Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 30, 2010
Why MSNBC Won't Cover Wild Horse Abuse by the BLM
Shark Online
The piece started out with a picture depicting steer wrestling, with Nachman's face superimposed over the contestant's face. So up front we learn that Jerry's fantasy is to be in the rodeo. How special. But that was just the beginning.
Nachman claimed that 22,000,000 people attended rodeos in 2002, more than the attendance of the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, according to "Rodeo Jerry."
Nachman could have only gotten those outrageous figures from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) -- an organization known for putting figures together any way that suits them. The PRCA is best known for its ridiculously low animal injury statistics which the organization refuses to explain.
Jerry Nachman claimed college rodeos are sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). SHARK's research indicates that is completely false.
Jerry Nachman says he became "addicted" to rodeos when he lived in California and New Mexico. This is the United States of America, and we will be the first to acknowledge that if Jerry Nachman was to kiss the feet of animal abusers, he may do so, but a journalist has a duty to report in an unbiased manner, his "addiction" not withstanding. Nachman utterly failed that crucial test. Jerry, we've known real journalists, and you are no journalist.
How ridiculous did Nachman's show get? Nachman had no animal protectors on his program to refute the propaganda of the Rodeo Mafia in the areas of cruelty and injuries. Nachman apparently has no problem with the editing of televised rodeos that eliminates rules violations, and animal injuries and deaths. Televised rodeos also eliminate the most cruel portions of even rodeo events, such as the moment that a calf is clotheslined by the rope, which can result in a broken neck.
Why would a reporter who, as his promo states, has won "...the prestigious Peabody and Edward R. Murrow awards" pose the issue of rodeo animal cruelty and injuries to rodeo contestants -- the very people who inflict those cruelty and injuries?
Nachman's promo proclaims that "his insightful yet straightforward approach is refreshing in a world of long-winded pundits and hot air." Given the evidence of rodeo cruelty presented at www.RodeoCruelty.com, and the great work of caring reporters on record at www.ReportersWhoCare.com, Nachman is just a blowhard who doesn't deserve to stand in the same room with true journalists.
In a weird twist later during his glorification of animal abuse, Nachman asks his phony cowboy friends what a rodeo groupie is called. "Buckle Bunnies," they replied. Nachman thought that was pretty funny. "I like that," Nachman said, "buckle bunnies."
Following Nachman's rodeo fantasy show, SHARK president Steve Hindi sent an E-mail to Jerry and explained the truth about rodeo cruelty and the animals abused, injured and killed, as well as the rampant violations of rodeo rules and state laws. Steve included the fact that rodeo people are afraid to debate, and offered to face off with rodeo people and/or Nachman on his show.
Not surprisingly Nachman, like other rodeo abusers and their supporters, did not respond. The offer is still open -- Steve Hindi is ready to debate Nachman and/or his rodeo buddies on Nachman's live television show. Let's see if Nachman has some guts, or if as we suspect, he's just a big mouth who can only dream of being a real man.
We have some parting questions for MSNBC Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nachman. What might you call a male version of a buckle bunny? We would call him Jerry Nachman. Did the PRCA pay you to dump your journalistic integrity, or did you give it away for nothing?
Come on, Jerry, you're supposed to be a journalist, not a brown-noser -- remember?
MSNBC Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nachman
Read Jerry Nachman's promo and you might be impressed:"He's been everywhere, he knows everybody, and now Jerry Nachman is bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to viewers each day on MSNBC. A former radio reporter, newspaper Editor-in-Chief, and even Hollywood screenwriter, it's hard to find someone who is more media savvy than our own Editor-in-Chief."Nachman is obviously a legend in his own mind, but we aren't buying it. If Nachman were credible, he would not have done a ridiculously flawed, inaccurate, completely unbalanced fluffy promo for the Rodeo Mafia called "Real Cowboys" on December 12, 2002.
The piece started out with a picture depicting steer wrestling, with Nachman's face superimposed over the contestant's face. So up front we learn that Jerry's fantasy is to be in the rodeo. How special. But that was just the beginning.
Nachman claimed that 22,000,000 people attended rodeos in 2002, more than the attendance of the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League, according to "Rodeo Jerry."
Nachman could have only gotten those outrageous figures from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) -- an organization known for putting figures together any way that suits them. The PRCA is best known for its ridiculously low animal injury statistics which the organization refuses to explain.
Jerry Nachman claimed college rodeos are sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). SHARK's research indicates that is completely false.
Jerry Nachman says he became "addicted" to rodeos when he lived in California and New Mexico. This is the United States of America, and we will be the first to acknowledge that if Jerry Nachman was to kiss the feet of animal abusers, he may do so, but a journalist has a duty to report in an unbiased manner, his "addiction" not withstanding. Nachman utterly failed that crucial test. Jerry, we've known real journalists, and you are no journalist.
How ridiculous did Nachman's show get? Nachman had no animal protectors on his program to refute the propaganda of the Rodeo Mafia in the areas of cruelty and injuries. Nachman apparently has no problem with the editing of televised rodeos that eliminates rules violations, and animal injuries and deaths. Televised rodeos also eliminate the most cruel portions of even rodeo events, such as the moment that a calf is clotheslined by the rope, which can result in a broken neck.
Why would a reporter who, as his promo states, has won "...the prestigious Peabody and Edward R. Murrow awards" pose the issue of rodeo animal cruelty and injuries to rodeo contestants -- the very people who inflict those cruelty and injuries?
Nachman's promo proclaims that "his insightful yet straightforward approach is refreshing in a world of long-winded pundits and hot air." Given the evidence of rodeo cruelty presented at www.RodeoCruelty.com, and the great work of caring reporters on record at www.ReportersWhoCare.com, Nachman is just a blowhard who doesn't deserve to stand in the same room with true journalists.
In a weird twist later during his glorification of animal abuse, Nachman asks his phony cowboy friends what a rodeo groupie is called. "Buckle Bunnies," they replied. Nachman thought that was pretty funny. "I like that," Nachman said, "buckle bunnies."
Following Nachman's rodeo fantasy show, SHARK president Steve Hindi sent an E-mail to Jerry and explained the truth about rodeo cruelty and the animals abused, injured and killed, as well as the rampant violations of rodeo rules and state laws. Steve included the fact that rodeo people are afraid to debate, and offered to face off with rodeo people and/or Nachman on his show.
Not surprisingly Nachman, like other rodeo abusers and their supporters, did not respond. The offer is still open -- Steve Hindi is ready to debate Nachman and/or his rodeo buddies on Nachman's live television show. Let's see if Nachman has some guts, or if as we suspect, he's just a big mouth who can only dream of being a real man.
We have some parting questions for MSNBC Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nachman. What might you call a male version of a buckle bunny? We would call him Jerry Nachman. Did the PRCA pay you to dump your journalistic integrity, or did you give it away for nothing?
