face, more than 8 years old
Found: Nov. 2009, Clark County, Nevada; SR 147, mile marker 40
Condition: Tied to a bush and left to die. No identifying brand.
~ Photo provided by BN: 11/30/09 ~
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Grandma Gregg, I just want to make sure you know that amillionhorses.com is run by a board member/founding member of the United Organization of the Horse, Slaughterhouse Sue’s group. amillionhorses.com is set up solely to propagandize “unwanted” and “abandoned”, starved and abused horses which they claim is all the result of US slaughterhouses being shut down. They’d like to convince America that wild horses are starving and dying and suffering and we need to just let the BLM put them out of their misery by “processing” them for their meat. They’d like to convince that there are hundreds, thousands of horses being abandoned every day in state parks and on ranches because the horse business was ruined when those last 3 US slaughterhouses closed their doors in 2007.
Please don’t fall for their scamming. Surely there are horses abused and abandoned – sadly, we know this has always been the case. These people are using that as an excuse to get people to agree to horse slaughter and to slaughter “excess” mustangs. This is their mission. They are totally on board with ol’ Slaughterhouse Sue and her merry band of horse eaters.
ewww, did I really just write that?
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Absolutely correct Kathleen…thank you.
A point that welfare advocates continually try to educate the meaters on is that there has ALWAYS been abuse and slaughter is an exceptional form that encourages it. Someone here can speak to the following point more factually than I can, but in California when slaughter was banned, abuse and theft actually went down.
In reality, there are not many statistics available regarding equine abuse, although it is changing.
amillionexcuses, err horses advocates demand slaughter saying without it, equines will be abandoned; welfare advocates say slaughter is abandonment with a payout and the equine has absolutely no second chance at a life.
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OMG! I have heard about slaughterhouse sue … but had no idea she was affiliated with that website. Thank you for telling me. THANK YOU!
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Dogs, cats and other small animals are found abandoned in closed homes all the time. Dogs die that are chained out with no food or water.
We have some evil people in the world.
That website is evil aswell. It is against the law to abandon animals. Against even Nevadas weak animal laws to not provide basic food, water and shelter.
Yet all that website wants to do is open slaughterhouses in america. They don’t even care to go after criminals. They don’t help a single person with a helping hand of couple months of hay so they can aford feed their horse. They don’t tell the large horse ranches to stop producing 200 plus foals a year.
All they try to do is set-up slaughter houses.
They won’t even demand the BLM put some shelters out for the thousands of wild horses standing in tiny corrals in desert sun.
What an evil website. 😦
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A neglected or abused equine has a second chance at life; a slaughtered equine has no chance of life.
It’s final days are pain ridden, starved, thirsty, cruelty infested and they are eventually qued up in a panic smelling the blood hearing the screams of the equines in front and behind them and eventually hit numerous times with a bolt (or knife in the spine) and strung up conscious and butchered alive.
And this is happening to our wild equines too.
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It takes several days for a horse to die of a broken kneck or back…I am positive they shot him..its not out of probability that they shot him because he attacked the horse tied to the fence..It is common practice for them to do that to stallions they consider ‘dangerous”..even tho he was following his natural instincts-b y defending his mare from the stupidity of the ‘wrangler”..there was commentary to that effect I overheard personally at the burns facility as they were unloading the first trailer of stallions…it was a chilling conversation..however the person in charge told the wrangler basically he was a baby..and to grow up..he was in no danger.
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Margaret, it’s on the Federal Register. As Grandma Greg said, it is kind of hard to navigate. There is probably someone here that is way better at that.
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWO120900-L10200000-PA0000; HAG-10-0097]
Final Supplementary Rules for Public Land in Oregon and
Washington
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Final Supplementary Rules on the BLM lands in Oregon and
Washington.
———————————————————————–
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oregon State Office is
proposing Final Supplementary Rules for the BLM lands within the States
of Oregon and Washington. These Final Supplementary Rules revise
existing supplementary rules. These revisions are necessary in order to
protect public land natural resources and provide for the public’s
health and safety. They provide needed guidance in the areas of special
forest products and recreation, allow for the assessment of penalties
that are commensurate with the magnitude of prohibited acts, and
promote consistency among the BLM and other natural resource agencies.
