by Carol Walker as published on Wild Hoofbeats
The Bureau of Land Management Just Released its Annihilation Plan to Destroy America’s Wild Horses and Burros
Wild Horses, wild horse, Adobe Town, Wyoming ~ photo by Carol Walker
The BLM delivered its 2020 Report to Congress and this plan will cost the American taxpayer one billion dollars to remove 220,000 wild horses and burros from our public lands and place them in government holding facilities. Now the BLM is waiting 60 days before it receives the $21 million dollars that Congress allocated this year to begin this annihilation plan.
Over the next 20 years, the BLM plans to conduct massive roundups and removals of wild horses all over the 10 western states that they call home. The goal of the BLM is to reach their Appropriate Management Level (AML ) of 27,000 wild horses and burros on over 26.9 million acres of public lands. This is not a scientifically set limit, this is an arbitrary number that the BLM set for the total population of wild horses and burros it would allow on public lands. If you calculate this out that means only one wild horse and burro per 1000 acres will be allowed, and this is on the lands that wild horses and burros are mandated to be managed. The plan calls for removing 18,000 to 20,000 wild horses and burros each year in order to reach this goal. The planned removals could start as early as the end of July 2020 with the removal of 10,000 wild horses and burros this year.
Here is the report: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_zJ1Abk44QYntQVpm6fzp3vX2n1WdZ6p/view
As of April, 2020 (BLM’s Facilities Report) there are over 48,025 wild horses and burros in holding facilities which range from short term holding corrals to long term holding feedlots or pastures. The BLM does not have enough room to house the incoming wild horses and burros so it is working on securing more holding facilities like this proposed feedlot which would hold 5000 wild horses in Laramie county, Wyoming: https://americanwildhorsecampaign.org/media/predatory-businessman-proposes-feedlot-5k-mustangs
In this plan, the BLM states that there is no guarantee whether or not there will be enough facilities to house this massive increase in captive wild horses and burros and it fails to disclose exactly what the total costs will be to the American taxpayer for warehousing and holding an additional 220,000 wild horses and burros. They have a proposed 50% budget increase each year for having to house this many wild horses and burros:
Year 1 $117 million; Year 2 $149 million; Year 3 $185 million; Year 4 $212 million; Year 5 238 million; Year 18 $360 million
Obviously this is incredibly large amount of money that will be dedicated to warehousing wild horses and burros who would be so much better off in the wild in their homes on our public lands. Obviously this cost is ridiculously unsustainable. And horribly, inevitably, this leads to the BLM’s ultimate solution – get their prohibition against euthanizing healthy wild horses and burros lifted since the financial burden is too onerous so they can destroy all the wild horses and burros in government holding facilities. In other words, so they can slaughter 268,025 wild horses and burros.
And what of the wild horses and burros lucky enough to be among the 27,000 allowed to live in their federally designated homes on public lands? The BLM proposes to use instead of humane, reversible birth control, to use dangerous, unproven drugs, gelding of stallions and cruel and dangerous ovariectomies of wild mares. There is no concern on the BLM’s part as to how these drugs and sterilizations will affect the natural wild behaviors of the wild horses and burros that make them unique, wild and free.
Overwhelmingly, American taxpayers want to see our wild horses and burros remain free and humanely managed on our public lands. The 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was enacted to preserve and protect wild horses and burros and this plan violates both the spirit and the letter of the Act, and must not be allowed to stand as the new management guidelines for our wild horses and burros.
Congress must not be allowed to continue to approve appropriations for this disastrous plan. What can you do to help? Contact your Senators and Representatives.
Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Representatives: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative
Categories: Horse News, Horse Slaughter, Wild Burros, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Whistleblower puts Nevada’s BLM chummy industry relationships in the spotlight (excerpts)
February 10, 2020
debcoffey
Source: The Nevada Independent
“BLM is far too close to the industries it’s supposed to be watching. “These are not merely probable breaches of law by private persons,” the complaint alleges, “but a pervasive pattern of lawlessness which BLM has taken affirmative steps to further and encourage.”
by John L. Smith
As an environmental protection specialist in the Bureau of Land Management’s enormous Battle Mountain District, Dan Patterson was accustomed to working under difficult conditions.
