A beautiful family near Eversole Ranch days before being removed
by Carol Walker, Director of Field Documentation, Wild Horse Freedom Federation
As many of you know, I have spent the past 10 years photographing the wild horses in Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin, and I also spent many days during the Wyoming Checkerboard Roundup witnessing and photographing from very far away as 1263 wild horses lost their freedom and their families from these three herd areas.
The public was prevented from any close views of the traps or the horses during the roundups, usually being kept from 2 – 3 miles from the trap, and even when were allowed to go to the temporary holding at the end of the day, we were kept well back and could barely see the horses through the plastic mesh.
My very distant view at the roundup
The mesh blocking the view of the horses at temporary holding
On one day, some of the mesh was down and I actually got a decent view of the mares. On posting these photos I immediately had someone interested in adopting two of the mares in the photographs.
The mares through a gap in the fence at temporary holding
On returning home from the last day of the roundup, I immediately emailed the BLM at the Canon City, Colorado facility to request to attend the first adoption where the public would be allowed to see the horses removed during the Checkerboard Roundup. I was very happy to hear that at least half of the horses removed had been sent to Canon City as I believe it is the best short term holding facility that the BLM has. The employees are knowledgeable and care very much about the horses, and they take very good care of the horses. They are also very good to work with regarding adoptions, and I found that out for myself when I adopted my mustang Mica.
I also requested to be allowed to photograph the horses so that I might be able to post photographs of the horses that are there and to help get as many of them adopted as possible, as I have many people waiting on those photographs from me. I said that I was willing to give the BLM copies of all my photos to help them get these horses adopted. I even mentioned that I was prepared to pay the commercial fee to be allowed to photograph there, since Canon City has special rules regarding photographing since it is at a prison. I had been allowed to photograph in 2010 when I adopted my mustang Mica after the 2010 Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek roundups.
Mica and the other weanlings at Canon City in 2010
Since I am a professional photographer of horses, I am able to get high quality images that will put the horses in their best light. I have a very large social media following and the images would go out widely. Photos get people involved, get people interested, motivate them to take action. If the BLM were really interested in getting these horses placed, I believe they would allow photographs of the horses to be taken.
Instead this is the email response that I received:
“In regards to your camera request for November 7, 2014, I have had numerous requests to bring in cameras to photograph the horses. Per Department of Corrections Administrative Regulations, no cameras are allowed on grounds for security reasons. We do make exceptions, but with so many requests for this adoption, it is not fair to the others to see some people with cameras when they were denied.
I think it is in the best interest for the BLM and CCi that we do not allow any cameras on 11/07/2014.”
Notice that nothing is said about the best interests of the horses.
And doesn’t it make sense that if so many people want to photograph these horses, that no one be allowed to photograph them.
I truly believe that if the BLM could find a way, they would prevent me from photographing the horses in the wild as well.
Oh wait, if they remove all of them, then that is exactly what they will be doing.
Categories: Horse Health, Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
IF they actually want horses adopted – then why prevent that from happening? Oh right this is the BLM we are talking about. I assume its not the local people at Canon City that are putting up obstacles – but the usual bureaucratic “upper echelon” ! So will the BLM put pictures up of the individual horses??????????
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I wouldn’t think a prison would be an appropriate place to find them good homes. Is the the only place they can hold their function? Perhaps if they would find an adequate place they would allow photography. Sad all the way around.
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Well said, Carol. BLM doesn’t care about our wild ones, in any way shape or form and they want the truth hidden from the public.
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This is OUR LAND and OUR HORSES. I so wished I could be there because I would take the dam pictures away! WE THE PEOPLE run the government not the government running us!!!!!!!
IT’S OUR RIGHT TO BE ON THAT LAND!!!!!!
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No transparency as usual.
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Lawsuit Accuses FDOT Of Withholding Public Records
May 20, 2014
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2014/05/20/lawsuit-accuses-fdot-of-withholding-public-records/
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GOVERNMENT CODE
TITLE 5. OPEN GOVERNMENT; ETHICS
SUBTITLE A. OPEN GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 552. PUBLIC INFORMATION
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 552.001. POLICY; CONSTRUCTION. (a) Under the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of representative government that adheres to the principle that government is the servant and not the master of the people, it is the policy of this state that each person is entitled, unless otherwise expressly provided by law, at all times to complete information about the affairs of government and the official acts of public officials and employees. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may retain control over the instruments they have created. The provisions of this chapter shall be liberally construed to implement this policy.
http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/GV/htm/GV.552.htm
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Exactly and rounding up Mustangs is NOT a STATE SECRET or placing the Untied States in DANGER! So no way they can keep us from taking pics or videos of the roundups!
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WOW!
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YEAP so everyone GO TAKE YOUR PICS and VIDEOS!!! Take this FEDERAL CODE with you!!!!!
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From PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Protection)
SUIT TO NIX DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT SHOOT-ON-SIGHT ORDERS
http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2014/10/29/suit-to-nix-double-crested-cormorant-shoot-on-sight-orders/
“In short, this suit is an indictment of the Fish & Wildlife Service for biological malpractice,” added Dumais. “The Service’s treatment of the double-crested cormorant epitomizes the growing militarization of American wildlife management, taking us back a few centuries to reestablish lethal take on a mass scale as the default posture.”