[[Page 51100]]
DATES: Effective Date: These rules are effective September 17, 2010.
ADDRESSES: You may send inquires to the BLM, Office of Law Enforcement,
Oregon State Office, P.O. Box 2965, Portland, Oregon 97208.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: State Staff Ranger Mike Roop, BLM,
Oregon State Office, 333 SW. 1st Ave., Portland, Oregon, 97204, 503-
808-6410 or michael_roop@blm.gov.
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[Federal Register: September 10, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 175)]
[Notices]
[Page 55349-55351]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10se10-76]
———————————————————————–
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMF0100 L5874000.EU, LXSS041G0000; NMNM 121548]
Notice of Realty Action: Modified Competitive Sealed Bid Sale of
Public Lands in Rio Arriba County, NM
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
———————————————————————–
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to offer, by
modified competitive sealed bid sale, one parcel of land totaling
approximately 160 acres in Lindrith, New Mexico. The sale parcel will
be subject to the applicable provisions of the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976. The land is not needed for any Federal purpose
and would be sold for not less than Fair Market Value (FMV), currently
appraised to be $96,000.
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OK, Verified one of Louie’s finds from the other day [sorry it has taken me so long, Louie] that is active and we can send objection letters to but must be sent by regular US mail and the final objection date (for them to receive?) is October 25th:
“…160 acres in Lindrith, New Mexico. The sale parcel will be
subject to the applicable provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. The land is not needed for any Federal purpose…”
That last sentence is the concept that makes my skin crawl … since BLM has historically already “lost” so much of our Public Land. I do not know if this area has any wild horses/burros but am sure it must have some sort of wildlife and figure it is worth looking into.
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Lindrith is near Cuba which is right in the Colorado Plateau and is spectacular country
geologically speaking. East by SE of Farmington. it may be an uplift. There is very little level ground there. I have been through there and it is beautiful but not productive land. mar
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[Federal Register: September 10, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 175)]
[Notices]
[Page 55347-55349]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10se10-75]
———————————————————————–
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMF01000.L143000000.EU0000; NMNM 122597]
Notice of Realty Action: Competitive Sale of Public Land Near
Aztec in San Juan County, NM
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
———————————————————————–
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to offer, by
competitive sale, one parcel of land totaling 73.75 acres within the
Aztec city limits in San Juan County, New Mexico. The sale will be
subject to the applicable provisions of Section 203 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), respectively, and BLM land
sale regulations. The purpose of the sale is to dispose of lands which
are difficult and uneconomic to manage. The sales will be conducted as
a competitive bid auction in which interested bidders must submit
written sealed bids equal to or greater than the appraised fair market
value of the land. Bidders who submit written sealed bids will have the
opportunity to increase their bids in a silent auction to be held after
the BLM opens all written sealed bids.
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[Federal Register: October 6, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 193)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Page 61624-61626]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr06oc10-15]
[[Page 61624]]
=======================================================================
———————————————————————–
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
43 CFR Part 3100
[LLWO310000.L13100000.PP0000-241A.00]
RIN 1004-AE04
Promotion of Development, Reduction of Royalty Rates for Stripper
Well and Heavy Oil Properties
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Final rule.
———————————————————————–
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is removing portions of
two regulations in order to characterize accurately the current status
of two programs that have been terminated. In the past, the programs
reduced royalty rates for stripper well properties and for heavy oil
properties, so that Federal lessees would have incentives to keep
economically marginal oil wells in production. This rule provides for
record retention and correction of errors in calculation of royalties
requirements that enable the Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR)
to continue to verify that royalties associated with past production
were correctly paid.
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Went back to pull up links of land sales posted here yesterday–this is what pulled up:
Couldn’t open tmp file
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[Federal Register: May 24, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 99)]
[Notices]
[Page 28818]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24my10-75]
———————————————————————–
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWYD10000.L14300000.EU0000; WYW-161972; WYW-176935]
Notice of Realty Action: Proposed Sale of Public Land, Wyoming
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Realty Action.
———————————————————————–
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has examined and found the
following public lands located in Teton County, Wyoming, suitable for
direct (non-competitive) sale under Section 203 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) at not less than the fair
market value, to resolve an unintentional unauthorized use of public
lands.
