By Sonu Wasu of Tucson News Now
“A couple of them seized my arms, it seemed like they wanted to break my arms,”
Obama’s BLM Crosses the Line ~ click image to view video
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) – Two people were arrested during a burro roundup taking place in the Cibola Trigo herd management area, 20 miles outside of Yuma.
An independent journalist and a woman in her 70’s who was observing the event were taken into custody by BLM officials.
It happened on Sunday afternoon. Here is a statement about the incident released to Tucson News Now by a BLM spokeswoman from the Arizona state office.
“On June 10, 2012, two public observers were contacted by BLM Law Enforcement Rangers outside the designated viewing area. One of the individuals (MROZEK-MALE) had been previously asked on numerous occasions to leave the viewing area based on his failure to comply with instructions from law enforcement officers. The other individual (HAYDEN-FEMALE), who was in a restricted area, was asked repeatedly to move to the designated viewing area, for her safety and the safety of those involved in the gather operations, and she refused to comply. Rangers had to make physical contact with both individuals to gain compliance. Both individuals were detained pending charges. Both individuals were placed in air conditioned law enforcement vehicles. Both individuals requested medical attention. Ambulances were called at their request. One individual was transported by ambulance. One individual was evaluated and released at the scene. Charges are pending against both individuals.”
Carl Mrozek spoke to Tucson News Now about the arrest. Mrozek was there to film a documentary about burros. It started out as in interest in the animal, but the interest grew as he observed roundups taking place throughout the country, and noticed the numbers of burros out in the wild rapidly declining.
A video Mrozek shot in 2009 in the California desert raised a public outcry. The video showed a contracted BLM pilot chasing a burro in the desert, causing it to collapse.
BLM officials say that pilot was reprimanded, and was never used by the BLM again.
Mrozek said on Sunday, he along with several observers had set up in an area designated for the public, by the BLM.
Mrozek said their view was obstructed by a line of trucks. He noticed an older woman step around the line to get a closer look at the action, when BLM officials approached her and took her into custody.
He started filming the arrest. That’s when Mrozek said two BLM officials approached him and asked him to speak to them.
Mrozek said they suddenly jumped on him and started putting hand cuffs on him.
“A couple of them seized my arms, it seemed like they wanted to break my arms,” said Mrozek.
He kept asking them if he was being arrested. He said the men said they did not know, and told him to “just relax.”
“I felt like the burro. I had no rights. I was under the control of the posse of men with machines and guns. I felt like one of the burros,” said Mrozek.
He said the officials then put him in the back of a pick-up truck, he was crouched in a back seat with his hands still cuffed behind his back.
Mrozek said he sat there for a long time. He says it was over an hour, when he started to feel hot and faint.
“I started feeling light headed and fainted. At one point when I woke up I had trouble breathing. My circulation was bad. It was 103 degrees outside, we were parked in the sun for over an hour. It was unpleasant, very unpleasant.
Mrozek said he had to be taken to the hospital, where he was given fluids and treated for heat exhaustion.
Mrozek said BLM officials returned his camera to him, but he noticed his microchip and all of the footage he had shot that day was missing. The footage included video of the roundup from Sunday, along with video of the arrest and confrontation with BLM officials.
Mrozek said he felt like his First Amendment Rights had been violated, and he planned to seek legal counsel.
We asked BLM officials why they did not return Mrozek’s footage, along with his gear.
In an email, spokeswoman Carrie Templin stated: “I will not answer any of the questions in the second paragraph as they pertain to details of the case, at this preliminary stage it is inappropriate to respond to these questions.”
BLM officials say the roundups are conducted to save vegetation in the area. Opponents argue it is inhumane to round up burros in temperatures over 90 degrees.
BLM officials said the roundup was now complete. They had gathered 350 wild burros from the Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area north of Yuma, Arizona.
BLM officials said they had met their Cibola-Trigo Wild Burro gather objectives safely with no incidents with the burros or personnel.
Officials said the Standard Operating Procedure for high temperature days was also met with gather operations shutting down when the temperature reached 95 degrees.
All animals are expected to be transported to the BLM Ridgecrest facility and made available for adoption to citizens willing and prepared to provide good care.
BLM officials said they offer wild horses and burros gathered from public lands in the West to qualified adopters who must demonstrate humane care for the animal for a year in order to receive title.
To qualify to adopt, you must be 18 years of age, have approved facilities to keep the animal, and transportation home for it from the adoption site. For more information and adoption qualifications, please call the BLM at 1-866-4MUSTANGS (468-7826) or visit BLM’s website at www.blm.gov/az/.
In addition, the goals of the gather, daily gather reports, and the 2010 Cibola-Trigo Gather video can be found at this link. http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/whb/gather.html
Click (HERE) to visit Tucson News and to Comment
Related articles
- Experts Urge BLM to Halt Massive Arizona Burro Roundup in High Desert Heat (rtfitchauthor.com)
- No Baby Burros in Two Years? (wdneoh.wordpress.com)
- Americans Want Aid Sent to Pregnant Wild Horses and Babies – Not to Stampede Them (rtfitchauthor.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
BLM are the terrorists….for god’s sake……can’t they be stopped?…..where are the good lawyers that can help…please step up to the plate….now….
