By MARTIN GRIFFITH as it appears in the Idaho Statesman
“Her focus appears to be on making profits off public land“
Twin Peaks Horses ~ photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
RENO, Nev. — Wild-horse advocates may be unified in their sharp criticism of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, but they’re split over President Barack Obama’s choice to replace him.
Horse groups are hoping Recreational Equipment Inc. chief Sally Jewell will represent a shift in direction for the government’s management of wild mustangs. They note nearly 40,000 horses have been removed from the range across the West during Salazar’s four-year tenure, which ends in March.
Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, said her group “responded optimistically” to Jewell’s nomination and looks forward to opening a dialogue with her about reforming the U.S. Bureau of Land Management‘s wild horse program.
“Sally Jewell is a surprising choice, but we’re hopeful that as a conservationist and outdoor enthusiast, she’ll appreciate the important role wild horses play in our national heritage and work with us to find ways to preserve them for future generations,” Roy said. “Jewell will face many challenges as interior secretary, but time is running out for America’s wild horses and burros, so she’ll have to act quickly.”
In announcing the nomination Wednesday, Obama said Jewell has earned national recognition for her environmental stewardship at REI, which sells clothing and gear for outdoor enthusiasts. He also noted her experience as an engineer in oil fields and her fondness for mountain climbing, biking and skiing.
But Anne Novak, executive director of California-based Protect Mustangs, said she has doubts about Jewell because of her earlier background as a commercial banker and Mobil Oil engineer.
“I’m very concerned that an appointment coming from big oil and banking will not protect native wild horses,” Novak said. “They don’t know how to make money out of mustangs but see environmental restrictions slowing down quick profits … Her focus appears to be on making profits off public land.”
Click (HERE) to read the story in it’s entirety and to comment at the Statesman
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Give her a chance. Raul Grijalva would have been a “wiser choice,” for our Wild Horses and Burrows (& wolves)..
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I am way too fearful about Ms Jewell just carrying on. Of course we haven’t seen any of her ideals on paper yet…does she know anything at all about wildlife? Being an outdoor enthusiast or a mountain climber doesn’t mean she’s pro or anti wildlife, wild horses and burros or for that matter knows anything about them and the struggles they endure.
Being appointed and confirmed means we have 4 years to deal with whatever we get. At this point that is a very big ‘unknown’. I don’t understand why the President chose her other than she is a woman and Chris Gregoire of WA had way too much egg on her face after the wolf pack annihilation.
Maybe it’s a pipe dream but why must we settle for less than the best? Would she even be in the top 20 picks if she weren’t a woman? Making an appointment that has so much riding on it based on gender is ludicrous.
Will she pioneer a new direction for the BLM or just let them run roughshod over her because she doesn’t know any better? Some will say that she will have advisers to help her with tough decisions but think of who those advisers will be…Mike Pool? Joan Guilfoyle? Boyd Spratling?
“Her focus appears to be on making profits off public land” is not a new thing. Since the Public Lands act and the ‘multi-use’ policy that has been the focus and the reason the government doesn’t want wild horses and burros on the public lands. They can’t make any money from them (by law) but they can by selling oil and gas leases, right of ways for pipelines, royalties from mining etc.
So with an oil background, a banking background, and a retail profit background do you really think she will stand up for the things she can’t make money from?
Just my opinion, such as it is…
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P.S. I don’t think we give Terry Fitch enough credit for her outstanding wild horse and burro photography! Thanks Terry…you bring the horses and burros to life for those of us too far away to enjoy in person!
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Thanks Steve!!! That is very kind of you!!!
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There was a law passed in 1959 to prohibit the use of aircraft or motor vehicles to hunt wild horses or burros. Also in 1971 another law was passed to protect them. If these laws were passed, why do people still hunt the wild horses and burros in this manner and not go to jail ?
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The BLM was given a ‘pass’ by Congress. Some silver tongued, lazy, sob was able to convince them it was absolutely humane and Congress…being the idiots they are, listened. It’s one of the many amendments to the original Act that has to be repealed.
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I think that Congress needs to look back at the laws passed and hold to what was stated !
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The Helicopter law was repealed while Annie was working for BLM in the 70s.
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There is also a “law” on the books that states that the penetrating captive bolt is in violation of the Humane Horse Slaughter Act because it is ineffective and cruel; however, all slaughter houses continue to use it on our horses. Who’s minding the store? Who’s in charge here?!!!!
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REI, Recreatioonal Equipment Inc. is a great company. Sally Jewell had a great job. I do agree with Anne Novak that she may prove to be no different toward the wild ones than than our vacating rancher. We shall see if she is vetted. Has this been done now?
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This Sally Jewell appointment looks a lot like the WH&B advisory job that was taken by “wildlife biologist” Joan Guilfoyle. She came to the EWC in Virginia and refused to take questions from the audience, citing her “short time on the job” (this was a ruse—she had been in the position 3 months) Just because she had spent time in the field in endangered crane projects, she made all sorts of assumptions about her qualifications to work with wild equines. She actually became visibly distraught when confronted with questions and comments exposing her lack of sensitivity and understanding, and was protected by her BLM handlers from staying any longer than absolutely necessary. It was a sham… I WANT to be optimistic about Jewell, but her jobs in Oil and Banking—two of the most egregiously profiting industries in the world, after the Mafia—make me seriously skeptical until I see her attitude. Both Oil and Banking spend mountains of money spinning their PR, as witness the image massaging of BP in the aftermath of their debacle in the Gulf. Chevron has spent years and loads of cash on lawyers to avoid answering for its pollution in Central America from the projects it bought from Standard Oil. Those poor people down there have suffered greviously.