Come on, Jerry, you're supposed to be a journalist, not a brown-noser -- remember?
The Public Has Spoken- Our Pony Express Goal Has Been Exceeded!!
Madeleine Pickens, "Save America's Mustangs"
Dear Supporters,
Wow! What amazing supporters we have! On August 1st, we gave you a goal of 20,000 letters to take with us for our Pony Express Mustang Delivery to Washington. Our deadline was set for September 1st.
We just wanted to let you know that we have completely blown our goal out of the water with the overwhelming response from so many wild horse supporters! Just over this past weekend, we received 7,234 letters from so many of you, which brings our current count to 26, 995!!!!
*Keep the letters coming and each of you can stand as a voice for each individual mustang that has been rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management and the ones left on the range. We are their voices, their spokespeople.
Saving America's Mustangs has deepest gratitude for the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, and ASPCA for joining us in promoting the Pony Express on your blogs and websites! Without your endorsement in this cause, we would not have generated the awareness that we have. Thank you so much for getting behind this effort and we hope you will be with us in Washington when we deliver the letters. We really appreciate what you have done for our foundation. Additionally, we thank all the other organizations that have promoted it on their websites and to their contacts. Every single person that has told even one person about this campaign has been integral in this effort. Everything matters at this point.
We are still planning the execution and finalizing the date of delivery in Washington, DC. This will be HUGE and we will definitely let you know as soon as the plan is set. All media outlets are invited to join us, as well as our supporters. More details to come. Keep checking Facebook and the SAM website for more information as it comes available. This campaign has inspired people to get involved and has educated the public of what is going on with our American wild horses and how we can protect them just by speaking up! The American public is ALWAYS right!! This time is no different!!
If you haven't done so yet, it takes less than a minute to click the Pony Express button and send your letter to us. Please do this for our wild mustangs and for future generations so that they can see these majestic creatures thriving in their natural environment.
*Because of the amazing interest that has been so apparent with students, teachers, and children all over the nation in this campaign, we are extending the deadline for mailed letters and emails to be September 10th.
We have had a couple of people from outside the US that wanted to write, but cannot do it from the Pony Express button, because it asks for a US zip code. Or if the link isn't working for you, please email directly to madeleinesponyexpress@gmail.com.
Mailed letters can be sent to:
Saving America's Mustangs
2683 Via De La Valle, G 313
Del Mar, CA 92014
Thank you all for your continued support!! You all have been fabulous in sending the letters and promoting the campaign!!! We are overjoyed that this response has been so incredible! We are united together like never before. Let's keep this going strong!! We truly appreciate every single one of you! This will be an iconic change for American history. THANK YOU for being a part of the team.
Dear Supporters,
Wow! What amazing supporters we have! On August 1st, we gave you a goal of 20,000 letters to take with us for our Pony Express Mustang Delivery to Washington. Our deadline was set for September 1st.
We just wanted to let you know that we have completely blown our goal out of the water with the overwhelming response from so many wild horse supporters! Just over this past weekend, we received 7,234 letters from so many of you, which brings our current count to 26, 995!!!!
*Keep the letters coming and each of you can stand as a voice for each individual mustang that has been rounded up by the Bureau of Land Management and the ones left on the range. We are their voices, their spokespeople.
Saving America's Mustangs has deepest gratitude for the Humane Society of the United States, PETA, and ASPCA for joining us in promoting the Pony Express on your blogs and websites! Without your endorsement in this cause, we would not have generated the awareness that we have. Thank you so much for getting behind this effort and we hope you will be with us in Washington when we deliver the letters. We really appreciate what you have done for our foundation. Additionally, we thank all the other organizations that have promoted it on their websites and to their contacts. Every single person that has told even one person about this campaign has been integral in this effort. Everything matters at this point.
We are still planning the execution and finalizing the date of delivery in Washington, DC. This will be HUGE and we will definitely let you know as soon as the plan is set. All media outlets are invited to join us, as well as our supporters. More details to come. Keep checking Facebook and the SAM website for more information as it comes available. This campaign has inspired people to get involved and has educated the public of what is going on with our American wild horses and how we can protect them just by speaking up! The American public is ALWAYS right!! This time is no different!!
If you haven't done so yet, it takes less than a minute to click the Pony Express button and send your letter to us. Please do this for our wild mustangs and for future generations so that they can see these majestic creatures thriving in their natural environment.
We have had a couple of people from outside the US that wanted to write, but cannot do it from the Pony Express button, because it asks for a US zip code. Or if the link isn't working for you, please email directly to madeleinesponyexpress@gmail.com.
Mailed letters can be sent to:
Saving America's Mustangs
2683 Via De La Valle, G 313
Del Mar, CA 92014
Thank you all for your continued support!! You all have been fabulous in sending the letters and promoting the campaign!!! We are overjoyed that this response has been so incredible! We are united together like never before. Let's keep this going strong!! We truly appreciate every single one of you! This will be an iconic change for American history. THANK YOU for being a part of the team.
Very Sincerely,
Madeleine Pickens + The Wild Mustangs
Follow Madeleine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpickens
Become Madeleine Pickens' Friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/madeleine.pickens
Visit her website for up to the minute information: www.savingamericasmustangs.org
Saving America's Mustangs' Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Madeleine-Pickens-Wild-Horse-Sanctuary/163062350007?ref=sgm
Madeleine Pickens + The Wild Mustangs
Follow Madeleine on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mpickens
Become Madeleine Pickens' Friend on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/madeleine.pickens
Visit her website for up to the minute information: www.savingamericasmustangs.org
Saving America's Mustangs' Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Madeleine-Pickens-Wild-Horse-Sanctuary/163062350007?ref=sgm
Sunday, August 29, 2010
08.29.10 Craig Downer in Natural Horse
Equine Welfare Alliance
"Unless urgent action is taken, wild horses and burros in today’s America face a bleak future."
Click HERE to read the article.
"Unless urgent action is taken, wild horses and burros in today’s America face a bleak future."
Click HERE to read the article.
Arizona Game and Fish Department comments on BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document
AZ Game and Fish
id="yiv1194454191Date">
Aug. 27, 2010
Aug 27, 2010
AZGFD believes horse/burro management proposals should balance horse/burro protection needs with wildlife resource needs and meet the intent of the original Act; public can still submit comments through Sept. 3, 2010
The Arizona Game and Fish Department on Aug. 24, 2010, submitted written recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document, titled “Working Toward Sustainable Management of America’s Wild Horses and Burros.” The document identifies draft goals, objectives, and possible management strategies under consideration by the BLM to implement Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s Wild Horse and Burro Initiative.
The Department applauds BLM’s efforts to seek stakeholder input as it strives to develop a sustainable approach for managing wild horse and burro populations. As the state agency responsible for managing resident wildlife populations in Arizona, Game and Fish encourages the evaluation of wild horse and burro management in order to improve the management efficiency and effectiveness across the landscape.
