Wild Horse Freedom Federation is proud that Carol Walker, our Director of Field Documentation, and her 10 years of documentation, will be vitally important in the effort to win this lawsuit and stop the BLM from removing wild horses from Adobe Town, Salt Wells and Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas in Wyoming. – Debbie Coffey
For Immediate Release:
WILD HORSE GROUPS OPPOSE STATE INTERVENTION IN LAWSUIT TO STOP BLM WYOMING WILD HORSE ROUNDUP
Issue Statement Responding to Wyoming Gov. Mead’s Comments on Proposed Removal of Over 800 Wild Horses from 3 HMAs
ROCK SPRINGS, WY (August 18, 2014)…. The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, The Cloud Foundation, Return to Freedom, Carol Walker and Kimerlee Curyl today filed an opposition to the State of Wyoming’s motion to intervene as of right in a lawsuit they brought against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its plan to roundup over 800 wild horses from the Adobe Town, Salt Wells and Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMAs). The groups also issued the following statement in response to Wyoming Governor Matt Mead’s statement on the roundup and the state’s intervention in the matter.
It is disappointing that Governor Mead and State of Wyoming are misleading the public about the facts surrounding the BLM’s plans to round up over 800 wild horses from three federally-designated wild horse herd management areas, and our lawsuit that aims to stop this action. We are further troubled that the Governor is taking a stand in support of the BLM’s flagrant violations of federal law and its own land use plans. In his statement, Governor Mead makes numerous misrepresentations about the situation. The following are the actual facts:
· The BLM intends to remove wild horses from private and public lands in the AdobeTown, Salt Wells and Great Divide Basin HMAs, not just private lands as the Governor asserts.
· The state has no “sovereign right” to manage wild horses, because wild horses were granted federal protection under the federal Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which was passed unanimously by Congress in 1971.
· The state owns less that 4% of the land in these three HMAs and an even smaller percentage on the checkerboard lands in question.
· There is no overpopulation of horses in this area, and in fact, the proposed roundup will bring the populations below even BLM’s own established levels in violation of the Wild Horse Act and the BLM’s Resource Management Plans for these areas.
In his statement, the Governor makes numerous other erroneous claims regarding wild horse impacts. If the environment and wildlife species are suffering in the area, it is due to the massive number of privately owned livestock grazing on these lands, not to the relatively few wild horses that inhabit the area. In fact the BLM authorizes ten times more livestock than wild horses to graze in this area (maximum of 1,765 wild horses on 2.4 million acres of land vs. the annual equivalent of 17,609 cow/calf pairs in the same land area.)
We urge Governor Mead to remember that America’s public lands belong to all Americans, not just to a small number of ranchers who profit from taxpayer-subsidized public lands grazing. In fact, a strong majority of Americans support protecting and preserving wild horses on our public lands, while less than a third want to ensure that our public lands are available for livestock grazing.
Instead of intervening in support of the BLM’s blatantly illegal actions, the Governor should use the leadership of his office to resolve conflicts between ranchers and wild horses, such as encouraging land swaps in checkerboard areas (alternating parcels of public and private lands) to create contiguous habitat for wild horses and other protected wildlife.
In response to the lawsuit, the BLM has agreed to delay the roundup, which had been scheduled to begin on approximately August 20, to at least September 1.
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Wishing all involved——Success——-Good Luck!!
LikeLike
BLM are nothing but cold hearted killers . These roundups could lead to Mustang extinction! Also poor ,sweet burros are being rounded up brutally instead of being able to thrive in their natural habitat. If youve ever flown over these lands in a plane and overlooked the massive land , you will agree this world is big enough for our wild horses and burros to live peacefully. BLM cannot be allowed to brutally roundup and kill more of our mustangs and burros . We the people if america will stand up for the rights of heritage, and these horses and burros are our heritage. They are America and be treated as veterans and with respect . We cannot allow this and we must be their voice!
LikeLike
I always like to make an analogy between the Statue of Liberty and American Mustangs, which were here first by the way. Could New Yorkers claim sovereign right to the Statue and sell the copper or disallow people from other states access or rent it to boaters? I believe the LIVING symbol of freedom is no less important to the American people then any other symbol and has earned the right more so then any inanimate object to be part of our heritage.
LikeLike
VERY good analogy, horsedrag! Can you imagine the media brouhaha over that? And the complaints across the country. Shameful that there isn’t the same kind of public upset over our wild horses & burros.