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The land of the free–NOT.
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20 miles outside of Yuma….is NOTHING….nothing but scrub brush and now not even any burros. I can’t imagine cattle barons want to graze there!
I am sad for our equine friends. We are all inter-related, all connected. As you do to the least of us, you do to me.
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When you have to use BARGES to round up wild animals, common sense pretty much tells you that they are in no one’s way and harming nothing. But desperate agency employees with dwindling numbers of animals to round up must find new desperate ways to round them up. That and make sure no one films just how desperate they are to keep the budget dollars coming in. This agency doesn’t exist for the protection of horses and burros. This agency now exists soley to keep its people and contractors employed and paid. There’s no reason to round up these burros. The staff just needs to justify their jobs somehow and round ups is all they do. Anyone know how many employees the WH&B agency has?
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It used to be 80 employees..don’t know if that counts contractors or the huge PR dept they may be contracting out some of those jobs to firms..like Blackwater
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They set up a viewing area and then block the view with trucks and trailers. What are they trying to hide? If it is so humane and safe then why are they hiding? If someone is doing the right thing they don’t try to hide what they are doing. The wrongdoers try to hide their activity. We do not live in a free society anymore in this country and things need to change. That land belongs to US not the US Govt which is supposed to be run by us not the other way around. GOOH is a good place to start. Check it out!
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Do we think that perhaps BLM and the contractors might not care for Carl because of his video showing absolute and complete and totally illegal animal abuse?
Do we think there were some happy BLM faces when they had Carl and Kathleen hand-cuffed?
By the way, where was the responsible BLM (COR) person on the day the video was taken? It was that person’s job to approve or disapprove all the actions during that capture and since it was allowed then this BLM COR obviously APPROVED of the contractor knocking over and harrasing the terrified and exhausted burro. THAT BLM person needs to be brought up on animal abuse charges.
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Is there a reason BLM was sitting there on their male appendages NOT DOING A THING???? Where was the COR and what was their response to this burro being knocked to the ground by the helicopter????
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Margaret-
You asked what BLM had to say about the yellow Sun-J helicopter harassing and injuring (did you see it limping when it got to its feet? – not to mention the mental tormenting) knocking the burro down in Arizona a couple of years ago? Here is BLM’s official statement which to me, just says that they sent Sun-J to chase the foals in Jackson Mt. while the convicted animal abuser Cattoor rounded up the Arizona burros:
Video Statement (by BLM)
The video of the burro and the yellow helicopter appears to be an incident that occurred during a BLM-California gather that occurred in September 2009 on public lands in the Panamint Valley area of California Desert. BLM witnessed the pilot and helicopter under contract to BLM come in contact with the burro; the BLM official onsite immediately radioed the pilot and demanded he back away from the burro. The pilot did so, and the burro regained his footing, did not appear injured and ran off up the hill. In that day’s official Contract Diary the BLM official noted the incident and said he informed the contractor: ‘I did not want aggressive maneuvers trying to get a burro to turn, and if need be, to let it go.’ The contractor complied and there were no further incidents for the duration of the round-up. BLM-California did not use that contractor again as the national contract was not renewed.”
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Makes me believe, more advocates need to get arrested.
Makes USDA/DOI look like fasci$ts and flat out bullies.
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And the next time someone collects video or photos, have a teeny ziploc bag handy and SWALLOW IT!
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Looks like people attending round ups should bring their lawyers along with.
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andhire our own security gaurds, and back up video tographers to capture the harrasment..The security officer told Deb Hurley, he knew this was a conspiracy the 3 were involved in..and her sweet and nice attitude was not fooling him for a minute even tho they didn’t arrest her
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Conspiracy IS the correct word … but it is the BLM and their “associates” that are the conspiracy!
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WE MAY NEED TO GET PHYSICAL, MAY BE THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE BURROS AND HORSES??????………….
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Arlene, let them get physical, they are dangerous enough. Carl could have died. As Denise said, it makes BLM look like the bullies and they are. If more people get ruffed up and arrested it will become a PR nightmare for BLM. We are all committed to non-violent means in this campaign. Let BLM be the violator. No one broke any laws, only policy! They simply stepped out of place if they even did that.
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Dear Mar, The BLM took his camera and removed his film and his card , now I ask dont they do that type of thing in third world countries, Thought this is a Democracy??? The BLM really over stepped on this one for sure !!!! They had best give it back to him………. I am hoping Mr. Mrozak and Ms Hayden are ok ….and I think they should sue the hell out of them…..The Plot thickens… More exposure at the BLM……
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It was foolish of BLM to remove the card/videos. That is a very bad thing to do in this country. I believe when Josh Fox (Gasland) was arrested filming a public meeting earlier this Spring his video was also removed. The press is not respected unless what they are being shown and told is spoon fed to them by BLM and they are escorted by the contractor or PR person.
I do agree with you, Arlene; the plot thickens. It is never to the advantage of our government agencies to get heavy handed with the public.
I am glad it was not a clean sweep and that Deb Hurley was not arrested. Obviously this is what these guards are now asked to do… altho’ I am not sure who made an actual arrest. I am thinking this will all be thrown out. Will Carl get his video back? I hope so.