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Louie I read something about this over at ABR last spring and unloaded on the WY governor to do something about this. Basically this chunk of land is a two miles inside Teton National Park. WY has been trying to get BLM to either pay for land or do a trade because of cattle grazing rights. WY gets like 200,000 dollars a year and the land is worth tons more. BLM has been dragging their feet about this.
WY is a mineral rights state. They sell off minerals to pay for schools and roads and whatnot.
Dick Cheney use to have a house in Teton County, as does Harrison Ford, Sandra Bullock, Heather Locklear among others. This is beautiful country.
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Here is what I pulled up from the Federal Land Management 203 link that Louis gave us. It wasn’t hard to follow and it gives a lot more than I copied. But is says later on that there must a a spec ific future use for the land and that the land has no value to the Dept. of Interior.
a) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701, 1713), to sell public lands where, as a result of land use planning, it is determined that the sale of such tract meets any or all of the following disposal criteria:
(1) Such tract was acquired for a specific purpose and the tract is no longer required for that or any other Federal purpose; or
(2) Disposal of such tract shall serve important public objectives, including but not limited to, expansion of communities and economic development, which cannot be achieved prudently or feasibly on lands other than public lands and which outweigh other public objectives and values, including, but not limited to, recreation and scenic values, which would be served by maintaining such tract in Federal ownership; or
(3) Such tract, because of its location or other characteristics is difficult and uneconomic to manage as part of the public lands and is not suitable for management by another Federal department or agency.
(b) The Secretary of the Interior is authorized by section 310 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1740) to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the purpose of the Act.
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So, if it is part of the Mustangs range THAT certainly is a need.
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Shireley,
This is excellent.
These will have to be the main objectives that we use in future letters objecting to sales of land. As we have seen many times, BLM makes the regulations to suit their needs and then they break their own rules to suit their needs. This is why we must watch them. It shouldn’t be this way … but I am afraid it is.
Can you explain to me your sentence: “But is says later on that there must a a specific future use for the land and that the land has no value to the Dept. of Interior.”? Are they saying that they can sell if there is a specific use to someone else (energy hogs etc)? And are they saying in addition, the land must be of no future use to BLM (i.e. wild ones etc.)? As you said, “So, if it is part of the Mustangs range THAT certainly is a need.” … Yes and that is what we need to mention in our objection letters … among other issues.
Personally, I think that the well being of each and every animal is of the upmost importance in our “fight” but how can they survive outside of a “zoo” environment if they don’t have their land … so think this BLM land selling is an important issue. I want my grandchildren to be able to see our wild ones on our land … (and by the way some have done this and I am thankful).
By the way I looked up the word “promulgate”:
prom·ul·gate/ˈpräməlˌgāt/Verb
1. Promote or make widely known (an idea or cause).
2. Put (a law or decree) into effect by official proclamation.
GG
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MORE……
[Federal Register: August 23, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 162)]
[Notices]
[Page 51841-51842]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23au10-112]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVC01000 L71220000.EU0000 LVTFF0900400 241A; N-87749; 10-08807;
MO 4500012544; TAS: 14X5260]
Notice of Realty Action: Proposed sale of Public Lands, Churchill
County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
———————————————————————–
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to sell, at no
less than the appraised fair market value, approximately 800 acres of
public lands in Churchill County, Nevada, through direct sale
procedures under the provisions of Section 203 of the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976, as amended. Upon publication
of this notice, the lands will be segregated for a period of up to 2
years from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws,
including the mining laws, except the sale provisions of FLPMA, in
order to facilitate orderly processing of this proposed sale.
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Louie – You are a deticated researcher and thank you. Please note that we need the dates for each of these (that they will accept comments/objections) before we spend a lot of time writing letters for items that are past the comment date… I am afraid they will just throw them away. This one in particular (800 acres in Churchill County, Nevada) is the one I wrote this past week and the final accepted comment date was Thursday October 7th. Can you let us know (or perhaps someone will look for us) what the final accepted comment date is for these? I know I will write on all of these … if the date is upcoming. Thank you very much.
GG
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[Federal Register: May 13, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 92)]
[Notices]
[Page 26991-26993]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13my10-80]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLOR050000, L58740000 EU0000, LXSS058H0000; HAG-10-0044]
Notice of Realty Action; Competitive Sale of Public Land in
Deschutes County, Oregon
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of realty action.
