article by Scott Sonner -(published nationally) forward by R.T. Fitch ~ pres/co-founder Wild Horse Freedom Federation
“The detailed research of Debbie Coffey, Director of Wild Horse Affairs for Wild Horse Freedom Federation is highlighted and reported on in the following AP article. You can read Debbie’s original article and download, for your files, the document in question here: https://rtfitchauthor.com/2014/02/19/joan-guilfoyle-euthanising-wild-horses-on-the-range/
Keep the faith!” ~ R.T.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“nearing the point of financial insolvency due to undesirable trends in every aspect of the program,”
Former wild horses imprisoned by the BLM photo by Terry Fitch of Wild Horse Freedom Federation
The head of the U.S. government’s $70 million wild-horse management program warned last summer that it is headed for financial collapse unless “drastic changes” are made in the decades-old roundup policy she said could be setting U.S. rangeland-improvement goals back 20 years.
In a strongly worded internal memo to an assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Wild Horse and Burro Division Chief Joan Guilfoyle recommended suspending all roundups until thousands of mustangs currently in federal corrals are sold or adopted.
Guilfoyle also said sterilization should be considered, and she recommended for the first time euthanizing wild horses on the range “as an act of mercy if animals decline to near-death condition as a result of declining water and forage resources.”
Those are among the few realistic alternatives given a crippling combination of congressional budget cuts, spiraling costs, lingering drought, a record 49,000 mustangs in long- and short-term holding, and an on-range population that doubles every four years and is expected to surpass 60,000 in 2015, Guilfoyle said.
It’s “nearing the point of financial insolvency due to undesirable trends in every aspect of the program,” she said in the August memo to Greg Shoop, assistant director for renewable resources and planning.
“Drastic changes in course are mandatory to remain financially solvent and reverse trends” undermining the Bureau of Land Management’s goals, she wrote. “Considering the circumstances, on-range management goals may not be achieved for another 20 years.”
Labeled “Internal Working Document,” the Texas-based Wild Horse Freedom Federation obtained the memo under the Freedom of Information Act and first posted it on its website Wednesday…(CONTINUED)
Click (HERE) to read the story in its entirety and to comment at RGJ.com
Related articles
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Super article – AND by the AP! Hopefully this will help to make more people aware of what is really going on with the BLM.
LikeLike
I do not know what to say , I do not trust them, they knew darn well years ago that this hoarding wild horses in LTH was not going to lead to getting them adopted, darn these fools, they better not go where we all suspect they might
LikeLike
These horses lived here for 400 years without us helping them. Stop killing American horses over cattle.
LikeLike
Posted my comment:
Thank you Scott Sonner for passing along this truthful but frightening article to the public.
The United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cares nothing about the health of our publicly owned land, our publicly owned resources or our publicly owned wildlife (including our wild horses and wild burros). BLM’s actions toward the wild horses and wild burros are politically and fiscally driven$$$
LikeLike
The BLM is allowing fracking which will use copious amounts of scarce water. There won’t be enough for any wildlife but the BLM is using this as an excuse to kill our wild horses. Wonder how many cattle will be removed ? This is against the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act and against what the NAS report recommended but both are being ignored . With most herds not even sustainable and a population of less than 18-20,000 still free there is no way there can surpass 60,000 in 2015. That is absolutely preposterous and I think she is aware of that but is spewing this BLM propaganda anyway. It’s a national disgrace how the DOI/BLM is being run.
LikeLike
NV ranchers just gave 10,000 dollars towards the lawsuit against BLM. There suing for wild horse removals and destroying any excess horses.
Since only about 4% of the beef raised in this country are for Americans–how about lowering grazing rights? Cattle rapists…there are no words…
LikeLike
Posted my 2 cents
The DOI/BLM needs to stop their overpopulation propaganda speeches and start following the science .. All wildlife experts have stated time and time again that in order for the mustang and burro populations to double in size every 4 yrs as the BLM claims they will, would require a 125% population explosion, something that has never happened with any wild life species nor is it possible to happen in a species that can only produce offspring once a year, as it defies the very laws of nature.