A second five-year renewal of federal “depredation” orders for killing an estimated 45,000 double-crested cormorants each year is legally deficient and scientifically vacuous, according to a federal lawsuit filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). If successful, the suit will block shoot-on-sight authorizations for the fish-eating bird in 24 states east of the Mississippi.
As co-plaintiffs, PEER has assembled some of the leading researchers, including the Service’s own, now-retired, top expert, Dr. Kenneth Stromborg, a wildlife biologist with more than 40 years of experience who has published several cormorant studies.
Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), all major federal actions that will “significantly affect” the environment must go through a rigorous review process, including a study of potential alternatives. Although FWS states that killing tens of thousands of DCCOs per year will make a significant enough impact on fish populations to justify renewing the orders, the agency simultaneously concludes that there is no “significant impact” under the law.
“In short, this suit is an indictment of the Fish & Wildlife Service for biological malpractice,” added Dumais. “The Service’s treatment of the double-crested cormorant epitomizes the growing militarization of American wildlife management, taking us back a few centuries to reestablish lethal take on a mass scale as the default posture.”
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So the real reason is—-BLM does not want anyone to track the disappearance of the horses, nor have any actual images of horses that might have existed in 2014…..? Print out that code and carry it !
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SCIENTIST LEGAL DEFENSE PROGRAM LAUNCHED
http://www.peer.org/news/news-releases/2014/10/09/scientist-legal-defense-program-launched/
Network for Pro Bono “Legal Protection of Science” and Web Law Center
Posted on Oct 09, 2014
The new PEER web center marshals information about emerging developments, such as federal scientific integrity policies, peer review and data quality requirements as well as the expanding role of scientific professional societies. In addition, it analyzes conflicts between transparency and confidentiality in research settings.
“Like a volcanic island rising from the seabed, a new body of science law is fitfully evolving,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch, pointing out that new rules confer legal status on technical works and those who create them. “In a government setting, the law often treated science as subject to the dictates of political appointees but that is changing.”
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Why can’t they just place BLM webcams on the horse lots? No brainer….
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They DO have webcams at Litchfield WH&B but they are pointed at the PUBLIC.
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Why not then at Canon City, to provide the public some viewing of the horses they own, and which supposedly the BLM is hoping they will adopt. If the issue is keeping cameras off people (convicts etc.) surely it is possible to aim them at the horses only in hopes of garnering public interest.
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Not sure I made myself clear – the webcams at Litchfield are aimed at the front gate on the PUBLIC who might come and go.
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Take photos and pictures anyway, and plenty of them.
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Unfortunately because it is at the prison, they will not allow any cell phones, cameras, etc because of security concerns or also so that people do not photograph the prisoners without permission. BUT they can and do make exceptions, and also allow people to take photos commercially for which they charge a fee. The decision whether or not to allow it is up to their discretion. You cannot just smuggle a camera in. They put you on a bus that takes you there and you are escorted around. They only have the facility open for adoptions at most 2x a month on Fridays and you have to apply beforehand, give your driver’s license number, and not have a criminal record. Not everyone can get there on a Friday, to a relatively remote area of Colorado at those times, so being able to see good photographs of these horses is important.
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If ‘not everyone can get there on a Friday’ I have to question the level of commitment to our wildlife. Is it not public land? Can people observe from outside? If the Ebola nurse can defy quarantine orders, surely wildlife advocates can make the same kind of stink. We have to stop being so timid and stand up to them.
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As I was reading above posts the Ebola nurse came to mind also – seems we are the only ones anymore that are obeying the rules – and we are not getting anywhere – we all need to make copies of Louie post above and take our freedoms back.
Glad they decided to let pictures be taken – BUT WHAT IS NEXT?
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THIS IS NOT ABOUT TODAY’S TOPIC but since I have no idea how to contact you folks and there isn’t any “contact information” on the website that I can find I’m just posting here so someone will notice this. There is a story out of Oregon today about how Pacific NW Tribes are sending THOUSANDS of wild horses on Reservations to slaughter in Canada and Mexico. Here is where to find the article: http://www.opb.org/news/article/npr-northwest-tribes-take-steps-to-corral-growing-wild-horse-population/
OREGON IS INFAMOUS vis a vis how the BLM here in Oregon (“Burns Corrals”) are treating wild and feral horses and OPB’s Oregon Field Guide (weekly half hour documentary on wildland issues) has profiled the shameful and disgraceful (and illegal) behavior of BLM in Oregon. However – this information on the Tribes in the Northwest is new news to most Pacific Northwesterners. IMO the situation of horses on Yakima Tribe lands is so bad that death might actually be a blessing – just not the horrific death following transport to slaughter. Please someone get this in front of other horse people who may not know about this. Most people think that native tribes revere and treasure horses. This is directly contradictory to that apparent myth!
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Watch for our article on Oregon next week.