However, the Department also believes that the original crafters of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act of 1971 (Act) wisely balanced measures to protect free-roaming horses and burros with measures to protect wildlife, habitats, rangeland resources, and private interests. Likewise, the Department believes that any new strategy developed for the management of wild horses and burros must require that the BLM and Department of Interior meet their fiduciary and statutory obligations to appropriately identify and mitigate for impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitat under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and other statutes, regulations, and legislation, as applicable.
Game and Fish wholly supports efforts to more effectively and efficiently manage horses and burros within the framework of the current Act. If designed and implemented appropriately, a new strategy could result in a more environmentally and economically sustainable horse and burro program. Conversely, an ill-designed program would result in an increasingly complicated and expensive program with devastating impacts to the long-term sustainability of the public’s fish and wildlife populations, their habitats, and associated recreation activities.
As a result, the Department is fully committed to helping the BLM develop a wild horse and burro management strategy that best meets the intent of the Act and the needs of wildlife resources throughout the West.
Members of the public who have an interest in how America’s wild horses and burros are managed may submit comments to the BLM regarding its Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document through Friday, Sept. 3, 2010.
Comments can be submitted either: (1) by e-mail to wildhorse@blm.gov (please put “WHB Public Comment” in the subject line); (2) by mail to BLM Washington Office, 1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665, Washington, DC 20240 (if mailing, comments need to be postmarked no later than September 3, 2010); or (3) using the ePlanning process accessible online at http://blm.gov/m14c.
For more information, including information on past Arizona Game and Fish Department testimony and Arizona Game and Fish Commission positions, visit www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/WildHorseBurro.shtml.
SAVE THE DATE!
Ely, Nevada (August 26, 2010). . . Beginning tomorrow, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is scheduled to roundup and remove every wild horse living in the Moriah Herd Area 48 miles north of Ely, Nevada. It will take the agency four days to capture, via helicopter stampede, the estimated 72 horses living in this 55,300 acre public lands area.
The action is part of the most aggressive government roundup effort in recent years, with 12,000 mustangs and burros targeted for removal from the Western range this year. The majority of captured mustangs will join the 38,000+ wild horses already warehoused in government holding facilities, a number that exceeds the population (<33,000) left free in the wild.
“The Moriah Herd Area is just the latest federally protected wild horse habitat to be ‘zeroed out’ by the Interior Department,” said Suzanne Roy, Campaign Director for the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, which is supported by a coalition of 40 public interest, conservation, historic preservation, horse advocacy and animal welfare organizations.
“Over the past four decades, BLM has eliminated more than 20 million acres of federally-designated habitat for wild horses and burros, shrinking the lands available to these Congressionally-protected animals to just 26 million acres,” she continued. “By contrast, livestock grazing is authorized on 160 million acres of BLM lands.”
In Moriah, BLM is claiming that removal of all of the 72 wild horses is necessary to improve rangeland health, yet the agency continues to authorize more than four times as many cattle – over 300 — to graze those same lands.
“In area after area, BLM sets arbitrarily low management levels for wild horses and allocates the majority of resources to livestock,” Roy concluded. “It’s clear that private commercial interests drive BLM policy, but the public is increasingly demanding change in the way our public lands are managed.”
Last month, 54 members of Congress sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar urging a halt to BLM roundups, citing concern about the trauma, injuries and deaths caused in the helicopter stampedes and raising questions about BLM’s “flawed” and “unsustainable” wild horse management policy.
Ranchers graze cattle on public land for a fraction of the cost of grazing on private land ($1.35 per Animal Unit Month (AUM) on public lands vs. an average of over $15 per AUM on private lands, according to the Congressional Research Service, 2009). Publicly-subsidized livestock grazing — dubbed “welfare ranching” — costs taxpayers in excess of $122 million annually, yet cattle grazed on public lands provide just 3% of the nation’s beef supply.
The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.
_______________________________
id="yiv1194454191Date">
Aug. 27, 2010
Aug 27, 2010
AZGFD believes horse/burro management proposals should balance horse/burro protection needs with wildlife resource needs and meet the intent of the original Act; public can still submit comments through Sept. 3, 2010
The Arizona Game and Fish Department on Aug. 24, 2010, submitted written recommendations to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document, titled “Working Toward Sustainable Management of America’s Wild Horses and Burros.” The document identifies draft goals, objectives, and possible management strategies under consideration by the BLM to implement Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s Wild Horse and Burro Initiative.
The Department applauds BLM’s efforts to seek stakeholder input as it strives to develop a sustainable approach for managing wild horse and burro populations. As the state agency responsible for managing resident wildlife populations in Arizona, Game and Fish encourages the evaluation of wild horse and burro management in order to improve the management efficiency and effectiveness across the landscape.
However, the Department also believes that the original crafters of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burro Act of 1971 (Act) wisely balanced measures to protect free-roaming horses and burros with measures to protect wildlife, habitats, rangeland resources, and private interests. Likewise, the Department believes that any new strategy developed for the management of wild horses and burros must require that the BLM and Department of Interior meet their fiduciary and statutory obligations to appropriately identify and mitigate for impacts to wildlife and wildlife habitat under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), and other statutes, regulations, and legislation, as applicable.
Game and Fish wholly supports efforts to more effectively and efficiently manage horses and burros within the framework of the current Act. If designed and implemented appropriately, a new strategy could result in a more environmentally and economically sustainable horse and burro program. Conversely, an ill-designed program would result in an increasingly complicated and expensive program with devastating impacts to the long-term sustainability of the public’s fish and wildlife populations, their habitats, and associated recreation activities.
As a result, the Department is fully committed to helping the BLM develop a wild horse and burro management strategy that best meets the intent of the Act and the needs of wildlife resources throughout the West.
- Click here to see the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s comments and recommendations [PDF, 437kb]
- Click here to see the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document
Members of the public who have an interest in how America’s wild horses and burros are managed may submit comments to the BLM regarding its Wild Horse and Burro Strategy Development Document through Friday, Sept. 3, 2010.
Comments can be submitted either: (1) by e-mail to wildhorse@blm.gov (please put “WHB Public Comment” in the subject line); (2) by mail to BLM Washington Office, 1849 C Street NW, Rm. 5665, Washington, DC 20240 (if mailing, comments need to be postmarked no later than September 3, 2010); or (3) using the ePlanning process accessible online at http://blm.gov/m14c.
For more information, including information on past Arizona Game and Fish Department testimony and Arizona Game and Fish Commission positions, visit www.azgfd.gov/inside_azgfd/WildHorseBurro.shtml.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Horseback Magazine News
The latest drivel from Sue Wallis. Steve broke the info into two articles with great headers.
Comment at the site
Plans Proceed for Wyoming Plant Myth Despite EU Ban on Chem Tainted Meat
Pro Slaughter Advocates Acknowledge Fundraiser a Dismal Failure
Here are two more news items
Steve posted this one earlier today on the Twin Peaks Round-Up of information provided by RT.
