Source: By FRANCIS DAVIS Montana Standard
State Politicians out of touch with Wild Equine Ecological Facts
photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
BUTTE — In response to the Bureau of Land Management’s recent relocation of 700 wild horses to a ranch outside of Ennis, a bill regulating the movement of wild horses is making its way through the Montana Senate and might reach the House by next week.
Senate Bill 402, sponsored by Sen. Kendall Van Dyk, D-Billings, would require the Montana Department of Livestock to develop a management plan for any wild horses imported into the state. The department would also charge a permit fee of at least $100 on each imported horse or burro.
In crafting the bill, Van Dyk worked with two Republicans, Sen. Taylor Brown of Huntley and Sen. Eric Moore of Miles City. Van Dyk said the BLM is using Montana as way to rid itself of problem horses, so the state must develop a plan before any more of the animals are moved here.
“We scrambled to get a bill together,” Van Dyk told the Montana Standard. “I think the state needs to have some regulatory capacity. The BLM has a major problem on its hand and we can’t let them pawn their problem off on us. I don’t want Montana to start looking like Nevada or Utah.”
The BLM moved the horses to Montana from holding facilities in Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and Oklahoma.
In a news release, Van Dyk said the bill is also necessary because of the potential harm the horses may cause the environment, wildlife, and neighboring ranch owners.
“These really aren’t wild horses,” Van Dyk said. “They’re feral horses, and they are a serious problem for the BLM. Using taxpayer dollars to subsidize landowners to board these horses is not the answer. This can lead to serious problems to wildlife, watersheds, and neighboring owners. Those landowners have been ignored and deserve to be hard.”
The bill is up against a tight timeline. It was heard before the agriculture, livestock, and irrigation committee on Tuesday, and it’s scheduled for a committee vote after the Easter Break on April 2. Van Dyk said he expects the bill to go before the entire Senate sometime shortly after that.
He hopes the bill moves into the House by April 5, which as day 71 of the current legislative session is the deadline for a revenue bill to be presented at both the Senate and the House.
The BLM began moving wild horses to the Spanish Q Ranch in late February. And the agency completed the transfer of the 700 wild horses within the last few days. The Spanish Q is the first long-term holding facility in Montana. It was first proposed in 2009, but was delayed for a number of years in no small part because of the resistance of neighbors to the move.
In December 2012, neighbors on all four sides of the Spanish Q filed appeals to stop the horse transfer, but the BLM went ahead with the move before those appeals were heard because a required 45-day waiting period had elapsed. The appeals might not be ruled upon by the Interior Board of Land Appeals for at least a year.
“What I’m trying to do here is give the neighbors a seat at the table,” Van Dyk said. “And I’m not just worried about one ranch in southwest Montana. I’m worried about what’s next.”…(CONTINUED)
Click (HERE) to read the story in it’s entirety and to COMMENT at the Billings Gazette
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Is this good for the wild horses and burros ? Is the BLM just moving them so that they can get more wild horses and burros captured ?
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No. This is another attempt at anti horse legislation.
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How to rid Montana of “problem” humans….vote them out of office.
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What is wrong with these people? Oh, yeah, they’re politicians, and myopic.
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“feral horses”…..again. equis caballis and the American range evolved together, and even we horse advocates need to appreciate the full reach of that biconditional relationship: the range and the horses need each other. Clearly Montana is being ruled by greedy profiteers that want to eradicate all the wolves, and all the horses, and everything that doesn’t fatter fatter their bank accounts.
But restoring range ecology will require full restoration and preservation of both its apex herbavores and its apex predators. In the case of our wild horses, money doesn’t talk it screams its obscenities and lies. Their petit victories has made them brave but there are way more of us and American is geting sick of the BS. Time to amp up our volume so America at large has more than just a vague idea of what’s going on.
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Van Dyk looks evil.
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Van Dyk IDIOT!
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It would be interesting to know how the complaining ranchers would react if someone told them what they could or couldn’t do with THEIR private property.
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We people here in Montana are still under the good old boy attitude of the cattle ranchers that can do no wrong. We finally voted Conrad Burns out of office (remember him–he is the one that stuck the rider onto the 2004 budget-appropriations bill removing federal protection for wild horses). He is now a lobbyist for the AQHA. As for the idiots opposing the horses being in Montana–they are the same ones that demanded your tax dollars be spent fencing in the BLM land that is within this ranch’s boundaries so the horses wouldn’t eat one bit of the BLM grass! Talk about stupid!m This ranch is doing the same thing the the SAM is doing–they are a dude ranch and they are having the horses to make money. I think it is rather enterprising of them. They get paid twice for the horses–the tourists and your tax dollars!