———————————————————————–
SUMMARY: This notice announces a comment period and proposed sale of
five parcels of public land totaling 640 acres located in Deschutes
County, Oregon, at not less than the appraised market value through
competitive bidding. The sale will be conducted by the United States
General Services Administration (GSA) as an online auction, at GSA’s
Web site http://www.auctionrp.com.
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Grandma Greg, that seems to be all that is posted–at least all that I can find at the present–still searching
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Louie,
Good job … now we just need the dates that the BLM will accept comments/objections for eah of these. I think some have passed already (see my email I posted to you a little while ago……..)
GG
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Interesting sidenote–this is what you are told at the end of your search—–so how long does this informations STAY public?
It is a temporary file, and will expire about an hour after the search.
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BLM>New Mexico>Energy>Oil and Gas
Print Page
Oil and Gas Lease Sale Nominated Parcels
The Bureau of Land Management, New Mexico State Office has received nominations for the January 19, 2011 Competitive Oil & Gas Lease Sale on the following proposed parcels to lease for oil and gas development. This requires the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) by each BLM Field Office.
There is a two week public comment period to identify any issues in the preparation of the EAs.
Provide your comments no later than October 25, 2010, to the appropriate Field Offices.
Carlsbad Field Office Nominated Parcels
Summary of Recommended Stipulations
Contact: Cody Layton, 575-234-5959, Cody_Layton@blm.gov
Farmington Field Office Nominated Parcels
Summary of Recommended Stipulations
Contact: Maureen Joe, 505-599-8972, Maureen_Joe@blm.gov
Las Cruces District Office Nominated Parcels
Contact: Mike Smith, 575-525-4421, Mike_Smith@nm.blm.gov
Oklahoma Field Office Nominated Parcels
Summary of Recommended Stipulations
Contact: Rae Swift, 918-621-4128, Rae_Swift@blm.gov
Contact:Jackie Badley, 918-621-4181, jacqueline_badley@blm.gov
Roswell Field Office Nominated Parcels
Summary of Recommended Stipulations
Contact: Howard Parman, 575-627-0212, Howard_Parman@blm.gov
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Release Date: 09/08/10
Contacts: Brad Higdon , 575.751.4725
Mark Lujan , 575.751.4747
BLM Taos Field Office Seeks Public Input on CR Minerals Mine Expansion Proposal
Taos, NM—The Bureau of Land Management is accepting public input for 30 days beginning September 15, 2010, on a proposal by CR Minerals Company to expand their existing pumice mining operation onto lands immediately adjacent to their active mine. The proposed project expansion area is located approximately 5.5 miles west of Española, New Mexico, along 31 Mile Road (FS 144), north and adjacent to the Santa Clara Indian Reservation. Input will be incorporated into an environmental assessment (EA) that is being initiated by the BLM. Written comments must be sent to the BLM Taos Field Office, 226 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, NM 87571.
The EA will be available for public review and comment upon its completion. Contact Brad Higdon, BLM Planning Coordinator, at 575-751-4725 for additional information.
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Carol Walker is out at the Adobe Town roundup and is updating throughout the day through her Facebook page. Here is a link to the FB page. I don’t know if you can access it if you are not listed as a FB friend. http://www.facebook.com/WildHoofbeats
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BLM Seeks Comments on Draft EA for May 2011 Oil and Gas Lease Parcels
The BLM High Desert District is seeking public comment on the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the May 2011 oil and gas lease parcel offering.
The initial list of parcels derived from public nominations contains 34 individual parcels varying in size from 81.24 to 2556.64 acres. Ten parcels are located within the Rawlins Field Office and 24 are in the Kemmerer Field Office. They are offered in compliance with the Rawlins Resource Management Plan (RMP) Record of Decision (ROD) approved in Dec. 2008 and the Kemmerer RMP ROD approved in May 2010. Based on RMP decisions, 15 entire and five partial parcels located within areas that are designated as unavailable for oil and gas leasing are removed from the offering.
The draft EA is available online at: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/og-ea/0511.html. Three alternatives are analyzed: 1) Under the No Action Alternative, no parcels would be offered for lease; 2) Under the Proposed Action Alternative, 10 entire and 5 partial parcels would be offered with a recommendation to defer several parcels or parts of parcels from the May lease sale; and 3) Under the Maximum Offering Alternative, 14 entire and 5 partial parcels would be offered with no recommended deferrals.