Heavy Cop Presence at Twin Peaks Keeps Contractor Hiding Place Off Limits
This was just posted
BLM Apologist Blasts Wild Horse Advocates
http://horsebackmagazine.com/hb/archives/2573NEWS UPDATE Arizona Coalition for Equines (ACE)
SAVE THE DATE!
The second public meeting for the Arizona Coalition for Equines (ACE) has been scheduled and will be held in Tucson on Tuesday, September 21, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Location to be determined.
Please cross-post and encourage fellow equine advocates to attend! Everyone who is interested in the welfare of our Arizona equines is welcome to come to the meeting. The intent is to have this be a state wide project. Meetings will be held at various locations around the state to encourage participation and accessability.
For more information about this coalition, visit us online at http://arizonacoalitionforequines.org and join us on Facebook.
If you have any questions regarding the Arizona Coalition for Equines, please contact Interim Chairperson Kari Nienstedt at knienstedt@humanesociety.org or 480-381-4410, or Interim Secretary Carol Grubb at Headmare0@yahoo.com or 520-749-4026.
We hope to see you at the next meeting!
ACE Interim Board of Directors Officers
Chair: Kari Nienstedt Arizona State Director, The Humane Society of the United States
Vice Chair: Michael W. Duffey Cruelty Investigator- Humane Society of Southern Arizona
Pima County Sheriff Detective (Ret)
Animal Cruelty Task Force (Co-chair)
International Vet. Forensic Sciences Association
Board of Directors
AZ Veterinary Medical Association
Member
Secretary: Carol Grubb Eclectic Equine, LLC Educational Services for Horses and Humans
Treasurer: Joey Ogburn Founder/President Luv Shack Ranch Horse Rescue,Inc.
Board of Directors Members
Michael Hutchison, DVM Pegasus Equine Veterinary Service, PC
Betty Welton President and Founder Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Refuge
Karen Pomroy President and Founder Equine Voices Rescue and Sanctuary
Vice Chair: Michael W. Duffey Cruelty Investigator- Humane Society of Southern Arizona
Pima County Sheriff Detective (Ret)
Animal Cruelty Task Force (Co-chair)
International Vet. Forensic Sciences Association
Board of Directors
AZ Veterinary Medical Association
Member
Secretary: Carol Grubb Eclectic Equine, LLC Educational Services for Horses and Humans
Treasurer: Joey Ogburn Founder/President Luv Shack Ranch Horse Rescue,Inc.
Board of Directors Members
Michael Hutchison, DVM Pegasus Equine Veterinary Service, PC
Betty Welton President and Founder Healing Hearts Animal Rescue and Refuge
Karen Pomroy President and Founder Equine Voices Rescue and Sanctuary
Mission Statement of the Arizona Coalition for Equines
ACE members are committed to enhancing the lives of all equines in Arizona through education and assistance to the owners and, when necessary, the prosecution of persons who commit acts of cruelty against equines contrary to existing laws.
Get on Board Madeleine's Pony Express
Madeleine Pickens
Please follow the above link to take action, or click HERE.
Please follow the above link to take action, or click HERE.
Dear Friends,
Please send this pre-written letter to President Obama & the BLM by September 1st, I will personally hand deliver a copy of your letter to Washington, D.C. If you'd rather mail us a copy of your letter, please send it to:
Please send this pre-written letter to President Obama & the BLM by September 1st, I will personally hand deliver a copy of your letter to Washington, D.C. If you'd rather mail us a copy of your letter, please send it to:
Madeleine's Pony Express
2683 Via de la Valle
#G313
Del Mar, CA 92014
Thank you for your support! PLEASE tell your friends!
Madeleine Pickens
Without Moratorium, NAS Study May Be Too Late
The Cloud Foundation
27 August 2010
Media Contacts:
Makendra Silverman
Tel: 719-351-8187
Anne Novak
Tel: 415-531-8454
For Immediate Release
Independent Review Too Late for Wild Horses and Burros?
Without roundup moratorium few wild horses and burros will remain for National Academy of Sciences Study
Colorado Springs, CO (August 27, 2010)— The Cloud Foundation fully supports the independent review of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) mismanagement of America’s Wild Horses and Burros by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), but only if it is coupled with an immediate moratorium on all wild horse and burro roundups. Otherwise, there will be few viable herds on western lands to study. The NAS review is scheduled to begin in 2011 and last two years, but at the current ragte BLM will have removed tens of thousands more mustangs from their legally designated ranges in 10 western states by then. In just this fiscal year alone, BLM has removed nearly 12,000 wild horses and burros, most warehoused at taxpayer expense.
“At the fast and furious rate of the removals, NAS will have only remnant bands of scattered mustangs to study, but plenty of wild horses to look at in costly government holding facilities,” explains Cloud Foundation Director and Emmy award-winning producer, Ginger Kathrens, who has been documenting wild horses and burros in the west for over 16 years. Kathrens is referring to the 40,000 plus mustangs, which will be corralled in short and long term holding by the end of next month. “I expect the NAS report to be enlightening regarding the lack of science in BLM’s decisions aimed at ridding the west of our wild horse and burro heritage. A moratorium right now is essential so that NAS will have a few viable herds left to study.”
The Cloud Foundation and over 200 organizations and celebrities sent a request for independent review in the Moratorium Letter over nine months ago and have never gotten a reply from Interior Secretary Salazar or President Obama. The signees continue to request an immediate moratorium on roundups to be coupled with an independent review of BLM and the return of the over 24 million acres of public land taken away from the wild horses and burros since 1971.
###
Links of interest:
Unified Moratorium on Roundups Letter http://bit.ly/MoratoriumLtr
Judge Denies BLM’s Motion to Dismiss Wild Horse Lawsuit http://bit.ly/BLMdenied
‘Herd-Watch: Public Eyes for Public Horses’ http://bit.ly/9Wvh58
Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act http://bit.ly/a7hOeS
Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit. America’s Disappearing Wild Horses http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/wild.html
Disappointment Valley... A Modern Day Western Trailer- excellent sample of interviews regarding the issues http://bit.ly/awFbwm
Fact Sheet on Wild Herds & The Salazar Plan http://bit.ly/bfdX1y
Short-link to this release online: http://bit.ly/StudyplusMorat
Past Cloud Foundation press releases http://bit.ly/TCFpress
Photos, video and interviews available from:
The Cloud Foundation makendra@thecloudfoundation.org, 719-633-3842
The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud's herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.
107 S. 7th St. - Colorado Springs, CO 80905 - 719-633-3842
Thursday, August 26, 2010
PZP in the Pryors
The Cloud Foundation
Comments on BLM's Plan to Extend Infertility Drug Use through 2015 due by September 16th
Dear Cloud Supporters;
Mark your calendars. Comments regarding a five-year plan to continue the use of Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) infertility drugs on Pryor wild horse mares are due on September 16. The initial scoping letter from the Billings BLM was mailed on August 18.