The BLM needs to be defunded and shut down or at least be removed from managing the wild horse and burro populations and the HMA’s and a more knowledgeable group, one that will follow the science and not cater to ranchers, big oil and gas industries, needs to be assigned with the management of our wild horses and burros including returning those being held in captivity to the HMA’s where they belong. The males in captivity have all been castrated so they can not reproduce so there is no need to worry they will over populate the HMA’s, I’m pretty sure that 35 million acres can support 75,000 wild horses and burros especially if the millions of head of livestock were removed completely, it really is a no brainer .. wild horses and burros – native, non invasive …. cattle and sheep – non native and invasive. you figure out which one belongs.
LikeLike
Found this tonight researching something unrelated… it seems there are no wild Equids in Idaho per the Fish and Game website… and they have prominently posted a photo of a zebra here ?
https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/species/taxa/equidae
LikeLike
They had horses–not sure if they were BLM or Forest Service…anyway there was a bad fire and BLM did an emergency roundup–no grass. Supposedly they let some go last year…
LikeLike
Margaret, I think there are wild horses still free in Idaho, it just seems odd they aren’t showing up in this website at all… but zebras are??? Didn’t know they had wild zebras running free in Idaho 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you Debbie for digging in and bringing this to the public.
LikeLike
When it comes to the blm, you have to read between the lines. For her, Joan Guilfoyle, to even mention euthanizing,well, her plan was to do that anyway. Just in so many words. When has the blm ever told the truth. They are going to adopt out how many horses. Right!! In this economy. They knew what they were going to do from the very beginning. They were told to change how many times, but continued the same tactics. This was written on the wall a long time ago. You can’t believe or trust a word that comes out their mouth.
LikeLike
BLM are liars just like the rest of our Government.
LikeLike
Now that CA water is being reduced,guess who will be the scapegoat?
LikeLike
So what if they “surpass 60,000 in 2015?” They’re healthier out there than they are in those God-forsaken holding pens, and a whole lot cheaper to boot! It’s OUR money they’re wasting, and on OUR wild horses. BLM=Big Lying Mothers.
LikeLike
Thank you for this article. Will be forwarding to my elected representatives.
LikeLike
Bravo, Debbie Coffey !!!!!! Thank You !!!!!!
LikeLike
I posted this in the WEEK (Andrew Cohen’s article). It was there when I posted it, but now it has disappeared.
WILD HORSES TO BE EUTHANIZED ON THE RANGE
BLM MEMORANDUM (received in a Freedom of Information Act request)
Joan Guilfoyle (Chief of Wild Horse & Burro Program) & Euthanizing Wild Horses on the Range
https://app.box.com/s/unu5h23ubefkpum7mr9i
The last part of memorandum says that areas outside Snowstorm HMA will experience immediate large die-offs without water hauling.
BUT
GAS AND OIL LEASING IN HERD MANAGEMENT AREAS CONTINUES
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/info/newsroom/2014/february/blm_seeks_comments.html
BLM Seeks Comments on Environmental Assessment for Lands
Nominated for Oil and Gas Leasing
Battle Mountain, NV – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Battle Mountain District is making available for public review an Environmental Assessment (EA) for
139 parcels of public land nominated for lease within the Battle Mountain
District in the July 2014 Competitive Oil and Gas Lease Sale. These parcels
have the potential for future oil and gas exploration and development. The
30-day public review period concludes March 12, 2014.
The BLM received nominations for 166 parcels of public land to offer for leasing,
totaling more than 285,000 acres. The BLM deferred several of the nominated
parcels to protect Sage-grouse habitat. Other parcels were removed because of
conflicts with existing mining operations. A detailed listing of deferred
parcels is available in the EA, which is available for public review, click
here to go to the NEPA
Project Summary page.
The remaining 139 parcels (230,989 acres) have been analyzed for potential
impacts in the EA. Lease stipulations identified in the Shoshone-Eureka
(1986) and Tonopah (1997) Resource Management Plans are attached to all
parcels to help protect resources.
The sale will be conducted on July 17, 2014. Additional information about the sale is
available at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/energy.html.
If you have questions or need more information about this project, please contact
Mark Ennes, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, Tonopah Field Office, at
(775) 482-7835.
LikeLike
Dear Louie , isnt and arnt we paying the BLM to protect and preserve OUR Mustangs and wouldnt hauling water and or feed if they need, be one of the things we pay them to do?????