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I TOTALLY and 100% agree with Mar. We ADVOCATE for those without a voice. I know your frustration because I feel it too. It made me mad when I heard of this Mon night. And advocate works within the law, files lawsuits, goes to rallies, makes the phone calls. An activist resorts to some kind of physical altercation. It’s when we turn things physical NO MATTER WHAT–that we can be labeled eco-terrorist.
However, hard it is we have to let BLM make bullies of themselves and then solve it in Court. Yes, its the long way around. But to resort to giving tit for tat–can work against the horses big time. It isn’t for us that we fight. It’s for the horses.
And yes, I’ve had to bite the bullet before. It’s wrong and it doesn’t feel good. But in the end I know HOWEVER HARD IT WAS for me–the horses benefited by me not talking about things. Happily for me I had a lot of support from other horse warriors that caught wind of my issue. They taught me, they counselled with me, and believe you me IT WAS HARD.
Do I agree with this going to Court? I’ve heard both sides and somewhere in between lies the truth. What I would really like to see is the video Carl shot. If the BLM is oh so innocent then they shouldn’t have a problem releasing Carl’s video back to him and having it aired for one and all to see.
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Dear Margaret , the goal ios to see them run free , as it was intended,deemed unanimously by Congress in 1971!!!!! I have seen them hundreds of time on the desert in Nevada, there is nothing more humbling or beautiful I have ever seen…………………….
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We have choices. We can do more. We need a huge organization.
Well, RT, no one has tried to start anything else. What have you got? When will you unveil?
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I To await !! Please Unite Us ………..
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Court is one thing and there is nothing wrong with being an activist. It is all about what you do… and no violence. We can do far more than court. To finally win this we have to be able to carry on and we may have to be able to manage our wild ones. With a large group we can get
grants. There are many goals. Stopping the roundups is priority and saving the captives from slaughter! We have a lot to do. Waiting for court is wasting energy… While waiting for court we can be doing many things! Waiting for others is not doing enough!!
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Dear Arlene
I too have seen the wild ones out where they belong. I may not know you but I do feel the pain you experience when we see what Laura shows us and tells us. Not just with words (although I must confess that when it comes to understanding the law it helps to have someone explain it to me)but through video.
But we have stay the course. I know its frustrating. It’s a long drawn out battle. For each step forward it sure seems like we fall backwards about 100 steps!
One would think after the Calico debacle a couple of years ago BLM wouldn’t resort to doing another roundup in foaling season. Yet, that’s exactly what’s happening right now.
Laura and Mr. Cowan had to file ANOTHER lawsuit to try to stop this. And Mr. Cowan hasn’t been paid. And all because someone with a little bit of authority just had to throw his weight around.
We have to stay cool under fire. We have to support Laura in her fight–not just with funds but by staying cool even when things are way less than right.
When we promote ANY KIND of physical reaction we become a huge liability to one and all. Speaking out against cruelty and abuse is fine but when you deliberately cross that line–the Government can come back on all of us and call us ALL eco-terrorists. And this can come back to haunt Laura by extension.
I even looked it up this morning. We have to maintain non violence and non physical action. This is so paramount I can’t even begin to tell you how important this is.
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At many roundups, the contractor pulls a truck between the public’s designated viewing area and the wild horses, most often blocking a view of a critical activity, like loading or unloading the horses from transportation trucks.
Also, BLM’s contractor often sets up the public observation area where the view of the entrance to the trap site is blocked by part of a hill, which then “conveniently” blocks the view while the horses enter the trap (where the helicopter often hovers more closely).
Then, there’s the fact BLM’s contractor puts the public so FAR AWAY from the trap. It almost seems that if they could, they’d put you on the space shuttle to observe.
And my all time favorite is when the BLM tells you they put you far away because a glint of light off of your sunglasses could scare the horses. (This, while a loud helicopter is chasing the horses into an area with nearby trucks with a LOT of light glistening off of them.)
There is very little transparency with the BLM.
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Can they cuff a million people all at one time?????
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Dear Mar, all I want here is our Mustangs free , they way it was unanimously voted on by Congress in 1971. they have been breaking the law ever since, i refuse to let them do thos to the innocent Mustangs !!!! This is very hard to deal with , can you imagine how the Mustangs feel????????????????????????/ FREEDOM for the Mustangs , is like FREEDOM for the people essential and environmentally a necessity………… They bully our horses now they are bullying the people also , They gotta go………………………….
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Just so we are not the transgressors. No one was actually upsetting any burros either. This is blown out of proportion by BLM. They also endangered Carl’s life with extreme carelessness! This is the worst thing they did!
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Dear Mar, we wouldnt be the transgressors , if we were just standing and watching ????? ???? Hopefully a million of us!!!!!
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Getting people out there should be done ASAP. Most of us understand what is going on now and we must also plan and act and DO what ever we can. We have not scratched the surface of what we can do that will help the wild ones. Doing more is necessary. Being effective is a must.