As a result of aggressive infertility applications delivered via shots last fall and dart guns this spring, 52 mares on the mountain are cycling monthly (coming into estrous or heat), being bred, and defended by their band stallions.
The long-time buckskin stallion, Chino, is now a bachelorMakendra and I were in the Pryors last week for 5 days and I witnessed more societal disruption than I have seen in over 16 years of documenting these horses. Currently, it is a herd in chaos. 60% of the 18 bands we observed have had some kind of disruption. Three band stallions have lost their families all together. Some band stallions have benefitted from the intense competition—like Cloud, who won a new mare. This high degree of disruption has taken place just since our last visit in July.
Let me say that interchange among the Pryor wild horse bands is common—probably more so than in most herds in the West. There is a reason for this. The majority of the family bands come to the mountaintop in the summer, to a relatively small area. Here, in the beautiful sub-alpine meadows, bands regularly graze and roam only 100 yards apart. In contrast, bands are commonly miles apart in other herds. Add to this close contact situation, a sex ratio artificially altered when 32 females and only 22 males were removed during the massive September 2009 roundup.
Then, factor in the monthly heat cycles of 52 females on birth control (40 mares given PZP-22—22 months of infertility—during the round up in 2009, and 10 more mares receiving the one-year drug remotely by the Pryor Mustang Center under the direction of BLM).
Flint, Jasper and Agate just minutes before Flint lost the bandThe result is a herd in social disarray. Saddest for me was Flint’s loss. When he unwisely tried to capture an older mare in heat, he lost his family to a beefy grullo stallion. I hope Flint might win them back, but the grullo is far larger than Flint and seems determined to keep his prize of two mares (Feldspar and Heather), Flint’s yearling son, Jasper, and the two filly foals, Agate and Amber (I called this little family ‘the Flintstones’).
Young foals can be injured as stallions fight to win mares & breed them monthlyThe timing of BLM’s scoping letter is ironic. It requests comments on a plan to continue giving infertility drugs through 2015. Based on what we saw on our last trip this seems unconscionable.
The Pryor herd is currently a genetically non-viable one. The population, which includes well under 150 breeding adults, begs the point of population control. Any drugs to suppress population growth should not be given at this time. (Read more here about the Cloud Foundation’s position on the use of infertility drugs on wild horse herds.)
What we will be proposing to BLM is a sea change in the “breeding farm” mentality that threatens the future of the herd as we know it. What we mean by a “breeding farm mentality” is attempting to control factors artificially that are normally regulated by the laws of nature—i.e. natural selection as opposed to human selection of who lives and dies and reproduces. With this in mind we will be making these recommendations:
Cloud's nine year-old black mare has never foaled after receiving PZP as a yearling & two-year-oldClick here for a sample letter you can send to BLM to give them your opinion on their scoping letter- BLM is not accepting comments via e-mail, but you can email your comments to The Cloud Foundation and we'll mail or fax them to the BLM.
Please help us fight for this precious herd and their right to live free on the land of their birth with as little interference from man as is possible! Thanks.
Happy Trails,
Ginger
Bolder & Texas, a ten year-old mare who has foaled only once - PZP'd again last fall in the roundupYou are receiving this email because you have asked to be on our e-mail list. If you have received this e-mail in error, please unsubscribe. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience!
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Our mailing address is:
The Cloud Foundation 107 South 7th St Colorado Springs, CO 80905
Our telephone:
719-633-3842
Copyright (C) 2008 The Cloud Foundation All rights reserved.
Comments on BLM's Plan to Extend Infertility Drug Use through 2015 due by September 16th
Dear Cloud Supporters;
Mark your calendars. Comments regarding a five-year plan to continue the use of Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) infertility drugs on Pryor wild horse mares are due on September 16. The initial scoping letter from the Billings BLM was mailed on August 18.
As a result of aggressive infertility applications delivered via shots last fall and dart guns this spring, 52 mares on the mountain are cycling monthly (coming into estrous or heat), being bred, and defended by their band stallions.
Let me say that interchange among the Pryor wild horse bands is common—probably more so than in most herds in the West. There is a reason for this. The majority of the family bands come to the mountaintop in the summer, to a relatively small area. Here, in the beautiful sub-alpine meadows, bands regularly graze and roam only 100 yards apart. In contrast, bands are commonly miles apart in other herds. Add to this close contact situation, a sex ratio artificially altered when 32 females and only 22 males were removed during the massive September 2009 roundup.
Then, factor in the monthly heat cycles of 52 females on birth control (40 mares given PZP-22—22 months of infertility—during the round up in 2009, and 10 more mares receiving the one-year drug remotely by the Pryor Mustang Center under the direction of BLM).
The Pryor herd is currently a genetically non-viable one. The population, which includes well under 150 breeding adults, begs the point of population control. Any drugs to suppress population growth should not be given at this time. (Read more here about the Cloud Foundation’s position on the use of infertility drugs on wild horse herds.)
What we will be proposing to BLM is a sea change in the “breeding farm” mentality that threatens the future of the herd as we know it. What we mean by a “breeding farm mentality” is attempting to control factors artificially that are normally regulated by the laws of nature—i.e. natural selection as opposed to human selection of who lives and dies and reproduces. With this in mind we will be making these recommendations:
- Immediately begin serious discussions with the Custer National Forest Acting Supervisor, Mary Erickson, to discuss the legal expansion of the Pryor wild horse herd boundaries to include their current and historic use areas beyond the BLM/Forest Service boundary atop the mountain. (See range expansion background and initiative).
- Conduct meetings with Wyoming and Montana Fish and Game to encourage the agencies to reduce the hunting of mountain lions within the PMWHR. (See natural management paper).
- Only consider the use of the one-year remotely delivered PZP when the herd is back in the minimally viable range of 150-200 adults two-years old or older. Use the one-year drug only selectively rather than giving the drug to every mare in the herd. Use the drug at the optimum time of year to avoid out-of-season births. Do not use any infertility drugs on yearling fillies.
- Make the determination of using the one-year drug on a year-by-year basis so that immediate cessation can take place if predation begins regulating the population naturally as it did in 2001-2005.
- Allow wild horses, who become unwell on the range due to natural versus human related activities, to die on the range. Of course, if horses are discovered down they should be humanely euthanized. But, removing, rehabbing, and re-introducing them only serves to potentially weaken the herd.
Please help us fight for this precious herd and their right to live free on the land of their birth with as little interference from man as is possible! Thanks.
Happy Trails,
Ginger
Bolder & Texas, a ten year-old mare who has foaled only once - PZP'd again last fall in the roundup
Unsubscribe barb_az53@yahoo.com from this list.