LikeLike
…and WHY is the Natural Resource manager advising the Wild Horse and Burro chief?
LikeLike
WHY is there $12 million still available for Wild Horse and Burro flight services services?
Someone mentioned aerial gunning, as the government has done with Australia’s Wild Horses. They are in a very big hurry for some reason.
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=9d6478bb41e2948ea84fff0f504791e9&tab=core&_cview=0
V–Wild Horse & Burro Flight Services
Notice Type:
Award Notice
Contract Award Date:
January 31, 2014
Contract Award Number:
D13PC00079
Contract Award Dollar Amount:
$6000000
Contractor Awardee:
EL AERO SERVICES, INC.815 MURRAY WAYELKONV89801-7808US
Synopsis:
Added: Jan 31, 2014 4:41 pm
IGF::OT::IGF ON CALL SMALL HELICOPTER FLIGHT SERVICES, EL AERO SERVICES
Contracting Office Address:
DOI, National Business Center, AQDDivision 4/ Branch 1300 East Mallard DriveSuite 200BoiseID83706
Point of Contact(s):
Haener,Janice 208-433-5043 janice_haener@ibc.doi.gov
Haener,Janice
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=056832287d9969d216ba45f0b158bc9f&tab=core&_cview=0
V–HELICOPTER FLIGHT SERVICE-WILD HORSE AND BURRO
Agency: Department of the Interior
Notice Type:
Award Notice
Contract Award Date:
January 30, 2014
Contract Award Number:
D13PC00091
Contract Award Dollar Amount:
$6000000
Contractor Awardee:
WILL HOGAN T1620 W PETERSON AVEDEER LODGEMT59722-1818US
Synopsis:
Added: Jan 31, 2014 4:33 pm
IGF::OT::IGF WILD HORSE AND BURRO HELICOPTER FLIGHT SERVICES
Additional Info:
Contracting Office Address:
DOI, National Business Center, AQDDivision 4/ Branch 1300 East Mallard DriveSuite 200BoiseID83706
Point of Contact(s):
Haener,Janice 208-433-5043 janice_haener@ibc.doi.gov
Haener,Janice
LikeLike
http://protectmustangs.org/?p=6356
Please read and share. Important. Thanks
LikeLike
Wild equines are being removed because of absurd population counts, acreage reduction (never mentioned by DOI/USDA), lack of forage and water, but NOT ONE fracking lease operation has been suspended because of water. In reality, they have been expanded and accelerated. Fracking uses millions, maybe billions of water and the discharge is toxic.
Very clear to me.
LikeLike
I agree with Priscilla. The writing was on the wall many moons ago and I don’t trust them. I have nightmares in which the few remaining herds are gunned down from the air, and all horses in LTH are sold by the truckload to slaughter.
They are doomed
LikeLike
We must not give up. Please see and act.
http://protectmustangs.org/?p=6356
If I can keep going at age 75 and since 1991 we all can. Anne has given me hope.
LikeLike
WHY the push for sterilization when there is NO proof or evidence of WH&B overpopulation?
According to Quarter Horse News, Heidi Hopkins left BLM after the Jackson Mountains round up to “take a position with Humane Society of the United States in its quest to find reliable immunocontraceptives for wild horses.”
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/
The Jackson Mountains Wild Horses (excerpts)
A Case Study In The Mismanagement of the BLM’s Wild Horse & Burro Program.
Written and Compiled by C.R. MacDonald
February 2009 – All Rights Reserved
As for what happened to those involved in the Jackson Mountains tragedy?
As for BLM’s Winnemucca WH&B Specialist, Heidi Hopkins, it is unclear if BLM merely hung her
out to dry for what was ultimately the Wild Horse and Burro Program’s more experienced
supervisors responsibility or if BLM merely cut a deal to buy loyalty and continue the cover ups.
According to Quarter Horse News, Heidi Hopkins left BLM after the Jackson Mountains round up to “take a position with Humane Society of the United States in its quest to find reliable immunocontraceptives for wild horses.”
LikeLike
Yes, and wasn’t Heidi Hopkins over an HMA where wild horses were found without water. Then after HSUS hired her there was a roundup done in CO with BLM to test PZP . Some horses died as a result of the roundup. So why is sterilization being promoted by a certain group now ? Won’t this just help BLM wipe out our wild horses? Just what the hell is going on and why isn’t this group suing BLM ?