LikeLike
Governor Takes Pride in Wyoming’s Leadership on Hydraulic Fracturing and Wants it Recognized
Press Release
By: Matt Mead
Date: Aug. 23, 2013
Location: Cheyenne, WY
Governor Matt Mead expressed that he is proud of Wyoming’s record of effective regulation of the oil and gas industry in his comments on the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed rule for hydraulic fracturing. Governor Mead wrote to Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell to say that the BLM should reject the duplicative regulation and defer to states like Wyoming.
http://votesmart.org/public-statement/807709/governor-takes-pride-in-wyomings-leadership-on-hydraulic-fracturing-and-wants-it-recognized#.U_K5j2d0x9A
LikeLike
Before he wants to much recognition for fracking———he had better look to his neighbor’s and remember their spill.
http://greenpeaceblogs.org/2014/08/01/tesoros-north-dakota-oil-pipeline-spill-cleanup-photos
LikeLike
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-fracking-groundwater-pavillion-20140811-story.html#page=1
LikeLike
NOW THATS NEWS!!!! YOU SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US……WE SUPPORT FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS THE SAVING AND PRESERVATION OF THE WILD HERDS….THE ENVIRONMENT THEY SUPPORT BY EXISTING THERE….THE VALUE THEY INSTILL IN THE ECOLOGICAL BALANCE THEY PROVIDE AND THE FACT THAT WE WANT SOMETHING 80% PERCENT OF AMERICA WANTS PROTECTED TO FINALLY BE PROTECTED. HORSES ESPECIALLY ICONS OF THE OLD WEST ARE RECIEVING VERY LITTLE OF THE BENEFIT USE OF THE PROTECTION THATS BEEN PROVIDED TO THEM AND CIRCUMVENTED. THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF HORSE LOVERS AND SUPPORTERSBFROM THE GREAT STATE OF ILLINOIS.
LikeLike
Keep the pressure on the BLM to stop these barbaric round ups. Stop this nightmare for all the horses we have left. They deserve freedom and we need to preserve their right to be free on the range. No more room at the prisons the BLM has created for the thousands of horses that have been displaced from their horse families. Broken and torn apart from their babies. Stop the madness. Stop the slaughter, stop the wild horse round ups. I am so tired and our horses cannot stand any more abuse from the BLM tactics and government brutal tactics. We must speak out for the wild horses. They must have us there to protect them. Thank you to all who are doing so. God Bless our wild horses everywhere. This is a brutal fight to keep them alive and free as horse families. We must to this for them. FREEDOM AND PROTECTION TO ROAM FREE.
LikeLike
Reblogged this on "OUR WORLD".
LikeLike
Thank you all for being a voice of reason and with your strong commitment to right the horrible wrong that’s plagued our wild horses. Governor Matt Mead’s position is obvious and it’s very unfortunate he’s not using his leadership to bring about the fairness that should be given to our wild horses and their right to remain free. I believe so much could be accomplished, if they were truly interested in working together. Their indifference to them is very sad and quite concerning. I applaud those who have been so diligent in their pursuit for the rights and freedom of our American wild horses and burros. We must never give up ….they belong to everyone!
LikeLike
INTERESTIN information in the LAST paragraph
(Rachel’s comment in answer to a question from one of her readers):
Rachel Reeves Photography
An Open Letter to the BLM Regarding their Consent Decree with the RSGA
http://reevesimagery.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/an-open-letter-to-the-blm-regarding-their-consent-decree-with-the-rsga/
reevesimagery says:
This particular area is a little different than other herd management areas. In the mid-1800s the government came up with this bass ackwards plan to give the Union Pacific every other square mile of land for 20 miles north and south of railroad. So half of the land these horses/livestock graze on public and the other half is private.You would think that this would balance out since neither side can keep their animals out and they all freely wander between the public and private.
The RSGA agreed during their first lawsuit against the wild horses in the 1981 to allow a number of wild horses in this region. They are now withdrawing that agreement, saying the BLM hasn’t held up their end of the bargain because the BLM has not removed enough wild horses to keep them satisfied.
This may not sound unreasonable to the non-wild horse fan *but* there is one other interesting aspect of this.
Very little of the land in this area is owned by members of the RSGA. Most of it is owned by the ANDARKO PETROLEUM CORPORATION.
So even the private land is land that the RSGA members lease.
It doesn’t belong to them. They just think that it does.
LikeLike
I’m sorry to say I had never seen this before! We ALL need to become as ticked off as Rachel sounds! Will follow her blog from now on.
LikeLike
Itis obvious that the Governor, is bought and paid for by the oil and gas industry; cattle ranchers. Andarko Petroleum!!! He is one lousy excuse for a human being. The battle must continue..
LikeLike
Praying this lawsuit succeeds for our wild horses. Miracles are needed.