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Hi everyone – GOOD NEWS – I have just heard from the BLM that I will be able to photograph the Wyoming horses at Canon City – not on the 7th but they are working on a getting permission and a time for me to do that. So I will keep you posted about when that will happen and when the photos will be up.
Thanks!
Carol
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So glad to hear that Carol. I know how much these horses mean to you and how devastating it was to watch their removal. Anything to help find them good homes!!!
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Great! This is a terrible tragedy.
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Awesome Carol
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AWESOME NEWS Carol, I would like to say me FAXING and CALLING them today with the above government CODE had something to do with it but I doubt it, the government NEVER moves that quick even in a COMBAT situation, I know I HAVE BEEN THERE DONE IT!
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THANK YOU Todd OathKeeper…NEVER doubt the power of ONE
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I can tell you that the BLM has no authority in saying whom can or cannot take photos at a correctional facility. That is at the sole discretion of the warden and no one else. My suggestion is that you have a meeting with the warden at the facility and bring him documentation as to you being a photographer and other credentials which would show who you are, what you do and why you want to do it. This is the only way to by-pass the BLM and the shoddy way they are doing things.
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I hope you are keeping an eye on the plant in NM that wants to open for zoo meat and strategy being played out to capture BLM horses to perpetrate the rather insidious plan of not only eliminating them but to be open for zoomeat to attempt to leverage the human consumption reopening. The agenda seems to be a trade issue. They want to pressure the reopening by manipulation. Unfortunately they didnt come up with this on their own. They got the idea from reading through comments from a year or so ago on another site. If they use the Mustangs they reason it would go simpler than if they use domestic private owned. So keep eyes and ears open.
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Its that sleezy horror movie reject !!!!!!!! de santos
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Good grief——-can’t these animals catch a break?
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Response to coltswesternshop-
The main ingredient in most of this Nebraska company’s products is USDA CERTIFIED HORSE MEAT.
It is going on today – look for yourself.
http://www.nebraskabrand.com/products.htm
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Is this where the reported 2 million horses that used to be in the wild ended up?
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If memory serves me, I think that the remaining horses at Dekalb went to a slaughterhouse out there after languishing at Cavel when they closed. They do slaughter horses in this country for animal consumption and a Lady at a wolf sanctuary in Florida told me that they do feed horse meat to the wolves at that sanctuary…. I know it’s happening in spite of all the talk and it sickens me.
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About a month ago when we talked about zoos feeding horse meat, I posted about a wolf sanctuary that did the big feed and supposedly used horses, I went to the site and seen a picture of a black horse with a BLM brand on it’s neck, after I posted that here another person from here went to Colorado sites, but could not find it, so I went back to their wolf site, that page has been down and under construction since that day and is still not posting info there – still does not change the fact that the person that told me about the big feed was there in person.
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SORRY CAROL for mixing THIS subject up with your PHOTOS article but the subject came up and we need to share the information.
WE the tax-payer apparently just bought 1,000 cases of horsemeat product from this Central Nebraska plant (excerpt below but I think the link has now been removed):
THIS NOTICE IS FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. For the proposed contract action the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only the following designated source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Mexican Wolf Recover Plan, Region 2, intends to issue a sole source award utilizing Simplified Acquisition Procedures to Central Nebraska Packing, Inc., North Platte, Nebraska for the purchase of approximately 1,000 cases of Classic carnivore diet meat logs. The Mexican Wolf Recovery Plan provides carnivore logs to captive Mexican Wolves as well as for wolves in the wild. Central Nebraska Packing is American Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) approved and uses only USDA certified horse meat. Central Nebraska is the only vendor who offers this type of product. https://www.fedconnect.net/fedconnect/publicpages/publicsearch/Public_OpportunitySummary.aspx
Contract Specialist, email: lisa_rodriguez@fws.gov.
Reference number: F14PS01280
Issue date: 08/30/2014
Response due: 09/08/2014 05:00 PM ET
________________________________________
Set Aside: Total Small Business
NAICS: 311119-Other Animal Food Manufacturing
PSC / FSC: 8710-FORAGE & FEED
________________________________________
Agency: DOI
_______________________________________
Contracting office:
FWS, DIVISION OF CONTRACTING AND GE
P.O. BOX 1306
500 GOLD AVENUE SW
ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87102-3118
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Yes Grandma Gregg, the link has been removed.
An unexpected error occurred in the application. Please contact support@fedconnect.net and reference the following key:129646. Thank you for your patience.
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Sorry Carol but did you expect them to welcome you with open arms? They hate you because you are putting this information out to the public. They operate under the cloak and dagger ….. Damn it people, these are ranchers and only look at these horses as meat on the hoof…. They iterate under the philosophy that of you feed them you should eat them…..too bad they don’t apply that to their inbred descendents…..I hate to see more generations of them on the horizon.. the BLM is the ranchers, represent the ranchers and all out of OUR pockets! We are a country of fools.
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the farrah faucet of our wild ones , beatiful ,hopefully will stay wild
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I love the three horse family. I wish I could adopt them.
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The BLM is nothing more ten PAID PUBLIC SERVANTS, shouldnt they act as Such !!!! Who in the Hell ever told them they were anything more than that ???????????????????????/
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