(The News as We See It) by R.T. Fitch ~ Author/President Wild Horse Freedom Federation
Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range Scoping Document Released
Pryor Mountain Range Herd ~ photo by Terry Fitch
Only one good comment can be made; the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is not planning to use cruel helicopters to wage another attack against Cloud’s herd next year, in fact, they really are not sure what they are going to use, yet. But one thing is for certain, they are once again going to wage war against the Pryor Mountain herd in Montana using figures and science that flies in the face of their own consultants as indicated in their newly released scoping document for the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range (PMWHR).
“The gather is designed to manage the appropriate number of wild horses so that range lands and horses can be healthy and productive. The current wild horse population is approximately 150 horses with 17 foals, exceeding the established Appropriate Management Level of 90 to 120 horses, excluding current-year foals.” claims the BLM while Dr. Gus Cothran of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of Texas A&M has clearly stated that:
“…a census population of 150 to 200 is required to achieve the minimum effective population size…The PMWH has been one of the most important and visible herds within the BLM Wild Horse and Burro program and it is important that it stays viable.” Dr. Cocthran concludes.
Many decent folks from around the world wrote and commented, in timely fashion, to the Billings, Montana BLM office regarding the plans to repeat the 2009 attack upon the most famous wild horse herds in the world. Please click (HERE) to read the document in it’s entirety and to review the responses the BLM made to public comments but the MOST telling of the BLM’s defense mode and inherent feeling of self righteousness comes screaming at us in their conclusions which close this document and clearly flips a middle finger at the American public, see below.
Basically, in laymen’s terms, they state that they DO IT because they can and we are too stupid to know any different, read for yourself, it will make your blood boil:
Finding #1: Few members of the public appear to be aware or understand BLM’s current management prescription for the PMWHR or the wild horse herd. This occurred despite the management prescription being summarized within the scoping notice, as well as the Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP) and subsequent Decision Record that were made available on the BLM Montana/Dakotas website.
The vast majority of comments advocated the BLM to conduct numerous management actions prior to consideration of removals. Almost all actions advocated for are nearly identical to the BLM’s current management practices within the PMWHR that are approved and covered by the HMAP. In addition, parties that are litigants against the BLM (asking to have the HMAP set aside) provided comments advocating for actions that could not be possible without the HMAP in place, such as the current fertility control program, water developments, range improvements and genetic considerations.
Finding #2: There appears to be a misunderstanding of BLM’s authorities and obligations. A common notion amongst the vast majority of commenters in this scoping process insinuates the BLM can set aside plans, laws or regulations to decide on the number of animals to remove outside of the AML without conducting a new analysis of range carrying capacity or consideration of other multiple-use mandates. This is a lack of understanding of the BLM’s mission and the federal laws the Bureau must adhere to.
Finding #3: Many members of the public seem to believe the process is designed to be a referendum. Instead, the scoping process is designed to gather information that can be used in an environmental analysis for a particular action.
Related articles
- BLM Wild Horse Stampede Contractor Botches Job (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Continues Effort to Strip 1,000 Wild Horses from Massive Public Land Complex (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Warned BLM Helicopter Contractor Back Stampeding Public’s Wild Horses (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- BLM Plans Annihilation of Cloud’s Herd (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
The arrogance remains and will as long as we foot the bill. So very sick of greed over ruling humaness, common sense and the laws in place meant to protect our equine, whether wild or domestic.
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This Sunday morning I awoke thinking of a Wild mustang named by all FREEDOM , his images clear and focused in my mind, his inspiration ever encouraging just as if it was yesterday, I am also wondering what happen to him and where is he now , his freedom run from the BLM was the most beautiful sight , wanted to share it again with all here this Sunday morning…………………. it again ! God Bless FREEDOM http://youtu.be/a7hovhbQBD4 his courageous run is Awesome……………….
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I think he was taken to a private sanctuary…Montana? Anyone?
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Good Morning Denise !!!!! Thank You !!!! Would love to have his story and where his now posted here…. His Run that day stays in my mind……. as a poster he would be magnificent, I can see him on Billboards everywhere…………….. He is the perfect example of the courage that belongs to every Wild Mustang !!!!
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BLM claims that they finally captured him and destroyed his freedom forever, but that is not verified.
At the very least, he made a stand and is truly an inspiration for all of us to do the same.
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Do you remember the complex where the stampede took place and the date?
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I thought I saw the name “Freedom” used for an equine released post BLM stampede to a sanctuary….sorry to hear that I misunderstood.
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Anyone notice that the BLM field offices are in charge of gathering comments, making removal decisions and final disposition. That is the office with the lowest rung on the policy ladder. Why is that? DC pushes down on them with policy, schedules and funding, but DCs hands our clean on the bigger pictures of management and opens lands to other uses????? I don’t get the setup.