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Dear Mar, You are so right , time is of the essence and has been for way to long !!!!! Mar, if only we could get all the advocates to go there wow !!! this is what is needed………… This would be the statement needed…….. I have watched for many years the BLM , destroying our Mustangs, I am really sick of it……. These fools have no idea the harm that they are doing , to the Land, and most of all to our innocent wonderful mustangs,all my life I have adored them for who and what they are and represent ………I feel we must make a stand for them , I know they have for us……………….
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BLM really crossed the line this time. There needs to be charges filed against them. They’ve gone beyond brutality against the Wild Horses and Burros. They are now dangerous to Citizens.
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Yes, BLM crossed the line and we need to be cautious. I repeat, Carl could have died. We need to be careful, always. Now that this has finally happened realize it could keep happening and be prepared for rough tactics. They are afraid we will come out in force. This has been a BLM fear for years. We have failed to become domestic eco-terrorists but we are fair game to BLM!
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I don’t think Miss Abby will mind my posting this here. She posted it on HORSEBACK:
Miss Abby on June 13, 2012 at 12:32 am
Kathleen asked to speak to Sue Catoor and was told she could not enter the office area where they all were at the time. She was told to move on, even though it was before three o’clock and the sign she was standing in front of said Welcome to Imperial Wildlife Refuge, open to the public until 3 pm. Carl was standing in the bed of Deborah Hurley’s truck trying to get footage of the burros in holding. They were behind obstacle obscuring his view so he was on her truck to get a better view. He had to park his in a different area due to the previous day’s harassment. When the harassment of Kathleen took place and she stood on a rock and refused to leave, Carl turned his camera on them. He is a journalist and that was the story. He heard them say, “We need to get rid of that guy”. And, shortly after they were ordering him down from the bed of the truck. He asked them why, what had he done, and he preferred to talk to them from where he was. They then, took him down and handcuffed his hands behind his back very tightly. He told me they pinched his wrists, and then he was forced into the back of there truck which had small crew seat forcing them to keep their knees close to their chest. The truck was parked in the sun and the air did not work well. After an hour and a half, Carl passed out and was taken to the hospital. The BLM photographed all of Carl’s equipment, but kept the cassette with his work.
No one is there to observe the BLM and keep them humane with our sweet burros. And, now I worry for them. This should not have happened, but from the first day they harassed Carl until this one particular person who headed up security for BLM pushed the harassment over the line. I do hope Carl will sue, and we should help him, if he asks for the help.
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OK, Louie…this is a snaky reply (not to you or Miss Abby), BUT just what exactly are the safety issues within Cattoor’s office and exactly who are they (the thugs) trying to keep “safe”?????? Doesn’t appear to be the wild equines.
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Ever notice how the BLM allows its contractors to run the show, rather than the BLM running the contractors? This is how contractors operate their for-profit concerns with impunity. Just take a look at Blackwater in Iraq. Cattoor and SunJ are no different.
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The Catoor people were inside the office at the time, and Kathleen wanted to talk to Sue which they would not allow. She did nothing wrong; she just wanted to know where it was written that she could not be there when the sign clearly said open to the public until 3. She said she was the public. It is insane. What I was startled to learn was that Roger Oyler was present and did not stop the behavior of the people working for him. I thought he was supposed to be pro-burro. This has changed my view of him completely. He was in charge and he did not stop these very large men from going after a 70 year old woman and a member of the press.
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LOL, BLM has posted video for the second day of the roundup showing someone standing on the same rock pile as Kathleen was on when they cuffed her..It has been dowloaqded and saved so that if BLM removes it ..we have proof the day before was pure harrassment
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Not a problem Louie. Thank you for helping me cover since you know I take care of nearly two hundred donkeys, mules and horses. Plus I have been working on the donkey roping event coming up in Van Horn TX. And, our big event in Alpine TX in Oct. to bring awareness to the TPWD eradication plans for the last herd of wild burros in TX. My plate has been really full, so I appreciate you helping me out. I am very grateful. (BTW here is a dirty little secret. Many of our BLM donkeys end up being used as roping donkeys because the “cowboys” who use them love their speed, once they are used up they are sent to Denis Chavez)
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Criminal charges should be filed against all individuals involved in this gross abuse of power. It is against the law to leave a child or an animal in a hot car. A CITIZEN who was HANDCUFFED and armed with nothing more than a camera? This ABSOLUTELY crossed the line.
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It is also illegal to take a reporters video and film and not return it. I believe they do that in countries where our troops are fighting to bring democracy. Maybe it is time to import a little democracy here for a change.
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Arizona could use some help on the border. Why not move the BLM operations, armed guards and helicopters to the border? There has been so much talk of merging all of these agencies. Merge the BLM with the Border control….they could CERTAINLY use the help. The drug cartels are getting very bold, to put it mildly. People are afraid. Instead of rounding up America’s Wild Horses and Burros and harrassing its CITIZENS, this agency could actually earn its keep.
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Hummm new name for the BLM\ Gestapo sound familiar……………………
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that’s a fantastic idea…i concur completely, and just learned of the blm’s arrests of 2 citizens who were doing nothing illegal. now i’ve heard of everything! they must be sued and i’m so happy the congressman from arizona is on their backs (like they are with the helicopters!)…blm your time is ending soon! we need obama out and romney in. his wife is a horse enthusiast.
