Story by SCOTT SONNER
“Stacked Board” could lead to Slaughter/Extermination of National Icons
Obama's BLM chasing protected mustangs from the air ~ photo by Terry Fitch
RENO, Nev.—Wild horse protection advocates are accusing the federal Bureau of Land Management of stacking a public advisory board with friends of cattle ranchers at the expense of mustangs, and warning that the panel is increasingly sympathetic to the idea of slaughtering excess animals in overpopulated herds on U.S. lands in the West.
BLM officials deny the charges and are fighting back in uncharacteristically strong terms, saying the activists are resorting to dishonest scare tactics to help push their “anti-management agenda by any means possible.”
“Their apocalypse-now, sky-is-falling rhetoric is flagrantly dishonest and is clearly aimed at preventing the BLM from gathering horses from overpopulated herds on the range,” BLM spokesman Tom Gorey said in an interview with The Associated Press. “The BLM is not ‘managing for extinction.’ There is no conspiracy to put down healthy horses that are in off-the-range holding facilities.”
The sharp tenor of remarks from both sides speaks to the heated divide over wild horses in the West.
Leaders of a coalition of more than 45 wild horse advocacy groups wrote to BLM Director Bob Abbey on Thursday to “object in the strongest of terms” to recent appointments to the nine-member Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.
In one case, the agency rejected a request for reappointment from an Ohio woman who opposes the slaughter of horses and replaced her with a Colorado woman who believes that option has to be on the table, given the spiraling cost of housing mustangs and burros gathered from the range in 10 Western states.
“It is apparent that the BLM is stacking this citizen advisory board with representatives of special interests that stand to profit from the capture and slaughter of America’s wild horses,” wrote Suzanne Roy, director of the North Carolina-based American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign.
“Instead of releasing wild horses back to their legal homes, BLM seems to be setting the stage for a lethal solution,” said Craig Downer, a wildlife ecologist for The Cloud Foundation based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
The horse advocates leveled similar criticism last year at a National Academy of Sciences committee BLM has commissioned to conduct a 2-year review of the horse program.
They’ve taken aim now at Callie Hendrickson of Grand Junction, Colo., director of a pair of state conservation districts who has advocated the sale of horses for slaughter at long-term holding facilities as a last resort, if they are older than 10 years or have been offered for adoption three times unsuccessfully.
Hendrickson told the AP she was “open” to other options, but not to leaving excess horses on the range. “The rangeland cannot sustain such large numbers,” she said.
Hendrickson fills the general “public interest” seat on the BLM panel that was held by Janet Jankura of Richfield, Ohio.
“It is outrageous for the BLM to attempt to pass this pro-ranching, pro-slaughter opponent of wild horses off as a representative of the general public,” Roy said.
BLM officials have acknowledged they can’t afford indefinitely the cost of housing and feeding the horses they capture—$35 million last fiscal year on 45,000 horses in short-term corrals and Midwestern pastures. That’s more than the estimated 38,497 wild horses and burros BLM estimates were roaming free at the end of last year. That estimate is about 12,000 more than the agency thinks would be best for the health of the rangeland where the population doubles naturally every four or five years.
In addition to two public interest slots, the board has one seat each for representatives of livestock, wildlife and natural resources management, along with veterinary medicine, humane advocacy, wild horse and burro advocacy and horse and burro research.
Ginger Kathrens, executive director of The Cloud Foundation, said it’s the second time in nine months BLM has replaced a mustang ally with someone who appears to “have little problem with lethal management of our wild horses.”
James Stephenson, a consultant for the Yakama Nation in Washington, has spoken in support of the slaughtering option since he was appointed late last year as the natural resource management rep.
Other board members that critics say favor livestock or other wildlife over horses include Dr. Boyd Spratling, a veterinarian and past president of the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, who was reappointed to a three-year term last month.
Spratling, who also was a state wildlife commissioner for 10 years, said he is a strong advocate of protecting wild horses but believes the top priority must be maintaining the health of the range. He called the criticism “vicious'” and “absolutely unfair.”
The critics “know they can elicit emotion and a lot of these organizations, very honestly, they are looking to raise contributions,” he said.