Our mailing address is:
The Cloud Foundation 107 South 7th St Colorado Springs, CO 80905
Our telephone:
719-633-3842
Copyright (C) 2008 The Cloud Foundation All rights reserved.
Judge Denies BLM Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit to Preserve World Famous Wild Horse Herd
The Cloud Foundation
Media Contacts:
Makendra Silverman
Tel: 719-351-8187
Anne Novak
Tel: 415-531-8454
For Immediate Release
Judge Denies BLM Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit to Preserve World Famous Wild Horse Herd
Court Declares Challenge to BLM Mismanagement to be “Ripe for Review”
Washington D.C. (August 27, 2010)— On August 25th United States District Judge, James S. Gwin, granted a legal request by The Cloud Foundation, Front Range Equine Rescue and photographer/author Carol Walker, to file a Second Amended Complaint against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) actions in the mismanagement of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses. The ruling allows addition of the United States Forest Service (USFS) to the suit. The Custer National Forest is presently moving forward with building a restrictive boundary fence to prevent the wild horses from accessing crucial current and historical summer grazing lands. Judge Gwin ruled that the Plaintiffs’ claim against the fence is not moot as the fence could be removed or further fence building activities stopped should subsequent legal decisions rule in the Plaintiffs’ favor. Judge Gwin ordered the BLM and USFS to answer the Second Amended Complaint within 30 days.
“BLM’s tactic of completing removals of wild horses and burros from the range in whirlwind fashion and avoiding legal challenges to its underlying management of these animals did not work in this case,” explained Valerie J. Stanley. Attorneys Valerie J. Stanley and Bruce A. Wagman represent the Plaintiffs in this action.
In his decision, Judge Gwin wrote that “[the] government is also incorrect that the Plaintiffs’ claim challenging the 1987 Custer National Forest Plan is time-barred” and found the Cloud Foundation’s legal challenge to BLM’s use of a Categorical Exclusion that BLM uses to avoid analyzing the environmental impacts of the processing of wild horses and burros removed from the range to be “ripe for review because it is a purely legal question fit for judicial review.”
The ruling represents a significant step forward in the Cloud Foundation, Front Range Equine Rescue and Carol Walker’s legal attempts to protect the beloved and historically significant Pryor wild horses. Commonly known as “Cloud’s herd”, the horses are descendents of the horses of the Spanish Conquistadors, the Lewis and Clark expedition and Crow War Ponies.
“We will never give up fighting to preserve this unique herd,” explains Cloud Foundation Director and Emmy award-winning producer, Ginger Kathrens, who has been documenting the Pryor Wild Horses for over 16 years. “They have a right to live free on lands we know they have continuously roamed for centuries. Attempting to fence them out of their home is unconscionable.”
Kathrens journey with the wild stallion she named Cloud began when he was just hours old. It represents the only on-going documentation of a wild animal from birth in our hemisphere.
###
Links of interest:
Judge Gwin’s Opinion and Order http://bit.ly/Gwin35
The Fencing Off of Cloud's Herd http://bit.ly/NoFence
‘Herd-Watch: Public Eyes for Public Horses’ http://bit.ly/9Wvh58
Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act http://bit.ly/a7hOeS
Mestengo. Mustang. Misfit. America’s Disappearing Wild Horses http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/wild.html
Disappointment Valley... A Modern Day Western Trailer- excellent sample of interviews regarding the issues http://bit.ly/awFbwm
Fact Sheet on Wild Herds & The Salazar Plan http://bit.ly/bfdX1y
Short-link to this release online: http://bit.ly/BLMdenied
Past Cloud Foundation press releases http://bit.ly/TCFpress
Photos, video and interviews available from:
The Cloud Foundation makendra@thecloudfoundation.org, 719-633-3842
The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud's herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.
107 S. 7th St. - Colorado Springs, CO 80905 - 719-633-3842
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT ASSAULT ON WILD HORSES CONTINUES WITH “ZEROING OUT” IN MORIAH, NV STARTING TOMORROW
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT ASSAULT ON WILD HORSES CONTINUES WITH “ZEROING OUT” IN MORIAH, NV STARTING TOMORROW
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
Removal of 100 % of Moriah Mustangs Adds to 20 Million-Acre Habitat Loss for Wild Horses and Burros Ely, Nevada (August 26, 2010). . . Beginning tomorrow, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is scheduled to roundup and remove every wild horse living in the Moriah Herd Area 48 miles north of Ely, Nevada. It will take the agency four days to capture, via helicopter stampede, the estimated 72 horses living in this 55,300 acre public lands area. The action is part of the most aggressive government roundup effort in recent years, with 12,000 mustangs and burros targeted for removal from the Western range this year. The majority of captured mustangs will join the 38,000+ wild horses already warehoused in government holding facilities, a number that exceeds the population (<33,000) left free in the wild.
“The Moriah Herd Area is just the latest federally protected wild horse habitat to be ‘zeroed out’ by the Interior Department,” said Suzanne Roy, Campaign Director for the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, which is supported by a coalition of 40 public interest, conservation, historic preservation, horse advocacy and animal welfare organizations.
“Over the past four decades, BLM has eliminated more than 20 million acres of federally-designated habitat for wild horses and burros, shrinking the lands available to these Congressionally-protected animals to just 26 million acres,” she continued. “By contrast, livestock grazing is authorized on 160 million acres of BLM lands.”
In Moriah, BLM is claiming that removal of all of the 72 wild horses is necessary to improve rangeland health, yet the agency continues to authorize more than four times as many cattle – over 300 — to graze those same lands.
“In area after area, BLM sets arbitrarily low management levels for wild horses and allocates the majority of resources to livestock,” Roy concluded. “It’s clear that private commercial interests drive BLM policy, but the public is increasingly demanding change in the way our public lands are managed.”
Last month, 54 members of Congress sent a letter to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar urging a halt to BLM roundups, citing concern about the trauma, injuries and deaths caused in the helicopter stampedes and raising questions about BLM’s “flawed” and “unsustainable” wild horse management policy.
Ranchers graze cattle on public land for a fraction of the cost of grazing on private land ($1.35 per Animal Unit Month (AUM) on public lands vs. an average of over $15 per AUM on private lands, according to the Congressional Research Service, 2009). Publicly-subsidized livestock grazing — dubbed “welfare ranching” — costs taxpayers in excess of $122 million annually, yet cattle grazed on public lands provide just 3% of the nation’s beef supply.
The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.
_______________________________
Twin Peaks Roundup Litchfield Corral
BLM: “Enter Ranchers, Stage Left, ACTION”
http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/2010/08/26/blm-%e2%80%9center-ranchers-stage-left-action%e2%80%9d/
(In My Humble Opinion) by R.T. Fitch ~ author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”
It happened just like clockwork, the timing was excellent. There had been no local “Ranchers” to speak of at the Twin Peaks roundup the day before, but today was different; there was a reporter from the New York Times on hand with a photographer documenting the carefully orchestrated “gather” and for the grand finale, wild horse advocates were on the menu.