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You better look at Romney’s past dog abuse and give a bit more thought before you vote.
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Mitigation Monitoring Program for the North Baja Pipeline Expansion Project
“The Project would cross a small portion of the Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area (HMA) and Chocolate-Mules HMA where wild horses and/or burros could be found watering. Construction could affect wild horses or burros if the animals were to fall into the open trench
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There is also an issue with the town of Tombstone, AZ & USDA/Forest Service cutting water to the town/locals. The town lost the injunction round….not good.
BTW, the town of Tombstone has been around longer the USDA/Forestry.
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Burying pipelines means little or no maintainence and no long term jobs but only short term building jobs. The possibility of equines falling into temporarily open trenches which are filled each day and not left open is remote at best and no reason for removing the animals as deer and other wildlife are as unlikely to fall into the trenches also… and they will not be removed. What a farce BLM is perpetrating on the public!
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From Miss Abby…posted on HORSEBACK:
Miss Abby on June 14, 2012 at 12:06 am
It was after the gather for the day, and they were trying to get a look at the burros in short term holding. It was before 3 o’clock, and Carl was jacked around from the first day as to where he could and could not be. Deborah had trouble getting the lines straight and the Dick who caused most of the trouble there was the head of security. He gave Deborah a hard time just because she asked for clarification on where she could and could not be.
Carl worked his butt off for our burros, and had very important work contained on that video cassette. They better return it undamaged.
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And then there is this:
America’s Wild Burros are possibly in the way? There are billions of dollars to made from the plunder of Public Lands. Two reporters are a threat……to WHO?
YUMA FIELD OFFICE:
http://www.sustainablecitynetwork.com/topic_channels/energy/article_15fc8ea8-5f2a-11e0-9564-001a4bcf6878.html
BLM Considers Land Use Plan Amendment in Connection with Energy Project
YUMA, Ariz. — The Bureau of Land Management Yuma Field Office is considering amending a land use plan to allow the use of public land for the proposed Quartzsite Solar Energy Project in La Paz County, Arizona.
A Notice of Intent announcing the proposed amendment was published in the Federal Register. The land use plan amendment would be in conjunction with the proposed solar project. The Notice of Intent, initiates the public participation and scoping processes for the National Environmental Policy Act process.
Quartzsite Solar Energy LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Solar Reserve LLC, has submitted an application to the BLM requesting a right-of-way to construct, maintain and operate an electrical generating facility with a capacity of up to 100 MW, using concentrated solar thermal tower technology. An array of mirrors would focus light on receivers at the top of a 653′ tower. The focused energy would be used to heat salt to a molten state, which would in turn heat steam to power a turbine. The project would require approximately 1,450 acres of BLM-managed land. The proposed site is about 10 miles north of Quartzsite and about 1 mile east of State Route 95.
Western Area Power Administration, a Federal agency, is also requesting a right-of-way for their connected action to the project for a 230-kilovolt collector transmission line, substation and other related facilities.
The proposed project may require an amendment to the Yuma Resource Management Plan because the area is designated as a Visual Resource Management Class III area. The objective of Class III designation is to partially retain the existing character of the landscape. The level of change to the characteristic landscape should be moderate, under that classification.
BUT
Apparently the local citizens don’t think the changes to the landscape would be “moderate”:
http://www.yumasun.com/opinion/quartzsite-69220-energy-area.html
Solar energy destroys areas
An article in the Yuma Sun on April 2 reported that Bureau of Land Management is considering amending the land use plan for a large area north of Quartzsite. Quartzsite Solar Energy LLC has applied for a right of way to construct a facility covering approximately 1,450 acres with mirrors that will reflect to a 654-foot tower.
Currently the area is designated as “Visual Resource Management Class III.” This designation indicates that change to the landscape in the area should only be moderate. But 1,450 acres of mirrors and a 654-foot tower could hardly be considered moderate.
There are already three solar projects under construction between Dateland and Gila Bend. A large ranch in the Chino Valley area has closed its gates, causing Arizona Game and Fish to close the 19B Wildlife Management area to hunting in the late summer and fall. Part of the ranch is state trust land.
These solar projects cover thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and open spaces. Wildlife travel corridors to feed and water are being disrupted. Sportsmen and recreationists are being forced to go elsewhere.
What do Arizona and the local communities get out of all of this? Not much. Maybe a little cash for leases and taxes. There has been no indication that a single watt of energy will be provided to customers in Arizona. The indications are that all of the power will go to California.
If California has such a great need for energy, let them destroy the habitat within their own borders
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It sounds like regardless of political party we are on a fast-track to use public lands for specific ‘energy’ projects?
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I don’t know where Mr. Cowan is on this. But I sure hope that Mr. Mrozek is okay. If he has any lingering effects from that ordeal he needs to get that documented and then sue the bleepers out of the BLM.
It would be VERY interesting to see his video to know exactly what the lady did that caused the BLM to arrest her and the conditions they put her through. Was she treated decently? When they handcuffed her did they twist her shoulders to dislocate them?
And what did Carl EXACTLY do to get himself arrested? Or detained? Having never been detained or arrested it seems to me that once someone in authority (having powers of arrest) puts you in handcuffs that’s an arrest.