Tim Harvey, the humane advocate who operates a therapeutic riding program in Campton, N.H., said he didn’t always agree with Spratling but defended him as someone with a “balanced view” and sensitive to humane treatment of animals.
The other new appointment to the horse and burro advocacy slot is June C. Sewing of Cedar City, Utah, executive director of the National Mustang Association. Her husband, Richard, was a member of the BLM board before his death in 2009. She didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Gorey said the appointments were based on individual qualifications.
“No one is guaranteed a re-appointment to the board,” Gorey said, “nor is kinship a factor.”
In announcing the new appointments last week, BLM director Abbey commended Jankura for serving during “challenging times.”
Related articles
- BLM Appoints Another Slaughter Supporter to Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Judge Gives Wild Horse and Burro Advocates Bittersweet Ruling (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Video Update: Wild Horses in Court (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Wild Horse Advocates Recommend BLM Follow Own Findings (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Talk of Wild Horse Reform “has delivered nothing” (rtfitchauthor.com)
- BLM’s 2012 Wild Horse Management Plan Looks Like 2011 (rtfitchauthor.com)
- BLM Wild Horse Stampede Contractor Botches Job (rtfitch.wordpress.com)
- Horseback Interview: BLM Shuts the Doors by Hiding Wild Horse Traps on Private Land (rtfitchauthor.com)
- Feds Defend Press Limits to Wild Horse Roundup (rtfitchauthor.com)
- For the Wild Horses: Clog the Fax (rtfitchauthor.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
In my opinion, the ones who are “flagrantly dishonest” are Tom Gorey and the BLM. By the way, when are Bob Abbey or Ken Salazar ever going to show up to observe a roundup?
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Debbie, you asked the same questions I have. I wonder if they have ever followed a “gathering” for one day. Perhaps we could have Laura Leigh explain any points they might miss. Think we need to force their hand – judging from their statements. It is vitally important for them to experience what actually happens.
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I am always shocked and disgusted at the treatment of our wild animals. And considering the Mustang is truly a standing symbol of being an American. Free, wild, open lands, thundering heart of liberty. But to slaughter the last echos of what we once where as a Nation speaks ill of our future.
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INJURED/PREGNANT MARE CHASED BY HELICOPTER
•
• http://youtu.be/mp3plF8FkuY
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
AWHPC’s Deniz Bolbol’s video report on the Pancake Complex roundup. Read her full report here: http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/news/2012/02/07/pancake-complex-roundup-eyewitness-report-jan-31-feb-3-2012/
BLM Pancake Complex Roundup, January 31 – Feb. 3, 2012
AWHPC’s video documents wild horses run into a barbed wire fence, an injured mare chased by the helicopter – not one, but two days in a row – and a horse tumbling in a complete somersault as he burst through the jute fencing to escape the helicopter stampede. Despite the unusually warm and dry winter, which provided ample opportunity to capture horses in reasonable temperatures, the BLM regularly conducted helicopter drives in the early morning when temperatures were still below freezing weather.
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This is our Tax Dollars at work
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– 22.2 million: Number of acres WH&B have lost since 1971
WHERE did that land go?
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Louie I saw 29 million acres quoted about 3 years ago! Stolen! zeroed out herds=no longer “where presently found”=no longer a HMA. History repeats itself.
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We’ve been running in circles trying to follow the Wild Horses and Burros as they are kidnapped and removed from their legal and rightful place on the range. Perhaps we should be following the LAND that disappears, instead.
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blm doesn’t want to give up the millions they receive to harrass ,imprison ,torment and murder these precious horses. money, money, money.
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ugh. Once again I see the terms excess & overpopulation neither of which can be proven and only comes from BLM propaganda/ranching interests. They created this fiscal mess and the only humane & legal option is to return the mustangs to their designated ranges. They illegally removed these horses from their “where presently found” ranges, made no effort for “on-the-range management”, now they want to further ignore federal mandate & slaughter “protected” mustangs/burros which are to be:
” protected from capture, branding, harassment, or DEATH; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.”
Evidently there is one set of laws for us and no laws for government agencies. How long are we going to allow this? Until the very last one is captured & killed?