MORE...
____________________________
(In My Humble Opinion) by R.T. Fitch ~ author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”
A Citizen Observer challenges "Rancher" comments while BLM security observes from behind tree in background ~ Photo by R.T. Fitch
MORE...
____________________________
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
New York Times Gets Antiseptic Show of “Gather” With True VIP Treatment From BLM
Horseback Magazine
By R.T. Fitch, Photo of Times Photog in Trap Area by Terry Fitch
SUSANVILLE, CA (SFTHH) – For weeks the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has kept the American public and press at extreme distances from the wild horse trapping operations at the Twin Peaks helicopter stampede, and before that at Tuscorora, Calico, and in Montana‘s Pryor Mountains. They claim they are keeping journalists and humane observers away from its helicopter stampedes for their own safety.
BLM management personnel were on hand to speak with and direct the activities of the visiting reporter and photographer. After the first helicopter stampede where the horse were run at breakneck speed the NYT team was allowed to enter the operations area while other credentialed professionals were restricted to the distant observation location. When local BLM officials were asked why the observations area was so distant from the trap and subsequent activities the standard BLM reply was repeated “Contractors request.”
The contractor, Cattoor Livestock Roundups of Utah place their traps and pens on private land and BLM then claims that property owners have insisted outsiders aren’t allowed on the land, that despite the 260 million acres of public land under BLM management.
Horseback Magazine will soon request the Cattoor federal roundup contract to determine if the contractor has the right to close its trap area to the media. In recent weeks, BLM was caught in violation of federal aviation rules when it claimed that airspace above its stampede was restricted. The FAA had denied a bureau request to close airspace saying the roundups didn’t meet it’s strict rules for closure.
Sue Cattoor, the helicopter contractor responsible for the roundup made a surprise visit to the remote observation area to “dispel” rumors that there have been no injured or lame foals suffering since the beginning of the operation. It is a falsehood.
Direct observation by this reporter and others indicates that approximately 60 percent of the foals held at Litchfield display signs of serious lameness. At the Calico roundup, two foals were euthanized after shedding their hooves after running miles over rocky ground in the dead of winter. At Tuscarora, a mare was shot by contractor Dave Cattoor after most of the musculature of her forearm was stripped from her leg on sharp rocks allegedly during a stampede. A foal, with broken legs presumably belonging to the mare was also shot. The corpse of the mare was later found dead by a Nevada water official at the foot of a cliff.
Later during the day, another round of stampeded horses raced their way into the basin which lay before the Cattoor’s jute and fence “funnel” into their trap. Skillfully, for the sake of the NYT team the chopper slowed the horses to a slow trot as they were pressed into the trap, this is where the photos by Fitch show the NYT photographer right within the trap zone and on the private property that the rest of the observers and credentialed media were restricted from nearing.
A complete archive of all Horseback Magazine stories on the BLM roundups may be found at www.stevenlongwriter.com.
Each morning observers hear a law enforcement briefing by BLM Security Chief Jason Parker who states that the public will be held back from private land where the wild horse trap is located, due to safety and liability issues and should anyone not comply, “things will be escalated to the next level”.
The trap is the final destination in a helicopter driven stampede often lasting for miles over rocky ground.
Horseback Magazine has requested a taped on the record interview with Parker. BLM Washington spokesman Tom Gorey said Wednesday morning that “BLM law enforcement declines to be interviewed. BLM law enforcement maintains a presence at gathers and other BLM activities to ensure public safety and operational safety. The number of law enforcement personnel needed at a specific BLM gather or activity is determined on a case-by-case basis.”
Today the BLM no close access policy changed when the the federal agency allowed a New York Times photographer to not only locate himself on the private land where the horses are herded into a trap, but to be within the chute of the enclosure and exposed to both the horses and the aggressive low altitude helicopter chasing them.
Horseback Magazine photographer, Terry Fitch, unknowingly captured a fuzzy shot of the Times photographer right in the middle of the stampede while both herself and credentialed reporter Laura Leigh were held more than one half mile away and not granted access to the operations site on public land under threat of finding out directly what Parker‘s “next level“ is exactly.
The New York newspaper notified the BLM, yesterday, that they would be sending a reporter and photographer to document the operations at the Twin Peaks “gather“ Tuesday. Before sunrise the reporter was on hand at BLM’s Litchfield holding facility just north of Susanville, CA. The reporter took down names and information from several citizen observers before being whisked away by early arriving BLM officials intent on spoon feeding their version of stampedes that have resulted in the deaths and penning of hundreds of wild horses during the last year and protests from San Francisco to Washington’s Lafayette Park adjacent to the White House.BLM management personnel were on hand to speak with and direct the activities of the visiting reporter and photographer. After the first helicopter stampede where the horse were run at breakneck speed the NYT team was allowed to enter the operations area while other credentialed professionals were restricted to the distant observation location. When local BLM officials were asked why the observations area was so distant from the trap and subsequent activities the standard BLM reply was repeated “Contractors request.”
The contractor, Cattoor Livestock Roundups of Utah place their traps and pens on private land and BLM then claims that property owners have insisted outsiders aren’t allowed on the land, that despite the 260 million acres of public land under BLM management.
Horseback Magazine will soon request the Cattoor federal roundup contract to determine if the contractor has the right to close its trap area to the media. In recent weeks, BLM was caught in violation of federal aviation rules when it claimed that airspace above its stampede was restricted. The FAA had denied a bureau request to close airspace saying the roundups didn’t meet it’s strict rules for closure.
Sue Cattoor, the helicopter contractor responsible for the roundup made a surprise visit to the remote observation area to “dispel” rumors that there have been no injured or lame foals suffering since the beginning of the operation. It is a falsehood.
Direct observation by this reporter and others indicates that approximately 60 percent of the foals held at Litchfield display signs of serious lameness. At the Calico roundup, two foals were euthanized after shedding their hooves after running miles over rocky ground in the dead of winter. At Tuscarora, a mare was shot by contractor Dave Cattoor after most of the musculature of her forearm was stripped from her leg on sharp rocks allegedly during a stampede. A foal, with broken legs presumably belonging to the mare was also shot. The corpse of the mare was later found dead by a Nevada water official at the foot of a cliff.
Later during the day, another round of stampeded horses raced their way into the basin which lay before the Cattoor’s jute and fence “funnel” into their trap. Skillfully, for the sake of the NYT team the chopper slowed the horses to a slow trot as they were pressed into the trap, this is where the photos by Fitch show the NYT photographer right within the trap zone and on the private property that the rest of the observers and credentialed media were restricted from nearing.
A complete archive of all Horseback Magazine stories on the BLM roundups may be found at www.stevenlongwriter.com.
IS TWIN PEAKS A BLOODY ROUNDUP?