I think once the BLM started down this road of having armed BLM at roundups, and putting everyone through the daily brief of if you break our rules we’re taking things to the next level (and don’t forget they were saying this with their hands on the butts of their sidearms) this could have been a predicted situation to arise.
The other thing that needs to be questioned is the right of advocates to observe. I thought this was what Laura went to court over and what the 9th circuit said was OUR right. Placing trucks to block observers view is to me a violation of that order.
Just curious does anyone know if BLM was busy hotshotting wild burros needlessly in their rush to load the truck? Is that why observers view was being obstructed? Ginger has great video of BLM madly hotshotting burros in a mad rush to load them. (Well its not great the burros were hotshotted but you know what I mean)
In the end no matter what–I sure hope both these folks will be okay from their ordeal with the Satanic cult that is the BLM.
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Macho adrenalin – IMO there IS a time and place for this kind of law enforcement – it is needed for child abusers and other violent crimes against the innocent of our world. But that is not the story here because the only abuse being done was the contractor with the complete approval of the BLM against the Wild Burros. We can put money on the guess that this exact observer harassment and arrest situation was discussed by BLM behind closed doors before the capture even started and either consciously or unconsciously was “pre-planned”. Remember when Cattoor was filmed pre-planning and discussing with his staff the cover-up of any wild horses that might be killed during a capture? Same thing. They will do whatever they want (legal or not) and then keep the public (and most media) buffaloed into thinking everything is wonderful. I bet these BLM enforcers who “physically removed” and arrested a 70-year-old woman observer and broke the first amendment and personal rights of Carl documenting their actions are really lapping up the “good-job kudos” from their buddies. Sick.
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Don’t get me wrong, I am 100% against these round-ups..burros, wild horses, bison-hazing et all. But please do not diminish your site’s integrity and credibility by referring to this as “Obama’s BLM”..as if he is personally responsible for this. Then you sound like the hysterical, self-righteous, irrational conservative/Republican/Tea Party extremists who blame the president for every problem we have. Granted, I am not happy with many of his appointees–Salazar for example–or environmental record but the BLM’s management practises and heinous actions have been in place for some time.
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Agree with you 100% and it only serves to polarize us. This has been going on a long, long time. There is big mu$cle behind this program and it’s not the President.
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Since when does the BLM worry about anythings safety but their own??????
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This is a blessing in disguise folks, it’s what we needed to push this into mainstream media! Thank you Mr. Morzek, and Ms. Hayden for being the sacrafical lambs…I’m sorry for your ordeal, but please what ever you do, DO NOT keep quiet about what has happened to you!
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Cibola-Trigo Population Data, per BLM: 2009: 393, 2008: 339, 2007: 180, 2006: 165, 2005: 165. And pre- 2012 capture they said in their EA that there were 711 burros on the HMA.
These BLM figures indicate to me that, between 2005 and 2006, no burros reproduced but that in 2007,15 of them did; then, between 2008 and 2009, they all did – twice. And between 2009 and 2012, they all reproduced again twice (or almost; 393 x 2 = 786). This comes out to a 366% increase in population, or 41% per annum, 100% successful, with no mortality and complete fertility over 9 years. Assuming NO breeding-age burros have died in those 9 years! So the only reasonable explanation would be … twins & yearlings and jacks (male burros) giving birth?
So now that they have captured their quota of 350 burros … and because their previous published census was obviously bogus … it is my belief that the Cibalo-Trigo HMA is near their “managing for extinction” goal of zero and/or below a genetically viable herd of burros.
The BLM and “associates” herd destruction mission has been accomplished and as a bonus they got to have the pleasure of harassing and endangering and arresting two very wild and scary observers!
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/wh_b_information_center/statistics_and_maps/ha_and_hma_data.html
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More Burros captured by BLM:
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/whb/burrogather.html
Conducted June 15, 2012
Status
The Bureau of Land Management gathered 12 burros on Friday, June 15, from agricultural fields near Palo Verde. The gather was to collect burros that have wandered out of the Chocolate-Mule Mountains Herd Area onto nearby farm fields. Helicopter gather operations are now complete.
Private landowners report there are up to 50 burros still on private land. The field office will proceed with future actions as needed through water and bait trapping throughout the year.
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Yes, many many people got arrested peacefully protesting the Keystone Pipeline, many of them famous scientists. Many people got arrested during Occupy protests, and the Vietnam war and Civil Rights. I hope more arrests happen in the future. If you are in an “observation area” and you can’t see and they won’t allow you to see, they are violating your 1st Amendment rights. It is not up to an illiterate contractor or BLM thug to decide what your rights are. Without freedom of the press, there is no freedom. That’s why it is the FIRST amendment.
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It IS O’bama’s BLM! This is an election year and the destruction is full speed ahead because STILL the general public is not aware and they can continue to get away with this! Who funded O’bama’s campaign are the beneficiaries of this continued mass removal of “protected” animals. THEY DON’T WANT ADDITIONAL EXPOSURE especially NOW!!!
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No, it’s the 1%s and special interests BLM. It was the same way under Bush & Bush & Clinton & Bush & …
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Obama has the power to stop this!