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Dear Lisa, Nothing we do makes one bit of difference, it is so sad and The BLM is getting away with Murder, maiming and unnecessary round ups,wasting Taxpayers money take the BLM to court the Judges dont do anything , meanwhile our Mustangs suffer unspeakable terror, The Mustangs are hidden from view by us, Heck i want to know where they all are????? these lieing morons from hell, they lie so much they believe what they say……….. I have been fighting this for 8 yrs, nothing has changed these people seem to be untouchable, If anyone has a sound idea we are so very willing to hear it…………… This crap has got to be addressed in no uncertain terms, we need to stop them now……………………………….
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The only thing i can think of that hasn’t already been tried—is to Occupy the BLM main office. If we have enough people from that general area who don;t mind planting themshelves there–and maybe getting arrested.–Otherwise I’m at a loss-except to keep up with what we are doing, and maybe picket the Whitehouse.
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If the BLM has no interest and intent to slaughter our horses, why then did we taxpayers foot the bill for BLM Director to attend John Falen and Sue Wallis’s Summit of the Horse, one of the most misnomered gatherings on individual special interest groups to ever to band together? By being present at this convention alone, he gave an endorsement to it as the highest level government official present.
Director Abbey told the group that not even an illness and a bad tooth ache couples with the protests of citizens that Interior received could keep him from attending this meeting with his “friends” with whom he had collaborated many times.
When the director of an agency that controls the fate of the wild horse and burro program in his hands attends a conference for people who want to earn blood money from slaughtering our wild horses and tells the potential slaughterers that he can think of no other group of people he would rather address candidly about the future of the wild horse and burro program, a discerning public has to listen very closely, but more importantly look at the context of what is going on politically within not only that group that day, but evaluate what else is being said.
Dr. Abbey stated that neither he nor Secretary Salazar supported the slaughter of wild horses. That was, of course, the right thing to say. However, at the end of his talk, he added a kudos in a voice that dropped and softened. He indicated appreciation for Congressional support of the program up to this point, but he added that he could not predict how long that support would last.
Coupled with Charlie Stenholm’s four point strategy session which included why the time is right to get horse slaughter (I will not use his euphemism) brought back into this country and the impending BLM induced spending crisis was one major talking point and one minor talking point, you cannot ignore what Director Abbey’s presence at this conference implied.
Having the BLM Director present at a conference of wanna be horse slaughterers is enough . He didn’t have to be a key note speaker. His presence alone was an endorsement of the pro-horse slaughter movement.
Make no mistake about this. While there may be other forces behind the push to reopen U. S. s horse slaughter facilities, the driving force is the Public Lands Council and the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. These are the forces that led Senator Harry Reid and Senator Conrad Burns to insert the rider amending the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act to allow slaughter of our nation’s horses and to sell them without limitation. These are the forces unduly influencing the Resource Management Plans on Public Lands where these powerful ranching associations have essentially dictated public policy manage on public land usage where competition between our wild horses and cattle compete for resources.
They claim to be stewards of the land, but what kind of stewardship of the land is it to allow cattle to graze forage to the nub removing even the top soil over massive areas of public lands? What kind of stewardship is it to remove trees from millions of acres of public lands? Where is the world is the common sense connection between the massive removal of trees from public range lands decreases the amount of resources to absorb CO2? No the public lands ranchers think that stewardship means growing a little shrub grass here and there will help. They are so proud of themselves and their ability to destroy massive amounts of range land knowing that the public will pick up at least park of the tab to repair the land. The evidence of range damage by cattle is indisputable. Yet, the ranchers have managed to condition the public to their claims that its the wild horses that need to be removed.
Not so. As the horses have been removed the levels of CO2 have risen and global warming has been on the increase. i don’t want to get into the nitty gritty of methane production by cattle, but it stands to reason that adding millions of cattle the the range at the same time you make sure to eliminate the plants that could counteract this, and the animals that can carry seeds and re-fertilize the range, is unscientific and extremely poor land management. Public lands ranchers need to understand that the rest of the world is way ahead of them in understanding the environmental and ecological damage they are doing to our public lands through their lack of healthful grazing practices. Granted the climate is arid and there are challenges that exist on an open range that do not exist on fences pastures.
