Release and Information provided by The Cloud Foundation
Comments Needed for the Divide Basin Herd
Divide Basin Family ~ photo by Carol Walker
With roundup season starting up again, it is imperative, now more than ever, that we all raise our voices in support of our wild horses and burros. BLM is still soliciting comments for their planned roundup in Divide Basin, a larger herd in southern Wyoming near Rock Springs. We ask that you submit your own comments regarding the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Divide Basin Herd Management Area (HMA). There are gross inadequacies and faulty data utilized in the scope of this EA which will come as no surprise. What is a bit more surprising is the rush to create a non-reproducing herd as an alternative, which is what they want to do to in White Mountain and Little Colorado! If a roundup is conducted this summer, the herd will be reduced to only 415 horses on over 700,000 acres with many of these horses being non-reproducers! The Cloud Foundation’s comments for this EA are available online here. Read on for a sample format!
Comments need to be submitted by Monday, June 20th, no later than the close of business at 4:30 PM Mountain Time. Comments can be submitted via mail at:
Divide Basin EA Comments
BLM Rock Springs Field Office
280 Highway 191 North
Rock Springs, WY 82901
or via email at: DivideBasin_HMA_WY@blm.gov– With “Divide Basin EA Comments” in the subject line.
REMEMBER: Please be sure to use your own words when writing your comments!
Subject: White Mountain/Little Colorado Environmental Assessment Comments
Dear Sir;
I do not support the removal of horses from the Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas and encourage you to select the No Action Alternative. Concluding that only 415 horses can live on this legal Wild Horse Herd Management Area, even though they roam on over 778,000 acres of public lands is truly unacceptable and unfair to the mustangs still living free, and to those of us who would one day like to see them in their natural environment in Wyoming. The idea of including an Alternative that allows for this herd to become a non-reproducing population is also unacceptable as well as dangerous for the horses and costly for those of us who pay your salaries.
I ask that you issue a new EA containing up-to-date, factual, realistic statistics with no discrepancies in acreage, census data, and reproduction rates before making a decision.
When you write your own letter, be sure to include some of the following points:
- Increase the appropriate management levels (AMLs) and allocate a fair share of forage to wild horses over livestock.
- BLM needs to address the clearly erroneous data they present for population stats
- BLM statistics for FY2009 report there were 498 horses in the HMA, and the EA maintains that after a survey in April 2010 that the population was 1,004. This would mean that every horse, including stallions, gave birth and no deaths occurred
- Using their 20% reproduction rate, a more accurate number of horses in 2011 would be 862 animals, not their estimated 1,640
- Strongly urge the BLM to eliminate ‘Alternative D,’which would allow every horse to be rounded up and those slated for release would be spayed or gelded, resulting in a dead-end herd that would die out over time – very costly and dangerous for the mares and stallions.
- Consider predator management as a viable population growth
- Point out that taxpayers could save almost $500,000 in contractor fees as well as millions more from holding costs by not conducting this roundup!
- Allow for a truly genetically viable herd with a 50/50 sex ratio
- Protest the cruelty of removing old horses!
Sincerely,
[Your name]
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- Wild Horses: “D” is for Destroy, Devastate and Decimate – the BLM’s plan for Wyoming’s Wild Horses (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Protests Planned Against Obama Administration Sterilizing Free Roaming Wild Horses (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Raw Press Release: BLM Re-evaluates Wild Horse Gather Decision Record (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Wyoming Wild Horses Need Your Help, Now (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
In addition to submitting comments to the usual suspects, I’d cc: my Rep and 2 Senators in my state….wouldn’t hurt to send to the leadership either: Boehner, Pelosi, Reid, McConnell, etc. I know most of them don’t agree with us, but we can certainly continue to educate them and let them know of our presence.
I don’t trust those BLM humans at all..
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Trust the BLM., they are the biggest bunch of lying, morons ever. Yeah lets put a bunch of people (or should I say idiot’s) who are obviously pro cattle industry in charge of making life and death decisions about the American taxpayers wild horses/burros.
And then put the biggest meat head of them all, Ken Salazar ( I would never address him as the “Honorable”) in charge. In my opinion he has no honor.
As far as Obama is concerned, he’s got his head so far up big business’ butts he can’t see the light of day!
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This is great but there is no way that something mailed will get there monday. I will email but I know post if more effective.
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FAX…there was a list of the leadership here, I thought. If not, go to opencongress.org; they have it broken down by name, state and leadership with fax numbers.
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Thank you! Please keep posting this. This is so important. We cannot allow the BLM to create non-reproducing, sterile herds and turn HMAs into longterm holding facilities until they all die off. It is reprehensible, irresponsible, illegal and completely unnecessary. It goes against every single tenet of the law protecting them. The BLM just keeps getting worse and worse. Can you imagine no more foals ever? Just altered and most likely maimed horses without the raison d’etre of wildness.
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The US and even states can’t sell off their public assets fast enough (toll roads, highways, reservoirs, bridges, prisons, public lands, food inspection, public services, etc) for so-called capitalism and profit. I was watching Charlie Rose or some show like this that stated this is an historical phenomenon never seen before in the US. They guest also spoke of the dire consequences of same; and the citizens have no knowledge (not a freaking clue!) or voice in the sale.
You know, there are just some things that can’t be managed solely for the gain of an almighty dollar OR profit.
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pardon the typo’s….but you get the drift.
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Our government’s revenues have been reduced to the point where they have to sell things. Just the way the corporate robber barons want it. Less employed, lower wages means less tax revenue, reduced property taxes on foreclosed homes, it has to have an effect eventually. Funny how there is always money to round up and do expensive in the field experimental operations on wild horses though. That money always seems to be there thanks to corporate influence. We no longer have a government for and by the people. Corporations and the top 2% run the show now and it’s all about profit, profit, profit at any cost.
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I respectfully disagree…they do NOT HAVE to sell America.
I do agree with the remainder of your post.
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Sigh – my state reps all go “wild horses? Like someone cares about wild horses?” which I find amazing given the number of horse loving – western lifestyle people in New Mexico. This is the least important issue they’ve ever heard of. I call, I write, I email but I have a feeling everything goes straight to the trash bin – after a roar of laughter.
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I am going to send emails (I just sent one to Senator Feinstein), but they won’t even read them until Monday if then. I am so angry about this whole BLM, mess and the roundups, and all the other BS that’s going on with the wild ones. I wonder if any of its going to make a difference. Big business is what run’s this country! It starts with the White house and trickles down to local government. Its all about the money and its getting worse not better! Hell they already have a plan on controlling human population not too far in the future. The Rockefeller s figured all that out a few years ago. So I just hope and pray that we as a group of American can create a positive outcome for the wild horses/burrors.
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FAX!….Everybody FAX!
One subject per FAX!
Wild equines?…1 FAX
Specific Herds… separate FAX!
HCHS…separate FAX.
All to be followed up with phone call to office to speak with staff that can verify….FAX REC’VD!
And don’t let the leadership staff tell you that you aren’t their constituent…that’s the rub of “leadership”…you a leader? Then you are tinkle-ling on turf that belongs to me.
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