He doesn’t even have the backbone to comment…
Special interests, yes… they control him and our country. But, he does have a choice and his choice was theirs: Salazar, destruction and administrative silence.
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The Department of the Interior/BLM have become a liability to this administration…an ALBATROSS.
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BLM has been a rogue agency for many years now, with sex scandals bribes and protitutes and profligate spending..like wall street they have spun out of control, they are now armed and dangerous, and someone from the Justice Dept. needs to step in and look into the goings onhere..Holder has his own problems with tea party idiots to be able to deal with this issue..Thisis a pr nightmarefor BLM..they screwed up big time, Carl is a very mild mannered man with a big heart..his trangression the first day was to go back to his pickup to get something..he was being harrassed the first day and he was the ONLY person there for the burros..which is why we put ut a call for more adocates..deb and Kathleen drove from Calif to get there the next day…Katleen knows the law and had the guts to stand her ground to stand up for those rights..she was not in any way endangering or close to the burros..they were keeing them so far away it was impossible to film any of the roundup..BLM has been looking for something to justify all those armed security people and kevlar vests out there at the roundups..lots of tax payer extra dollars being spent…they thought they had carl all alone and could get away with it until the gals showed up
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We need to start hiring tour buses to bring crowds to the roundups…they usully only allow a handfull of spectators..they will say they cannot handle crowd control..especially when it takes 5 security gaurds per spectator
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Yes, instead of the 6 busloads going to LTH in Kansas or OKLA or whereever it was, with Joan Guilfoyle as tour guide, we need to book round up tours. Pull up and don’t move that bus! Love it.
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BLM Seeking “Pasture” For Even More Horses in Holding
June 15, 2012
BLM Seeks Bids for New Long-Term Pastures to Care for Wild Horses
http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/16273
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http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/16200
COMMENT
This was posted on June 6th on PPJ Gazette:
Carl Mrozek
Subsequently I did find several half grown foals and a couple of younger ones, plus at least 2 pregnant jennies. However, overall there seemed to be a high proportion of jacks and a low number of foals of various ages in proportion to the total numbers that I observed in the vicinity of the Cibola Wildlife Refuge.
This particular sub-populatiion had been ‘gathered’ by the BLM in Sept. 2010 and hence probably had their sex ratios skewed in favor of jacks as a result of that gather.
THe pertinent question is why is this same sub-populaition within the Cibola-Trigo HMA being ‘gathered’ again, less than 2 years later – and after the earlier gather is having the intended effect of radically reducing reproduction and hence population growth ? BLM’s response is that this entire sub-population is being considered as ‘nuisance animals’ because some of them (noone knows what proportion) are browsing in alfalfa fields planted by US F & W contractors specifically for wildlife. Hence, what US F & W Svce is doing here is arbitrarily classifying these burros as exotic wildlife or at least as not an ‘approved species’ of wildlife. Moreover, this appears to be a local level decision, and not
a broader one which applies agency-wide as in the above discussion.
According to BLM officials in AZ , they are required to remove any burros deemed a ‘nuisance’ by private parties or by other federal, state, county…. officials under section 1334 of the WH & B Act of 1971 which applies to burros which have left the relative safety of BLM -managed public lands for the comparative non-safety of other public or private lands. Unfortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any obligation or even suggestion in Sect 1334 that BLM seek to find remedies other than removal once a complaint has been formally filed, -no matter how simple or inexpensive they might be. Hence alternate solutions like selective fencing, or the maintenance of water sources on BLM public lands, are categorically rejected or ignored in favor of the tried and true approach, the helicopter gather, with all of its costs and humane issues, in the interest of expediency.
It is worth noting that for this sub-polulation of Cibola-Trigo burros, those near Cibola NWR, there are no formal complaints from local landowners -which are few, and also which have fenced burros out of their cultivated fields and hence incur no crop losses due to burros. The only complaints, or at least the principal ‘nuisance complaints’ come from the F&W Service because they have decided to regard burros as non-native and hence feral, exotic & invasive species rather than as an ‘approved species’ of wildlife entitled to the alfalfa which they have planted on behalf of wildlife in general. In legal terms this could qualify as ‘entrapment’ and seems ethically wrong at its core besides, and should be challenged on those grounds, as well as on the grounds cited by F. EUGENE HESTER,
Acting Director, United States Fish and Wildlife Service
(FR Doc.77-8741 Filed 3-23-77;8:45 am).
If we don’t challenge the loose, inconsistent, but consistently biased interpretation of laws like the WH & B Act of 1971 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 on behalf of wild burros, Equus Asinus, by BLM, US F & W S, THe US Forest Service and other agencies soon, the entire discussion will be moot as there will be precious few viable populations of wild burros left in the US.
Carl Mrozek
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So BLM does what ever that want to whoever they feel like it seems!!! Whether it it is animals or people BLM is a scary org. and completely out of control..I feel so sad for those burros for they never bothered a single soul and should have been left alone!!!! Well this definitely tells me that our goverment is as corrupt as the BLM!!!!!!!!!!!