Director Abbey went to the horse slaughter conference. He embraced John Falen as a long time friend. He referred to the many collaborations they had had in the past. He overcame some hardships to address the FUTURE of the wild horse and burro program at a HORSE SLAUGHTER rally. I am deaf to your words because I can only hear what you do, Mr. Abbey. You continue to roundup wild horses even when there are 1,000 fewer there when you picked through every jJuniper you could. You could have easily left the Antelope Herd alone last year, but no. You removed every horse, and then before the horses were off the land, you had cattle trucks pulling in.
Then there are the damning secret meetings among your staff obtained through FOIA that outlines the different strategies your staff discussed. Your staff asked the question about the effects that that sex ratio skewing might have on the health of the herd, and they asked, “DO WE CARE?”
Your staff members discussed how and how many horses you could injure badly enough to destroy or to just destroy during a roundup without drawing the attention of NEPA.
And now you have Karen Budd-Falen, John Falen’s daughter-in-law, Wyoming Representative Cynthia Lummis, both fifth generation ranchers, drafting legislation that will limit the ability of environmental groups and, in Budd-Falen’s lingo, extreme, radical animal rights groups to sue the government to make the government follow NEPA. Rather than insist that the BLM follow the last, Congress is assisting the BLM in breaking the law and destroying the rivers, streams, lakes, and other interior and subsurface waterways that people and animals depend upon.
This is a multi-pronged attack by people who have allied themselves for the purpose of removing our wild horses from public lands. Their goal is to replace our wild horses with horses they can raise as food animals, as prime uncontaminated horse meat that will draw top dollar in the European and Asian markets. Free from the contaminates that make domestic horses unsuitable for human consumption. What may have happened somewhere is that a light bulb went on in oin some cattleman’s mind that perhaps the West truly is far better suited to grazing horses than it is to raising cattle since horses thrive on poor nutrient forage and cattle need high nutrient forage. Therefore, the horse is the perfect animal to live on these dry, arid lands (could have learned this earlier from Mother Nature). So since the ranges are so damaged by cattle that grazing must be cut back, why not put horses on the land to replenish it? But the only horses you can make a profit on are the ones you own. Your private property.
Private property rights (rally the NRA and everyone who owns even one animal two legged or four) to prevent the evil monsters, the most dangerous domestic terrorists facing our country today, HSUS and its president.
Mrs. Budd-Falen tried to rally the troops with her admonition that you are paying the government to pay HSUS to stop you from doing what you want with your private property. She is an expert on the way the attorney fee-shifting works for plaintiffs who successfully sue the government because, as she said, has made a living for 22 years doing just that. Now she is the voice of the move to amend the Equal Access to Justice Act to prevent “extreme, radical” environmental groups for suing the government to stop the government from breaking our own laws. Mrs. Budd-Falen argue that these groups are winning because the BLM and the FS are not complying with procedures. Procedures that she asserts are insignificant. These procedures are those pesky little Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Statements required by NEPA to prevent the government from acting on behalf of special interests (like ranchers, miners, frackers, etc.) and thus destroying the land and the water.
She argues that these cases would not succeed on their merits. Well, one need only to look at pictures taken by her nemesis Western Watersheds Project to understand that had a proper EA been performed by a conscientious ecologist, that additional cattle grazing permits would have been refused. Someone with the ability to put 2 and 2 together—perhaps someone like the talented Deb Cofey, Cynthia McDonald, or Carla Bowers would have noticed that while the number of cattle may have decreased, the weight at which the cattle are going to market has increased from 800 to 900 pounds to 1,100 to 1,200 pounds.
So, Sue Wallis is the “point woman” who gets out and draws fire boldly going where no one else would dare to go outraging the public as she argues for the removal of wild horses and burros using the same bad science that the BLM, PLC have used for years. She derides Madeleine Pickens and quotes Plato (Plato Made Simple) as if she is one of the great humanitarians of the world.
Senator Max Baucus got the GAO report done, and he assured that it was done as lobbyist (I’m an educator) Charlie Stenholm promised “favorable to us”.
There is such collusion among the forces that are in position to influence the fate of our horses that it boggles the minds of even the most capable fact jugglers among us. Cheyenne, Wyoming, is the epicenter of the horse slaughter movement.
The Public Lands Council and the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association are behind the movement to remove our wild horses from our public lands. All the evidence leads back to these two groups and the influence they have on their elected and appointed officials. We have a small group of people, enriching themselves through the entitlement they feel they have, dictating the fate of our wild horses.