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Feral horses?????? Sounds like he’s clueless and came up with his own explanation for the
best interest of everyone else but our Wild Horses…
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Very interesting…lets round them all up and demand that the states take them. If this doesn’t sound like another avenue for slaughter, I don’t know what does. Why is it that no community or advocates are a part of this committees making decisions regarding the horses. I commend your state for getting rid of Conrad Burns, but there you go..a lobbyist for AQHA..What a bummer!! It seems that there are so many fires, its hard to keep track. We all should demand through our Legislators an accounting for ever horse there. No verbal stuff..actual numbers and actual descriptions of each horse and their age, including pictures. This would be a good time for advocates to get involved.
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I would agree with you on the many fires by the BLM all over trying out manuever everyone against them by cunning manipulation………………
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Robyn:
You are correct. Wild equine killers have been setting so many seen and unseen fires (metaphorical) since the Act was signed in 1971. And yes, confuse, switch, delay, zero out, confuse again over and over again.
I still, with the right attorney and the history of wild equine killing, land theft believe we could blow their butts into Leavenworth…”standing” my butt.
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Isn’t the Spanish Q, like all Long Term Pastures, privately owned and contracted by the BLM?
As I understand it, the owner presented a bid to BLM, just like everyone else, to house captive wild horses for a yearly stipend; the Bureau didn’t seize the property, nor are they forcing the owner to house these animals. It is a mutually beneficial contract.
The neighbors began protests because of their fear the horses would band together like gangstas and, in an evil plot to take over Montana, break down fences and eat all the forage…cuz that’s what ‘feral’ horses do.
So now, Montana’s senate wants them some of Spanish Q’s pie. How ridiculous(ly low) can you be?
This ‘legislation’ smacks of extortion; this landowner entered into a contract with the Federal government, not the state of Montana, and on his OWN land. The ranch will provide food and lodging for these horses on private property, and rather than support the BLM at a crisis point, Montana’s legislature seeks to punish everyone involved – the Bureau, the landowner AND the horses.
This state is also among the many seeking to blow wolves the hell off the map, along with bison, big horn, cougar and wolverines because the only ‘worthy’ animal has hooves, horns – and moos.The most recent information I could find was from 2007; Montana hosted 2.7 MILLION cattle. I hardly think 700 (gelded?) horses living on private property is a portent of a catastrophic environmental disaster.
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My sentiments exactly, Lisa. Montana is a very anti-wildlife state. They will only be happy when all you can see is oil and gas rigs, coal mines and cattle. Look what is happening in Yellowstone. They seem to think it is their right to destroy whatever gets in their way. Scary!!!! I do worry about the wild horses in this state whether they are free or in a private sanctuary. Their reasoning and facts leave alot to be desired.
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BLM is above law and now Montana is above BLM? They have already rid their state of wild horses and are truly pissed that some are returning.
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Gather ’round for a horror story that is the Montana legislature. It is comprised of predator haters, livestock industry lackeys, and other special interest servants (and some very good people, too). People who know nothing about wildlife management are trying to legislate Yellowstone’s wild native bison out of existence. They have recently killed (yet again) a bill to regulate puppy mills, and also killed a bill to make spectating at dog fights illegal (Montana is the ONLY state that still allows legal attendance at a felonious dog fight. Why? So rodeo animals can continue to be abused! http://www.othernationsjustice.org/?p=7390) A bill to permit bear baiting just had a hearing; an expedited bill was signed by the governor (a Dem) to allow the killing of ever more wolves as they leave Yellowstone (with no buffer zone) and to use electronic calling devices. And that’s just *some* of the mean, ignorant, greed-driven stuff coming out of Helena. This state is a nightmare for animals. If you feel like it, contact the governor and tourism dept. (MT relies heavily on tourism) and tell them your vacation dollars won’t be coming to Montana any time soon.
governor@mt.gov; http://www.visitmt.com/feedback/
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Oooo!! I like THAT!
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Sent the governor a email – probably wont make a dent, but I’m getting pretty good at shooting emails out all over the place anymore. Read the article about the bill against dog fighting. Cant imagine those kids coming to Helena from 150 miles away to testify. Also cant imagine the disappointment they must have felt. The mentality of Montana’s politicians rates right down there with the ones in Oklahoma.
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