Humane Observer: Elyse Gardner
Some, including myself, took issue with the description of "bloody roundup." I'm reconsidering.
(To enlarge photos, just click on them. --EG)
©Photo by Craig Downer
Craig Downer said he observed blood dripping from this horse's nostrils in the trailer shortly after being driven in by the helicopter. The horses -- young, old, sick, healthy -- often must travel great distances under pressure from the helicopter.
MORE...Including video at the site of Humane Observer
Some, including myself, took issue with the description of "bloody roundup." I'm reconsidering.
(To enlarge photos, just click on them. --EG)
©Photo by Craig Downer
Craig Downer said he observed blood dripping from this horse's nostrils in the trailer shortly after being driven in by the helicopter. The horses -- young, old, sick, healthy -- often must travel great distances under pressure from the helicopter.
MORE...Including video at the site of Humane Observer
California Lawmakers Call on Congress to Take Swift Action to Stop Horse Slaughter
From Humane Society of the United States (HSUS)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Aug. 25, 2010)--The Humane Society of the United States applauds California lawmakers for passing a resolution urging the U.S. Congress to pass the federal Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act. Senate Joint Resolution 22, which passed the state Senate today, demonstrates strong support for the federal bill to prevent the slaughter of American horses for human consumption. The resolution calls on the state Senate secretary to convey this message to federal officials.
"The Humane Society of the United States is very pleased that California – which has the nation’s second largest horse population – is sending such a strong and clear message to the president and Congress that the slaughter of horses for human consumption will not be tolerated,” said Nancy Perry, vice president for government affairs for The HSUS. “When Congress returns from recess next month, they should act swiftly to put an end to this grisly practice."
The bill passed the Assembly earlier this month with a 55 to 16 vote after being approved by the Senate by a 27 to 7 vote in April. Today’s Senate concurrence vote forwards the resolution to the president, vice president and other top U.S. legislators. The votes in both houses reflect strong bi-partisan support.
Recognizing the special place that horses occupy in American culture, California voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 6 in 1998, banning horse slaughter for human consumption. Every year, however, approximately 100,000 American horses are shipped to Mexico and Canada to be slaughtered for food exports. Their meat is considered a delicacy by foreign gourmands. While California prohibits horse slaughter, California horses continue to be transported and then sold out-of-state for this purpose.
Horse owners who are struggling to care for their animals have many options. They can find them new homes, surrender them to a reputable horse rescue group, or, if necessary, have their animal humanely euthanized by their veterinarian. Dozens of California horse rescue organizations support this resolution as their precious resources are bled dry by bidding against kill buyers.
The federal legislation (H.R. 503/S. 727), is co-sponsored by U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., as well as 24 bi-partisan members of the U.S. House delegation from California. Both the House and Senate have voted by wide margins in previous sessions of Congress to stop horse slaughter, but the final policy remains incomplete. Congress has also defunded USDA inspections at horse slaughter plants.
The horse slaughter industry is fueled by a foreign demand for American horse meat. The USDA concluded that 92.3 percent of horses transported for slaughter were in good condition. "Kill buyers," the predatory individuals who buy horses for slaughter, often outbid families, private individuals and rescue groups for horses who would otherwise go to good, loving homes.
A survey of California horse rescue organizations identified more than 650 incidences where kill buyers have intercepted California horses, demonstrating how this industry harms horses, rescue groups and horse owners. In addition, the process of transporting horses to slaughter entails travel in crowded trailers without food or water for days on end. Once the animals arrive at the slaughter plant, they face a cruel and horrific death. Recent Canadian Horse Defence Coalition footage shows horses being shot in the face repeatedly until they were hoisted, still kicking, for dismemberment.
-30-
Media Contact: Pepper Ballard: 240-751-0232; pballard@humanesociety.org
Follow The HSUS on Twitter. See our work for animals on your iPhone by searching "HumaneTV" in the App Store.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the Web at humanesociety.org
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
BLM Violates Own Safety Policies to Dazzle New York Times
http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/2010/08/24/blm-violates-own-safety-policies-to-dazzle-new-york-times/
(News as We See It) by R.T. Fitch ~ author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”
All Rules Broken for the Sake of BLM Propaganda
SUSANVILLE, CA (SFTHH) – For weeks the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has kept the American public and concerned citizens at extreme distances from the wild horse trapping operations at the Twin Peaks helicopter stampede. Each morning observers must tolerate a law enforcement briefing by BLM Security Chief Jason Parker who clearly states that the public will be held back from the private land, where the trap is located, due to safety and liability issues and should anyone not comply, “things will be escalated to the next level”. Today that changed when the BLM allowed a New York Times photographer to not only locate himself on the private land but to be within the chute of the trap and exposed to both the horses and the aggressive, low altitude helicopter. 
Blown up Shot of NYT Photographer inside BLM Wild Horse Trap Chute on "Private Land" ~ Photo by Terry Fitch
Horseback Magazine photographer, Terry Fitch, unknowingly captured a shot of the New York Times photographer right in the middle of the stampede while both herself and press credentialed reporter Laura Leigh, who’s credintials are recognized by a Federal Judge, were held at arm’s length over one half mile away and not granted access to the operations site on public land.
The New York Times notified the BLM, yesterday, that they would be sending a reporter and photographer to document the operations at the stampede, today. Before sunrise the reporter was on hand at BLM’s Litchfield holding facility just north of Susanville, CA. The reporter took down names and information from several citizens before being whisked away by early arriving BLM officials.
Unlike in days past, multiple numbers of BLM officials and management personnel were on hand to speak with and direct the activities of the visiting NYT reporter and photographer. After the first helicopter stampede where the horse were run at breakneck speed the NYT team was allowed to enter the operations area while other credentialed professionals were restricted to the distant observation location. When local BLM officials were asked why the observations area was so distant from the trap and subsequent activities the standard BLM reply was repeated “Contractors request”.
NYT Photographer, on left, prior to being allowed out into trap area ~ Photo by Terry Fitch
Helicopter stampede contractor, Sue Cattoor, did make a surprise visit to the remote observation area to “dispel” rumors that there have been no injured or lame foals suffering since the beginning of the ill planed stampede. This “news” flies in the face of the direct observation by this reporter that approximately 60% of the foals held at the Litchfield wild horse holding facility display signs of serious lameness.
Later during the day, another round of stampeded horses raced their way into the basin which lay before the Cattoor’s jute and fence “funnel” into their trap. Skillfully, for the sake of the NYT team, the chopper slowed the horses to a slow trot as they were pressed into the trap, this is where the photos of Fitch show the NYT photographer right within the trap zone and on the “private property” that the rest of the taxpaying observers were restricted from nearing.
While the handful of citizens stood almost a mile away, the BLM violated all of the rules and guidelines stated prior to any and/or all stampedes that the public has been allowed to observe. The dance of influence and power continues as the BLM makes up new rules as they see fit and customize to suit their purpose.