LikeLike
Barbara, I think the CO roundup was in the Sand Wash HMA, I have located information that said they were starting a 4 year project in 2008 to monitor PZP results but that should have been completed a couple of years ago… and there is nothing I can find about results on the BLM websites, nor what their plans are for a rumored roundup in 2014. This area of CO is getting a lot of attention right now about protecting habitat for Sage Grouse, and is just south of where the WY checkerboard roundups took place last Thanksgiving.
LikeLike
Thanks, IcySpots. Wonder what happened to their unnecessary so-called research project ? PZP had already been used for years as we know with horses on the East coast.
LikeLike
Barbara, all I know of the study is some advocate’s groups are helping out and they have a good relationship with the BLM there. Seems like the information should be available to the public someplace, but I can’t locate any.
LikeLike
They want to send all these horses to slaughter. That is the only solution they have in the back of their minds!!!
LikeLike
Jodi, it’s hard to argue about that, but it makes no sense to do so since continuing the same policies will just continue to fill up the holding facilities again. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result. Slaughter is not a solution and only those who created such a situation could consider it a way to “fix” the mess they have made of management.
LikeLike
IcySpots, how will following the old policies fill up the holding facilities again, unless they follow the old policies? I agree with Jodi. They want all of our WH&Bs dead and there are new policies developing which will shoot them, haul them straight to slaughter, and/or castrate all the stallions as fast as they can get away with it.
What I see as real hope is that that fracking is under strong attack. With any luck Los Angeles will ban fracking in LA this week. There were 1,000 letters delivered to Obama this week from health professionals as to the dangers to health caused by fracking. That leaves the ranchers and hunters. Without Big Energy they are halved or worse.
LikeLike
I don’t think they care the clean up the mess they made. The keep getting govt. money to do the round ups so if they refilled the pens after murdering what they already have. I just don’t think they really care. I am not saying it is a solution. I am saying the BLM are corrupt and just plain evil.
LikeLike
One commenter on the article site posted a broken link to a report from over 20 years ago and described how peer-reviewed science is at odds with horse protection. There is plenty of work published now contradicting old and unproven assumptions. Here’s one:
PEER REVIEWED SCIENCE
Click to access 10.11648.j.ajls.20140201.12.pdf
LikeLike
Now we must come up with viable solutions to help our wild horses. We must come together and make this right for them. We must save as many horses as we can and place them in the best situation for them to survive. I say no to sterilization, no way. This is wrong. Ginger Kathrens stated well, this defies the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act. We must stand our ground. It is time to help our wild horses to freedom and give them freedom. They have lost their families and connections so we have to bring some sort of loving perspective and help them regain some sense of direction again. The whole BLM thing is really messed up and so it is time to clean up the government’s huge mess. I am so tired of hearing about another round up and trapping our wild ones. So much damage has already been done so it is time to do this at a large scale. We need everyone’s input to make this a success of our Century. We will go down in history because we will save our wild horses and we have the solutions to help them, not the government. We will however, have to work with the govt to get this accomplished. So put your thinking caps on, sleep on solutions for the wild horses. Write down your thoughts. It is very important to share what you are thinking. It will make a difference for the wild horses. Remember they are counting on us to help them so lets do it now. Thank you Debbie Coffey for all of your incredible information. Your are a fantastic wild horse advocate. We all make a difference for the wild horses, yes.
LikeLike
Dear Judith, We must Unite !!! United we stand for the horses , there is no other way !!!!!!
LikeLike
Arleneorlando, I do so agree!!
LikeLike
Dear Elaine, this horror for the Mustangs has gone too Long and too far , we need to put something together for them !!!!!
LikeLike
Wild horse sterilisation research worries foundation – News – Horsetalk.co.nz
horsetalk.co.nz
Cloud Foundation fears BLM may be on path to creating “dead-end herds”.
