Wednesday, January 6, 2010

BLM Closes Door to Communication

Horseback Magazine















By Steven Long
HOUSTON, (Horseback) - The federal Bureau of Land Management has ceased communicating with Horseback Magazine.
On December 31, the magazine sent several pointed questions to the bureau and copied the email to its director Bob Abbey. The agency has not responded since, despite follow-up emails to both its Nevada spokesperson, Heather Emmons, and it's chief Washington spokesman, Tom Gorey.
The magazine has also repeatedly asked for an interview with BLM Director Bob Abbey only to be rebuffed again and again.
Horseback Magazine has formalized its requests through inquiries utilizing the Freedom of Information Act. The BLM is required by law to respond to such a request.
Meanwhile, the BLM has increasingly founded itself wrapped in scandal as protests have mounted from coast to coast over its "gather" of a proposed 2,500 wild horses from their native habitat.
'The agency plans to put some of the horses up for adoption and hold the remainder in massive pens at taxpayer expense..
Horseback Online will continue to cover the ongoing capture of horses in Nevada's rugged Calico Mountains.
The following is a report on yesterday's capture from a source who declined to be identified.
"There were approx 150 horses on site.
"They had separated the 2 mares with their 2 foals and the newly orphaned foal from the rest of the horses.. keeping them at t
"he front - two of the foals were lame! The mares and stallions were in two large separate pens on the back side of the lot, next to each other and the yearlings were next to the mares.
"I noticed a few lame mares. 
" We saw no brands on any horses. They were all being fed oat hay. It was roughly 18 degrees today, no wind, but fairly foggy. 

The horses were mostly huddled in groups.. many seemed like their spirits had already been broken. They were very skiddish. Much like other holding facilities, it was very barren. The place is brand new.. several workers on site welding and setting up pens, etc..

"The last public observation day for the round up was Saturday and the next one is Wed.  They will be rounding up from the other side of the range in the Soldier Meadows area next.   The horses are loaded from the trap site the following morning after the round up and taken to holding.  This site is geared to hold 2800 horses.  It's a very sad thought to think that one day soon it will be all filled up with wild horses that should be roaming free."

The same source reported to Horseback late Tuesday.
"Spent the day on the range attempting to site all the "excess" horses.  12 hours later.. all day on the Calico range, we sited 7 wild horses.  6 in a band and one stallion on his own. 
" I hope the BLM has even more trouble finding them...  like you say.. it's hard to fathom.. hundreds of thousands of acres of land, yet no room for these wild horses and burros?  the truth is that there is no excess..  of course we all know that." 

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