Just think. These people have the power to manipulate a senator who in turn can amend a public law passed unanimously by Congress, signed into law by a President, and upheld by the U. S. Supreme Court, into a toothless resolution in the stealth of night. They can influence a senator to request a GAO report that produces a conclusion that was pre-supposed in the working title of the report. This is our Government Accountability Office. We paid for a report that made a conclusion on a condition that does not exist. Georgia Representative Jack Kingston leads the charge to allow funding of horse meat inspectors for foreign gourmets while FSIS is grossly underfunded and inefficient in protecting food such as beef that U. S. citizens consume. The FSIS has no timely means to recall meat that may be contaminated by a substance such as penicillin that could trigger an allergic reaction in a consumer allergic. In fact, the testing procedures are inefficient and archaic. By the time FSIS learns that a group of beef is contaminated, the beef is long gone from the packing facility. There are few if any efficient and timely tests for elements such as copper which incrementally damage human health. Yet, Representative Kingston had no issues releasing funds to inspect domestic horse meat. According to the Irish Veterinary Journal, over 70% of all drugs veterinarians give horses are prohibited in horses destined to become food. Isn’t that reason enough to keep including the language to defund inspectors for horse meat. When common sense should tell you that it is likely that as much as 80% of a meat source has been contaminated with at least one substance that could trigger immediate or chronic illness, why not just pass a ban on horse slaughter.
Walk into any barn or gathering of horse people (not affiliated with the slaughter faction) and just ask, “How do you treat a sore leg or a wound for pain?” And you will get a single syllable word for the answer 70 to 80 percent of the time, and that word is “bite”. Ivermectin which UH members are so unconcerned about is prohibited in beef because it causes severe nerve damage in humans. Yet, cattle farmers use Ivermectin routinely.
There are serious moral and ethical issues here as well as all too obvious risks to human health presented by U. S. horse meat.
Meanwhile we have a President who dreams of being the Green Energy President, The Producing Food for a Hungry World President and maybe something more. These dreams have led him to Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar, a friend from the few days he spent in the U. S. Senate. that he has been blinded by the brilliance of his own ambition. While the President gives directives regarding the necessity for departments to be run on the basis of scientific integrity, he turns a blind eye and finds a scapegoat when the Secretary permits an altered (by the White House) report to be submitted to a federal judge. The judge laughs the report out of court, but the White House moves on unfazed.
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Hoofhugs,
You are so right, I cannot post this enough, people have to go to youtube and watch–Meat the Truth-eight parts.
It is all about the environmental impact of raising cattle in this day and age and yes the rest of the world is doing something to control cattle. And I do believe our ranchers know this also and yes they are looking at alternatives and I agree the horse just may be the alternative.
This study on, meat the truth, came out several years ago so you know that our ranchers are on top of that report.
And since they are all about their survival and making money they are coming up with ways to stay in business and if that means horse raising this may just be their plan.
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Also check out “Food, Inc” (PBS documentary)
You may never eat chicken again (if you still do ….)
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Hoofhugs, I tip my Texas (non-rancher’s) hat to you. Thank you for keeping me/us educated on all the corrupt players and their wicked designs on our innocent horses.
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Lisa, I would not doubt, for a minute, that 29 million acres is closer to the actual figure. The 22 million acres was calculated from BLM’s statistics.