When you’re one of a handful of BLM ecologists in an area that stretches over five Nevada counties and covers 10.5 million acres, you often toil alone and can find yourself a long way from his home office in Tonopah.
https://ppjg.me/2020/02/10/whistleblower-puts-nevadas-blm-chummy-industry-relationships-in-the-spotlight/
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Radio interview
BLM Whistleblower: Government Is Giving Public Lands to Robber-Barons
https://knpr.org/knpr/2020-02/blm-whistleblower-government-giving-public-lands-robber-barons
Feb 14, 2020
by
Heidi Kyser
A federal whistleblower complaint says open pits of toxic wastewater, roads bulldozed through protected wildlife habitat, and secret hunting cabins are all being allowed on public lands in Nevada.
Is Nevada’s BLM – and its Battle Mountain District, in particular – allowing all this, and more?
That’s what BLM Environmental Protection Specialist Dan Patterson claims, in the complaint filed last October. Patterson says the agency is letting mining and oil and gas companies run amok on federal lands, often at the expense of sensitive species, and that they suspended him for trying to bring the infractions to light.
Patterson described 10 specific incidents that he said either violated federal law or consisted of abuse of authority – or in some cases, did both.
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Two really good interviews in two separate news agencies! I did comment on this one – its been a long time since I have read about a BLM employee speaking out. Honestly, I can understand why thats the case – considering the harassment they get for it. Thanks again, Louie
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Commented directly on the BLM’s official website to oppose their horrific intentions. That’s the best way to do it according to Ginger Kathrens, AWHPC, WHFF, H4FH, plus many others? Pardon me if I inadvertently did not mention other orgs. involved here. But WE ARE THEIR VOICE!
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Unfortunately there is nowhere to comment on BLM’s website about this disaster our plan – I think you are referring to the comment period ending April 30th for the zeroing out of three WY horse herds. This plan is regarding all of the wild horse and burro herds in the 10 western states that the BLM manages. The best thing you can do right now is contact your Senators and Representatives as they are working on the 2021 Appropriations.
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Okay, thank you for the clarification here. I forwarded my comments to the BLM directly as emails were sent to me regarding the May 15th deadline for the Pryor herd. Made comments before for the other herds at risk. So confused & frustrated here. Any help you can give me would be much appreciated. Getting e-mails daily from legal animal rights funds, but it’s imperative to me to follow your direction.
Thanks in advance for your advice! 👍🐴🐴😷
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There is a lot going on right now. Yes there was the May 15 deadline to comment on the plan for the Pryor Mountains. The plan discussed in this blog post is the governing plan for all the herds and will be implemented if the BLM gets funding each year to pursue it. Congress asked for BLM to give them a plan for managing the wild horses and burros since they were asking for so much additional money. The BLM was late delivering it but finally did this week and this is the result. Most herds if the total AML is achieved will not even have genetically viable numbers. This plan needs to be fought. Right now what can be done is to contact Senators and Representatives. Of course different groups are asking for money but I would advise to wait and donate to legal funds that will be fighting zeroing out the WY herds, the Pryors herd reduction and if any groups are going to be able to bring a lawsuit against this plan, donating to that legal fund. That will be the best use of your money. Getting the word out to everyone you know will be helpful as well.
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For those who choose to or are required to wear a face mask here is an excellent example to make a statement and raise public awareness..
The link should take you to a picture of the photo of the face mask with a message
LAST CHANCE FOR ANIMALS
The Current State of Ag Gag
The recent surge of ag-gag bills is in response to a series of highly publicized undercover investigations by animal activists and journalists. These investigations have led to criminal convictions, lawsuits and major food recalls, and have allowed consumers to see the hidden practices of agribusiness.
LCA is Fighting Back
http://endaggaglaws.com/
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