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Thank You RT , I truly would have liked to have heard that he remains in the wild where he belongs freedoms symbol and inspiration…… The BLM couldnt even have left him alone……………………….. is there a way we can really find out where he is the, BLMs lies are spewed out everyday could this be another one of their LIES……………………….
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Yeah…sounds like a big bummer for us/US, but more for that noble animal.
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Let me know if and when we have a rally at the Pryors. I’ll be there! Where is Obama, the horses need him to step up to the plate and protect them.
I dare, double dare and triple dare Obama to write any of us advocates and tell us why he won’t back one of his MAJOR campaign promises. The promise to protect the horses (HR503) is what caused most advocates to cast their vote for him.
Anyone else feel just a tad disenfranchised?
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Yes !!!!! The Pryors would be the perfect place for a for a Rally for FREEDOM for the Mustangs……………………
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The Pryors
might be the best place for us to take our last stand to save the few wild horses and burros left. I have been saving my vacation time at work and this might be the time to use it. We must stand up to the BLM in force and bring attention to their policies that are now leading to the mismanagment of our precious American wild horses and burros and leading to their future extinction. This is something that we might need to consider. After all look what Occupy Wallstreet is doing.
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OCCUPY THE BLM!!!
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Dear Lynette We can only pray we have not waited to long !!!! In 8 yrs i have only seen nothing changed , even has become worse for the Innocent Mustangs, We must make a unified Stand for them………………………… I am sick of the desecration of these beloved horses………………..This has all been a horrible nightmare for them, for which we have had to swallow, The pain and constant torment and murder of the Mustang has now become unbearable horror by despicable morons for whom I have no respect……Oh how we should take them down, we need to form a new protection bureau, who has the working knowledge and knows how to apply it with respect and preservation of the King of the Beasts…………… They all reside here, and we have the numbers that can do this ………………………..Where there is the will there is the way…………………………
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Freedom wasn’t seen again after he jumped the fence at Calico. We can only hope that he found his way back to other wild horses, fought to win a mare and has a new family.
Hopefully he’ll evade the flying beast in the air.
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I swear I saw a post not long ago that he had a new family but are targeted for roundup again, but I can’t find it.
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Wow !!!!!! I sure hope you will find it !!!!! Another example of lies at the BLM>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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Dear Laura , I believe Freedom would have scars across his chest from the barb wire fence he crashed through !!! barb wire makes scars,,,,,,,,Does the horse you think may be him have scats across his chest????
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It looks like stampedes are scheduled based on forecasted schedules and contract timelines and commitments, not science or multiple use….the predictable scheduling confirms that.
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So few positives come , Quite like the positive Freedom demonstrated that day ……………………His courage and quest for the very Freedom we gave to them with the ROAM ACT as if he knew , it belongs to him and all the other Mustangs as a given, he display his worthiness of it , in the only way he could, by showing it and pressuring it in way we could all understand ????? as a visual…………………………………… in a way no one could ignore it , except the BLM……..
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I was watching MSNBCs “Up with Chris Hayes” this switched a.m. time this Sunday and heard to great, important quotes (Erin Brokovich was on too).
The quotes were about 2 things related to similar topics for our wild equines:
(1) gov’t regulators are broken and most recourse for citizens is strictly judicial which takes forever…..and remember what the Republicans are doing at local, state and federal level regarding appointments and funding for the judiciary; and,
(2) the opposing contingent frequently is nothing more than a “NOISE MACHINE”….sound familiar re our equines, wild and domestic? I don’t want to point fingers at all Republicans, because I know that there are Dems that are despicable, BUT this all goes back to “privatization” (busting employee collective bargaining, prisons, schools, inspection,regulation, roads, water, sanitation, public lands and services to private, etc).
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October 26, 2010, Some Perspective, Freedom & Family, location not disclosed, targeted HMA
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oops just read Laura’s comments, this may or may not be Freedom ;(. Sorry
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The BLM is a rogue agency. Save our tax dollars and FIRE all of them in the wild horse and burro program. What a HUGE example of WASTE, FRAUD and ABUSE. The cruelty inflicted on our wild horses and burros using our hard-earned tax dollars is DISGUSTING and must not be tolerated.
All wild horse and burro program employees MUST be fired, the FTEs moved to a new agency created by Congress where the strict mandate is to protect and preserve the wild horses and burros, our symbol of freedom and our heritage and only intervene when absolutely necessary.
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Thank You Ann M.Marini, PH.D.,MD The first part of your post should be enough to enrage every tax paying American into doing that immediately !!!! FIRE ALL THOSE BLM morons
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Nope just fire every last one of them. Plain and simple. Some have worked long enough they qualify for retirement benefits. No problem there. Just be rid of the pesky people.