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– 38,500: BLM reported total of WH&B population (as of 2/28/11, not validated)
– 26,600: BLM high AML (appropriate management level) for WH&B population
– 16,000-18,000 BLM actual current targeted low AML for WH&B population
– 21,354: WH&B population as of 2/28/11 using BLM’s own data & 20% growth model (independent analysis)
– 240,000-480,000: Approximate head of livestock on WH&B management areas
– Up to 3M livestock on BLM lands
– Up to 1.5M livestock on USFS lands
– 20 million mule deer, 1 million elk, 700,000+ pronghorns, 70,000 bighorns (considered a “species of concern”) on Federal, state & private lands
– 245 million: Number of acres BLM currently manages
– 160 million: Number of BLM acres allocated to livestock use
– 53.8 million: Number of BLM & private acres originally designated for WH&B in 1971
– 31.6 million: Number of BLM & private acres currently managed for WH&B
– 22.2 million: Number of acres WH&B have lost since 1971
– 27 million: Number of BLM acres currently allocated to WH&B use (with livestock)
– 11%: Amount of BLM land currently designated for WH&B use
– 83%: Amount of forage allocated to livestock in BLM WH&B areas
– 17%: Amount of forage allocated to WH&B in BLM WH&B areas
– 339: Number of BLM original Herd Areas designated for WH&B in 1971
– 179: Number of BLM reduced-size Herd Management Areas currently designated for WH&B
– 160: Number of WH&B Herd Areas BLM has zeroed-out
– 193 million: Number of acres USFS currently manages
– 91 million: Number of USFS acres allocated to livestock use
– 2 million: Number of USFS acres allocated to WH&B use (with livestock)
– 1.04%: Amount of USFS land currently designated for WH&B use
– 650 million: Number of Federal land acres
– 4.5%: Amount of Federal land acres (BLM/USFS) designated for WH&B use (with livestock)
Costs to Taxpayers:
– $75.7 million: FY2011 total cost of BLM’s WH&B Program
– $11.4 million: FY2011 cost of roundups, including fertility control
– $48.2 million: FY2011 cost of BLM warehousing WH&B
– $766,164: FY2010 cost of BLM WH&B census & range monitoring (3.3% of budget)
– $144-500 million: FY2011 cost of livestock grazing program
– $13 million: FY2011 cost of predator control program to benefit livestock
Compiled by Carla Bowers, 10/26/11, Revised 11/6/11
For NAS/NRC Study Panel of BLM Wild Horse & Burro Program
All numbers above are verifiable
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The Name given is now verifiable BUREAU OF LIEING MURDERS
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Carla has put a great deal of time and effort into compiling numbers and data. This is, I think, information that needs to be dispensed and made public. The NAS is basing its study on the false premise that our WH&B are “overpopulated”. If we don’t put a stop to this, there won’t be ANY Wild Horses OR Wild Burros
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Now they’re airing it on public television that 99% of ALL Native Americans are preying to the “GREAT WHITE FATHER” to have all of the wild horse herds destroyed and that we are just screaming to have the horse slaughter houses upon Native reservations!!!!! As a Native American, I know just about everyone on 4 reservations and I do NOT know of even 1 person who wants any of the wild horses even captured! Much less slaughtered!!! We’ve been screaming at the “GREAT WHITE FATHER” ( as they so shamefully put it!) to save the wild horses and to put an end to OBAMA’S war on them. How low are they going to stoop? If you don’t believe me, please, go to my site and the entire shameful story is there. And PLEASE sign the petition.
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This needs to be a fair playing field, not one sided. In the newspaper article quote “It is apparent that the BLM is stacking this citizen advisory board with representatives of special interests that stand to profit from the capture and slaughter of America’s wild horses” Does that sound like a level playing field? The American public will not stand for the wild mustangs that are supposed to be protected go to slaughter No Way No HOW!!!!!!! Better think again and make the advisory board fair to both sides!!!! These wild horses are very special to the American public!!!
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http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/02/the-lasso-tightens-around-americas-wild-horses/252948/
The Lasso Tightens Around America’s Wild Horses
By Andrew Cohen
Feb 13 2012, 12:00 PM ET12
With 45,000 or so wild horses in federal control, the Bureau of Land Management selects a “pro-slaughter cattlewoman” to be the public’s voice on its advisory board.
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An advisory board is a group of individuals who have been assembled to offer advice and guidance to the management team of a company, but without the authority to mandate implementation of the advice. An advisory board differs from a professional corporate board of directors which has legal responsibility and authority, and therefore, legal exposure.
Small businesses often benefit from advisory boards for the business as a whole or specialized areas such as science, technology, marketing or any other specialization.
Even for individual entrepreneurs, an advisory board is a great way to get advice and counsel from an impartial source.
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Pay special attention to the last sentence, get a darn clue BLM Does the word impartial confuse them????
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“Tim Harvey, the humane advocate who operates a therapeutic riding program in Campton, N.H., said he didn’t always agree with Spratling but defended him as someone with a ‘balanced view’ and sensitive to humane treatment of animals.”