LikeLike
I am going to state the obvious. This Has been done in order to show the Horse Program as a FAILURE, THEY WANT IT GONE! The BLM and Cattle men just Want it shut down.They will get the Mustangs out whether through drought, slaughter, lawsuits, or simply sucking the bankroll dry. Either way….they are doing it ALL. This agency is wanting the Mustangs and the people protecting them Out! They dont want Advocates taking the Mustangs….NO, because later thry coukd petition their return to public soil, not to mention prove the agency lied about codts, care, management, feeds, and anything relevant to the horses. This is an all out Destroy the horse war, completely funded by the cattle industry deceptions and the AQHA. The AQHA? Why, yes, because the AQHA hates inexpensive horses. The Mustang is the first breed they want Gone. Dont worry theres a couple other breeds they tried to destroy as well. The scars of the industry are not that old and not completely hidden. Not too long ago, those AQHA were decendents of those Mustangs, which is why Foundation AQHA papers say Unknown parentage, unknown means we will Not acknowledge this fact. The history on the hatred of Mustang also uncovers the.fact that some Mustamgs were horses Owned by cattlemen who didnt brand, were absorbed into the herd and were unable to be rwclaimed, making those people furious. Again irresponsible cattlemen, but furious none the less. When the Horrible Ken L Ration plant owner left the plant in Illinois to spread his seeds of Negativity….he moved to Wyoming….into the Old West itself and set up base for the worst attitude towards Mustangs and horses ever. The Uselessness of horses being gone was Coined in that state in the Ken L Ration Push to Murder Mustangs. The grotesqueness of the term morphed into today.The Mustangs overcame Obstacles, but this Agency isnt an obstable, its anihilation.
LikeLike
THIS is where many of us came in….we THOUGHT our WH&B were safe. After all…they are protected by FEDERAL LAW…or so we thought.
From WILD HERDS (excerpts)
88 Million Acres?
Since BLM announced they have captured so many wild horses and burros from public lands they can no longer afford to feed them and ARE LOOKING INTO MASS GENOCIDE OR SLAUGHTER TO SOLVE THE FINACIAL DILEMMA,
the public has been asking in earnest; why has 19 million acres of habitat been zeroed out for wild horse and burro use and why can’t those now on death row be returned to their legally designated territories instead of killing them?
This was the most prominent and consistent question and recommendation by the public at the recent November 17th National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting.
For those of you wondering why 19 million acres, this is the difference between what BLM reports was the original acreage identified in 1971 “where wild horses and burros were presently found” versus what their land use planning processes designated as “suitable for management” by granting it Herd Management Area (HMA) status.
For those of you wondering exactly what this means, it goes something like this….
LikeLike
Here is the link to the article, for anyone who wants to read the rest of it. Links sometimes land in the spam filter, so I didn’t post it the first time.
http://americanherds.blogspot.com/2008/11/88-million-acres.html
88 Million Acres?
LikeLike
Maybe a bit off topic here but I heard this today
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/02/dale-earnhardt-jr-won-the-daytona-500-then-joined-twitter/
In less than 24 hrs. he garnered the attention of nearly 26,000 people it seems. It can take us years to get a few thousand signatures on a petition, which is then ignored.
We have to do better. Think we could get anyone driving a Mustang to sponsor some PR?
LikeLike
Good idea, IcySpots.
Already the use of PZP has divided advocates but sterilization will divide us even more. Where did such an idea come from ? HSUS ?
I put the link below on the AWHPC Facebook and that IMO the sterilization would wipe out our wh’s and destroy natural selection. I asked them to retract the letter and pledge.
Wild horse sterilization research worries foundation – News – Horsetalk.co.nz
horsetalk.co.nz
Cloud Foundation fears BLM may be on path to creating “dead-end herds”.
LikeLike
All those sad and hopeless souls corralled,separated from family units and enslaved for their own protection. This is tragic situation where there is conflict of interest on the use of public lands. Wildlife comes first. Cattle n sheep should belong on their owners property period. They should not be in competition with the natural inhabitants. The bureau has no business trying to regulate the horses. They should contract a seperate entity knowledgeable in wild horse health and migration habits to do the right thing by these animals instead of warehousing the excess because of their own faulty plans. The blm can then oversee the work done and report. Not to put at risk the lives and future of these wild horses just because they do not know what they are doing and trying to make a buck. They are in the hole because this whole thing has been mismanaged from the start.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on cindymendoza47.
LikeLike