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the law passed in the fifties dealt specifcally with “fixed wing airplanes” banning the use…because that is what was being used at the time, there was no BLM -it was the ranchers and mustangers..It is hard to put into perspective now -but in fact those wild horse roundups by horseback resulted in few horses caught but many more killed in the process..stallions were shot in order to take control of the herd..there where many mustangers but only a few who were sucessful-in calif..they ran them off the cliffs ino the ocean so ranchers could use the land exclusivelyfor their cattle and horses..The fact that should trump history is that we the people..demanded a law to protect them..and that law is being manipulated and subverted..
None of us know what Sallys position will be on BLMs failed wh&b policies…I am a business person as well-and the first thing that jumps off the page to me-is that this policy makes no dollars and sense-and is unsustainable..after that is inhumane, ridiculous and a fabrication in order to get BLM out from under federally protecting wild horses and public lands…Attacking Sally Jewell at this juncture is self destructive..I think her business background will do more to help than hurt..We should be promoting wild horses as the GREAT tourism adventure of the west..in the WILD…if you read sallys in depth interviews while at REI…you will get a broader picture of her vison of the value of public lands.Show how “we” have helped bring that to the publics attention thru photogrphers and groups going out there..how we have brought economic dollars to those little towns struggling on the edge of public lands..there is much we can propose to catch her imagination…zoos have no tourism attraction at all..what attracts people are seeing the babies and familys…safaris for photographing..there are all kinds of business opertunities out there
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If you have a drought or diminishing forage on a particular HMA..what is a logical solution?Hay drops..windmill water supply troughs, water guzzlers..you solve a temporary problem..BLM creates a permant problem by removing them..spending millions that becomem billions to solve a temporary problem.and creates a permenant problem….Jackson Hole solved a problem by feeding the starving elk in the winter, and in the process created a tourist attraction..It is not like there are not simple models for this..It is alot cheaper to provide hay on the land they currently live than round them up transport them across the country and pay millions to ranchers to provide that same hay-for hundreds of dollars on the HMAs
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Will anything be different for America’s Wild Horses and Burros?
The Diamond Complex roundup…the rest of the story…or some of it:
Furtado, Douglas W District Manager (775) 635-4010 dfurtado@blm.gov
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/battle_mountain_field.html
News Release: BLM to Begin Environmental Impact Statement for the
Proposed Buffalo Valley Mine Project
Mineral Ridge Well EA and Dear Interested Party letter 30 day comment period ends March 8, 2013
June 2013 Competitive Oil & Gas Lease Preliminary EA 30 day comment period ends February 13, 2013
DNA for Oil & Gas DOI-BLM-NV-B010-2013-0025-DNA
Pleasant View Exploration Project Draft EA and Dear Interested Party Letter (comment period ends January 10, 2013)
Mount Hope Project
News Release: BLM Approves the Mount Hope Moly Mine Project in Central Nevada
Record of Decision
Silver Peak Area Geothermal Exploration Project EA and Dear Interested Party letter
Monte Cristo Diatomaceous Earth Project EA and Dear Interested Party letter
Wild Horse and Burro Gathers
Diamond Complex Wild Horse Gather
News Release: BLM Completes Diamond Complex Wild Horse Gather; Overwinters Some Horses Due to Drought Conditions (02-07-13)
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..to solve what is a temporary situation-(A perfect example of BLMs lack of business like decisions)..-.the diamond complex and others like it..instead of spending millions to roundup process and ship all those horses for millions and then turn it into a billion dollar 20 year obligation…they could have resolved a “temporary” situation-with- management..dropping hay and developing sustainable water sources which benefit all wildlife and public land users…millions of dollars cheaper to leave the wild horses there and actually manage- ..is there a model and precedent for this..absolutely..jackson hole wyo elk in the winter are fed…tourists flock there to pay for rides out to see them..helps defer the costs creates good will-happens in oregon as well..fact is if there is not enough water and food for the wild horses there is not enough for wildlife..deer antelope and elk will come to be fed as well, and drink..as it is we gain nothing from the billions spent..and it becomes a permenant welfare program..the other way..for much less we can develope infrastructure …water sources that benifit all over long haul and solve a temporary problerm.
finally, The Idaho statesman, is a cattlemans and hunters mouthpiece and hardly not without self interest
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I am disappointed that again, we didn’t seem to have a choice. Big business, oil and the other things in Ms Jewell’s background make us leary of her motives. I was speaking with my US House Rep and I do believe that she will be confirmed. I am sad that Raul was not in the running, but remember that vote may be needed in House to pass the slaughter and transportation bill. His place in the House affords our horses the vital needed voice on the Hill. I guess the next step will be to speak with her about our concerns. Again, as others have said at least we don’t have Salazar. I think it is in our best interest to promote the positive about our Wild Horses and Burros. I for one would love to have a tour of their lands and learn more about the family Herds. I just hope that there will be Families to view. We need to push forward and bring to her all the documentation. Who knows maybe she has not been filled in about all the problems out there. We should push now for a overhall of the BLM. Just maybe, just maybe she might listen and accept our suggestion and allow us to be a part of the solution to the problem.
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I am hopeful that Sally Jewel will change the BLM actions, of the last 4 years. ( and pay attention to the public outcry) I doubt that Obama would appoint anyone that is going to change anything on public land. Why would he do that? The cattlemen and mining interests could pay the going rate. Cattlemen are paying $1.39 per head for grazing rights. What is the going r ate. Anyone know.?
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