Really? Spratling hasn’t been out at the brutal roundups with Laura, demanding “sensitive” and “humane treatment,” has he, Mr. Harvey? That’s just a string of charming words. You’ve been had, good sir. And you are a “humane advocate”?
“Hendrickson told the AP she was ‘open’ to other options, but not to leaving excess horses on the range. ‘The rangeland cannot sustain such large numbers,’ she said.”
Really? Is that why you’re insisting that cattle numbers be cut back by the same amount as horse “excess,” Ms. Hendrickson? Do you honestly think the American public is so gullible and naive and stupid?
Oh, why do I even write this? William Lloyd Garrison tried to remind me not to bother when he said: “With reasonable men, I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter, nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost.”
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According to Gorey the new Advisory Board members are “chosen” by qualifications… To fit in with a hierarchic Elite who axes anyone whose interests are not fitting their views of special interests to wipe out the mustangs and burros on their rightful range. We have plenty of experts available, yet they refuse to create a balanced board. I am shocked at the unlimited corruption and abuse of our horses, us as tax-paying outraged citizens and the constant PR gigs Gorey delivers. It is time for a revolution.
“Challenging times”… in BLM’s view the increasing public pressure against their atrocious inhumane animal welfare standards and constant violations against Federal Law must be truly challenging… dismissing outraged Americans as “unfair and vicious”… when caught in sabotaging acts of their ill-driven agenda, constantly deceiving American tax-payers, what else is new than resort to finger-pointing ???
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I seriously believe that someone needs to start a lawsuit on behalf of the horses against the BLM for the misappropriation of lands belonging to the public and the criminal and false actions taken against the WM & B act of 1971. It wouldn’t cost them a penny to feed the horses if the weren’t being kept in captivity.
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BLM Advisory Board sure kept Larry (“Cadaverman”) Johnson (President of NV BIG HORN SHEEP) way past his Official Expiration Date a few years ago. Larry’s time on the board had supposed to have been ended but they hadn’t chosen his replacement yet. He just stayed there after his term ended. Larry Johnson is a Native American, was at the time partners with or worked for Black Eagle Engineering in Sparks, NV
Their lack of integrity brings to mind a group of churning maggots — burrowing deep into the putrified world of their own making, shunning the light of public will.The more of the horses they can get directly OFF public land, the LESS AND LESS control the public will legally have to have a say-so in what they do with them. Especially if they are moved to public/private entities and the like. We are watching the end of an era today, my friends. And have been for 40 years.
They are ”negotiating” with the public to ”take away” something and ”give it” to someone else. And we WILL GET NOTHING BUT TINY HERDS here and there with BLM going on into eternity milking the taxpayers and cow-towing to the big interests who buy our congresspersons. The laws created by these congresspersons (both state and federal) represent the aphids; the plant they suck the juices out of represents the American Taxpayer; and the special interests are the ants and their cronies, living off the life blood of the American public.
Does that sound too mean?
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What, “mean” of you? Not hardly. Or “mean” of the BLM? Not too mean. The insects you mention are kind and gentle compared to these criminals.
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With upwards of 70% of the people in this country being against horse slaughter, and likely more being against animal cruelty how can the BLM justify their actions when more humane options exist? View the videos of BLM round-ups and explain to me how that is justifiable. I can’t believe Obama supports this.
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By their actions shall ye know them. Run/remove/stockpile/destroy. I don’t see them reopening any of the rangelands, returning horses to range areas, releasing intact ready to breed horses/burros,removing the excess cattle— or considering any of the 10 recommendations put forth by the advocates. So it’s business as usual–and “We really love these horses” as the mantra-coverup of their nefarious plot. I suppose “It’s for their own good” will be blazoned on the trucks that haul our “federally protected” horses off to………?? 50,000 horses in danger. Start in on the White House again.
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Strong post, Ann. The BLM keeps trying to distract us from the only goal that really matters to the horses and burros — the 4 R’s you mentioned: reopening, returning, releasing, removing. If we can be kept preoccupied with first one inhumane roundup and then another and another, one band losing genetic diversity and then another and another, I guess they figure we’ll lose sight of our real message: “Leave our national treasures alone. Period.”
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