LikeLike
Some information to keep fresh in our minds about the BLM ‘s tought process when it comes to Wild horses———-
http://www.propublica.org/article/missing-what-happened-to-wild-horses-tom-davis-bought-from-the-govt
LikeLike
Man’s answer to conservation——–KILL it or CAGE it ——no matter what animal it is——-money is the root of evil and human ‘ s are the devil http://earthfirstjournal.org/newswire/2014/08/19/fighting-to-stop-namibias-seal-slaughter/#more-36052
LikeLike
Please, Can someone answer a few questions regarding where I can find pending legislation on the all the Horse issues… Am helping a lady launch her campaign out of N.Cali to aid her with her plan in rescuing horses from auctions, focusing on pregnant mares and foals and stop the back yard breeding causing this problem, http://www.mareandfoalrescue.com/ The last campaign I worked on was stopping the Legislation for Horse Slaughter to be approved in Missouri a few years back. since then, I have not known what legislation that can and will stop Horses from exiting and entering Mexico and Canada? Thank you, Dominique
LikeLike
Love the open letter, and praying hard for this lawsuit success..So insanely frustrated with the BLM getting away with this over and over again, they truly are evil as well as the ones they answer to are, I feel that we live in a very bad nightmare for these beautiful, magnificent Horses, seriously!
LikeLike
Dominique, this might help.
” VEW supports an end to horse slaughter and advocates quick passage of
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S.1176).”
http://www.vetsforequinewelfar…
VEW White Paper
Horse Slaughter –
Its Ethical Impact and Subsequent Response of the Veterinary Profession
Horse slaughter has never been considered by veterinary professionals to be a form of euthanasia. Congress and the general public must hear from veterinarians that horse slaughter is not and should not be equated with
humane euthanasia.
Rather, the slaughtering of horses is a brutal and predatory
business that promotes cruelty and neglect and which claimed the lives of more
than 100,000 American horses in 2008
Horse slaughter is not a form of humane euthanasia, nor is it a “necessary evil”. The horse slaughter industry is a predatory one that exists only because there is a profit to be made by fulfilling consumer demand in overseas markets for horse flesh. Rather than aiding horse welfare, as slaughter proponents contend, horse slaughter results in very tangible animal cruelty and suffering while engendering abuse and neglect. Currently, horse owners have a choice of what to do at the end of their horse’s life – pay to do the right thing or be paid to do the wrong
thing. In promoting horse slaughter as a form of humane euthanasia,
professional veterinary associations do a disservice to the animals they are
meant to care for. For these reasons,
VEW supports an end to horse slaughter and advocates quick passage of
The American Horse Slaughter Prevention Act (S.1176).
LikeLike
A Post Act Interview with Wild Horse Annie
http://wildhorsewarriors.blogspot.com/2009/11/interview-with-wild-horse-annie-4-years.html
The article below was first published in Sports Illustrated in May 05, 1975, just a few years after the passage of the Wild Free-roaming Horses & Burros Act, which of course, “Annie” was instrumental in its passage. Note she speaks here of the backlash of opposition that was voiced for many years against the Act even after its passage, and the death threats made against her personally by certain individuals and other “strong-arm” violent types that would be classified as “terrorists” today. “Wild Horse Haters” hated when the Act prohibiting the use of motor vehicles and helicopters first passed in the 1950’s, and they really hated it when the 71 Act was passed,…..and they hate it still. Nothing much has changed with them, except they do their mis-deeds, “horse disappearing acts,” and killings out of view of the public eye. They still hate the wild equines and the people and the laws that protect them, and they also hate the governmnet telling them what to do or not to do. They do not abide by laws that they do not like and will always find a way, legal or not, to get around them. They laugh at the laws they dont like as they break them, and gladly! They are good ole boys just havin a good ole time….They are the Wests “Arm-chair Anarchists” who are generally ignorant of the real world, indifferent to anybody or anything except their own causes. They are narrow-minded, self-serving types that know nothing or could care less about “the greater good” or “the will of the people,” let alone care about any “gol’ dern animules.”
Always, though, there have been men whose love for horses and respect for life would not permit them to indulge in such slaughter, men who spurned ranchers’ offers for sets of wild horse ears: $2 a century ago, more in recent times.
One such man was Will James, a cowboy-writer who took part in roundups until conscience conquered bankroll. James wrote, “They [the mustangs] belonged not to man but to the country of junipers and sages, of deep arroyos, mesas, and freedom.”
Although James and others recanted, it became clear that if the wild horse was to be saved it would take more than contrite men; it would take men of action—or a woman of action.
LikeLike
WE MUST PLEASE SAVE THESE FEW WILD HRSES. wHEN THEY ARE GONE, THEY WILL BE GONE FOREVER. GOVONER MEAD WILL NOT BE GOVONER FOREVER !!!
LikeLike
As we watch so much wildlife disappear from the face of the earth, plants, birds, animals, our horses, does it not occur to man that each is an intragal part of our being and can’t be replaced. I’m glad I have the ability to share many of theses species with my Grandchildren. It hurts me deeply to know they will not be able to share with their Grandchildren. I can’t help but wonder what their world will be like.
LikeLike