Perhaps the ones who try to make things right–if they can be identified could be rehired. Most wouldn’t qualify. Someone like Craig Downer would be helpful to at least point out what to look for.
We need folks like Ginger,RT, and Laura–people who are ABSOLUTELY committed heart and soul for the horses to at least head this agency. They could help train less experienced folk who have the desire and commitment. They just lack day to day experience with horses–the love is there but not the experience.
Or they could help identify good decent folk who do have the immediate experience.
I think experience in this case is less important than heart and desire to make things right for the horses.
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“This is a lack of understanding of the BLM’s mission and the federal laws the Bureau must adhere to.”
WHAT BS! The BLM is breaking the WFRH&B Act and makes up their own laws as they go along.
“Finding #3: Many members of the public seem to believe the process is designed to be a referendum. Instead, the scoping process is designed to gather information that can be used in an environmental analysis for a particular action.”
More BS ! The BLM never uses any of the information submited by advocates.
The EA’s always favor the ranchers and other special interests and the BLM’s agenda–extinction of wh’s and burros.
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Remember last year–when BLM said “No gathers (round ups) this (2011) summer”? Yeah they said it at that big meeting. Remember how true that was? Not true at all. Just remember this–what ever they say–it’s NOT TRUE at all. And they do not care. Thanks RT for this info–and the reminder–as long as the money is going into their pockets, they don’t care –and they do not have to be truthful. Findings #1 –comment from me–the paying public–WTF !
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I watched that BLM Advisory Board meeting, web cam. A flim-flam, a deception meeting. A mockery of the advocates. It was SO obvious stating, “…no roundups summer 2011 due to lack of funding”. Some on the Board were actually smiling when they said this. Then when the meeting was ending, Board members standing up, gathering papers and all, ready to leave, Chairman, Robin Lohnes whispered to another Board member, to paraphrase: “Do we know when the roundups will begin this summer and where…” Meaning, the roundups were planned. A done deal. I think she thought the sound and cameras were off. )(*(&^%$#@!
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What the BLM would be doing now to Cloud and his herd, and all wild mustangs in this area is this, the complete….. Desecration…………(. instance of desecrating : the state of being desecrated) and should not even go there again !!! Complete definence of commonsense…………………… Even their lies wont help them here !!!!!
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also s the act of depriving something of its sacred character, or the disrespectful or contemptuous treatment of that which is held to be sacred or holy by a group or individuals.
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We are all working hard to save something that belongs to America and to our future generations. This is a good interview and there are so many parallels:
Ken Burns & Dayton Duncan Interview/DOCUMENTARY ON THE HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL PARKS
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Louie, Thank you for the link to Ken Burns & Dayton Duncan Interview/DOCUMENTARY ON THE HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL PARKS. You are right it has many parallels.
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Garnet, I’m glad that you watched that interview. Something that Ken Burns stated in another interview( I watched several before deciding which to post)was that the National Parks have actually expanded during times of economic
downturn….they thrived during the Depression. That was news to me.
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Could this be where some of the “Devils are lurking in the Details”?
Click to access plan.pdf
Record of Decision for the Final Supplement to the Montana Statewide Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement and Proposed Amendment of the Powder River and
Billings Resource Management Plans
APPROVED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN AMENDMENT
Livestock Grazing
Impacts on grazing lands from discharge of high salinity water
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There is one person at the BLM I would keep Dean Bolsted not that he is wonderful , but he processes the knowledge he has been brainwashed by the BLM, I have talked to him several times, I have picked his mind and he truly does love those horses ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and his knowledge is grand and large for them………………………………….. He is is stunted by the BLM and there lies for which he has little control……………………. I believe he would be a needed person………………………………..
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arlene:
I respect you deeply, but I disagree with regarding Mr Bolstead.
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Dear Denise, Its ok to agree to disagree, I also thought this , until my last conversation with him……….. He gave to me every indication of his vast knowledge of the horse, he is also showed to me his love for them, but he is caught up in the BLM BS for which he has no control I could be wrong but he knows all the right things , but cannot apply them…………………………
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NO WORDS, SIMPLY NO WORDS.
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The BLM s decision to assault Clouds Herd again may just be the BLM S LAST STAND, There isnt one person in this that would not stand up for Clouds herd, JUST ASK !!!!!! They may just insult us and Cloud s Herd it would force our hand ………………….I would be there in a minute for our STAND for Cloud and his Herd ………………………………. For me it would be the last STRAW,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, We have all heard you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink it !!!!!!! The BLM can lie their a—-s off throughout the many years but there will be an end for them……………………..and their desecration of the American Wild Mustangs !!!!
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