STOP ALL BLMS WILD HORSE & BURRO ROUNDUPS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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YUMA, ARIZONA
The entire chart can be accessed by pulling up the link. This all ties in with the bigger picture. Americans must become aware…FAST:
FROM PPJ GAZETTE
It will sell off our land to foreign corporations and governments and firmly establish sovereign foreign territories inside the geographical US. akin to the current Free Trade Zones (257 zones) now operating across the states.
http://ia.ita.doc.gov/ftzpage/letters/ftzlist-map.html
FTZ No. 219 Yuma
Grantee: Greater Yuma Economic Development Corporation
899 E. Plaza Circle, Yuma, AZ 85365
Greg LaVann (928) 782-7774
glavann@greateryuma.org
http://www.greateryuma.org
219B Gowan Company San Luis
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Americans need to start asking some tough questions? EXACTLY WHO are these armed security guards working for? WHO hired them? WHY?
http://ppjg.me/
This agreement also allows for the sale of public lands here in the US so that foreign investors can access and profit from the resources. The coming all out sale of public lands to foreign investors will in effect, see major areas of the US, now held as scenic waterways, national forests and other high resource areas as owned and controlled by non-American corporations and possibly even governments. This agreement exposes the reasons for the federal government’s ongoing taking of lands from the states and claiming it as owned and controlled by them while also claiming they are taking the land to “protect” it……from us.
Already we have seen the Department of the Interior (DoI) via the Bureau of Land (mis)Management, lease out or sell outright, the access to public lands for mining and oil and gas drilling particularly in the Western States. Not only have our wild horses been slated for eradication from the preserves set aside for them, but our cattle ranchers in the West are also being driven off the land and grazing permits limited or retracted as the land is cleared for foreign ownership and exploitation.
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Our Horses are the tip of the iceberg !!!!! We let them destroy them, we destroy ourselves…………..
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And that scenario, Louis, fits with this outrageous report (in case you weren’t able to watch it when it was posted the other day): http://www.democracynow.org/2012/6/14/breaking_08_pledge_leaked_trade_doc
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Oops, I meant to write “Louie” not “Louis” — sorry. 🙂
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Sandra is RIGHT. We need BUS TOURS of roundups and BUS TOURS of those Concentration Camps that they call “Holding Facilities”…..paid for with taxpayer money.
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We do need other people in the field. It is not any one person’s exclusive territory. There are other lawsuits just as deserving and important, also. We should be diversifying and learning how to do more. It is possible to do far more influential work. Why do people think they have to rely on one person??? It has been too long and not enough inroads made in other areas. Having promoted and supported LL for two years I have left that narrow island and hooked up with broader minds. No pun intended! Even while supporting her I had been writing about all the other needed projects we need to get onto ASAP! It is my suggestion that others do likewise. This is a huge campaign and any one who thinks that putting all our eggs in one basket is just wrong and this thinking is why we have been stalled out for over a year already!!! Think about this!! Don’t limit yourselves! Diversify and find success in many areas! We need science because BLM is lacking it. Read Craig Downer’s book, please “The Wild Horse Conspiracy”. We need to be doing more! Legislation is more powerful than lawsuits which only define the law but do not change it!!! Think for yourselves and examine what is happening and ask more questions of the people you support.
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Mar I would love to go out in the field with Laura. But the driving would kill me. Every morning right now she has to drive two hours to meet BLM to be escorted to observation. And the roads are killers. YOU HAVE TO HAVE 4 WHEEL DRIVE. My little car just wouldn’t do.
Plus you have to consider the people at observation can be really not nice.it is not the place for weak individuals!
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Right, Margaret, the ‘weak’ people should not go. But as for going to roundups we do need more people out there and for them not to be threatened by the followers of one. There are those who claim to be there daily and are not. I do wish you knew what I know. It would shock you. The truth will out. A monopoly on roundup observation is a very scary thing. Especially when the observer is exclusive with information among other things.
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Arlene, you are so very right. I don’t think the rank and file people working in these agencies are happy campers, either. They know that their ship is headed for a Huge iceberg.
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They are worth everything we can do for them, and have always been …. I am ready just give place and time !!!! Ill be there !!!!
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Are you sure that we’re not living in Nazi Germany? Sure sounds like the SS was there.
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We will be if this isn’t stopped. Spead the word.
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BlessUsAll, you can read more on that here.
http://ppjg.me/2012/06/15/investor-state-tribunals-and-treason-in-high-places/
Marti Oakley Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved
Investor State Tribunals: The Trans-Atlantic Partnership AGREEMENT
A huge collection of federal corporate agents that we call “senators” and “representatives” will soon be jumping in front of Lame Street Media camera’s just for the chance to tell you how this new agreement will create thousands of new jobs. And it will! Only not here in the US. These same corporate puppets will poo-poo the idea that this corporate government agreement will render our laws null and void against marauding corporations. They will tell you that it will boost states economies to have foreign investors buying land and exploiting resources. They will tell you any lie they think will make this sell off of our country more palatable. And, by the time most of you figure out you just got sold out and sold off, these same liars will have taken retirement so that they can spend more time with their families. (Oh! be still my heart!)
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Oh, yes, I forgot that Marti Oakley with Truth Squad Radio is “on” to all these nefarious plots.
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