Public comments are an important component of the National Environmental Policy Act process and help to identify issues, concerns, and mitigation opportunities not covered in the draft EA. Mail or deliver written comments to: Bill Lanning, Pinedale Field Office, 1625 West Pine Street, P.O. Box 768, Pinedale WY 82941. Comments can be e-mailed to Pinedale_WYMail@blm.gov with “May 2011 Lease Parcels” in the subject line. Comments will be accepted until close-of-business on Friday, November 5, 2010.
The public comments and information submitted regarding this project including names, e-mail addresses and street addresses of the respondents will be available for public review and disclosure at the above address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) weekdays, except holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name, address, or street address from public review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this plainly at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses, and from individual identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be made available for public inspection in their entirety.
For more information please contact Bill Lanning at 307-367-5318 or bill_lanning@blm.gov.
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Louie,
OK, This one does have a future date (11/5) so objection letters can still be written.
This is for a land lease – not sale.
Although worthy of research and possibly a comment, I have no knowledge about the land leases.
Perhaps someone can look into this lease proposal and write a sample objection/comment letter if needed (especially if this lease looks like it might effect the wild ones in any way) and then share it with us to also send. Thank you.
GG
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Email: info@nccecojustice.org
National Council of Churches of Christ
Faith and Lands
The Psalmist declares, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Ps.24:1NIV). Humans are tenants who hold the land in trust from God and in partnership with all creatures. Through God, the land nourishes all life and provides us with what we need to survive. As part of our call to be stewards of creation, we have a responsibility to God to care for the land, ensuring that it serves the good of all Creation, and protecting it for future generations and for all life.
Learn More
Public Lands: In the United States, there are 623 million acres of land held by our government in the public trust and managed to serve the good of society.
http://nccecojustice.org/takeaction/#publiclands
Churches pushing for wilderness In December, the National Council of Churches announced its platform for the year by saying, “Wilderness is one of earth’s most precious and most threatened assets, and the call to preserve it will be among the National Council of Churches USA Eco-Justice Program’s top issues for 2006.” The NCC Public Lands Stewardship Initiative announced it plans to focus on “Wilderness and Wild Landscapes” for its second year and conduct activities focused on the importance of wilderness in Christianity and other faith traditions. “Wilderness was central to the spiritual journeys of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad and in the creation stories of many cultures,” said .the Rev. Bob Edgar, NCC General Secretary. “Today public lands are important to many of us as a venue for peaceful reflection and reconnecting with the Creator.” “Wild lands are also the connective tissue that holds together the glorious web of life by providing space for wildlife and undisturbed natural cycles,” said Christine Hoekenga, NCC Lands Specialist. “But God’s gift of wilderness is increasingly threatened by our swelling cities, growing highways, and increasing demand for resources like oil, gas, timber, and minerals. In light of this, we are called to remember and celebrate our Biblical heritage and examine our modern relationships to wilderness.”….
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I tried to make a link to the place that tells the rules for land sales among other things. I just don’t know how you folks do that. Sorry
Click here: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations:
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Reply to Mar and All,
http://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2010/09/10/2010-22610/notice-of-realty-action-modified-competitive-sealed-bid-sale-of-public-lands-in-rio-arriba-county-nm
Above is the link..
I looked for any information that might connect wild horses/burros to this land and although some nearby town streets are named “wild horse canyon” etc. … from what I can figure, there are no wild horses/burros in or near this land anymore and on BLM (New Mexico) HMA maps I see only a couple in New Mexico at all and none near this piece of property. So, since there are no wild ones near the property … any ideas as to what our specific objections would be? In general, the sale of any BLM land is objectionable but know they will not bother with it at all if we are not specific to this sale. Need your ideas, please and thank you.
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I’m a horse lover since my early choldhood. The video was awesome in its appeal to that love for the horse that resides in me. I heard an even more compelling plea for the lives of the unborn given by the late Rep. Henry Hyde. I would encourage you to listen to that impassioned plea to let those innocents live. My question is: If human life is so worthless in the eyes of so many Ameican, why should they care about horses?
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