The BLM’s Whitewash of the Reveille Roundup

Straight from the Horse's Heart

by Debbie Coffey    Copyright 2014      All Rights Reserved.

The BLM’s Tonopah Field Office in Nevada claimed there were 168 wild horses, and there was a “need” to do a roundup (and waste taxpayer dollars) since there were 30 wild horses over the Appropriate Management Level (AML).  But lets look closely at this slight of hand.

The BLM rounded up 120 wild horses, gave PZP fertility control to 50, which they were to return, but by removing 70, left only 98 wild horses on the Reveille HMA, making it a non viable herd.  (And, they gave PZP to 50 out of that 98!)

Now, lets look at the numbers of LIVESTOCK on the Reveille HMA:

(These livestock numbers are from the BLM’s Rangeland Administration System)

Click on image for enhanced view

The 105,474 acre Reveille HMA is WITHIN the Reveille GRAZING allotment, which is 650,250 acres.  There is only one permittee, and it is half owned by FALLINI and half owned by the H. FALLINI LIVING TRUST.  You can read an article about themHERE.

The BLM allows this grazing allotment to graze 2,440 cattle for 6 months out of the year (compared to 98 wild horses now) but was fretting about 30 wild horses over the AML?

Horses that graze on the Reveille Herd Management (HMA) area were some of “Wild Horse Annie’s” favorites, according to the BLM’s announcement of their scheduled roundup which started on Nov. 3.  The historical significance of this herd did not stop the BLM from rounding them up.

So when you now read about the adoptions or get sidetracked about the handling of the horses during the roundup, don’t forget the big picture of what really happened here.

Don’t forget that the BLM is reducing yet another wild horse herd population to a level that is no longer genetically viable.  Currently 70% of the wild horse herds in the United States are being “managed” by the BLM at a level below levels required  (150-200 reproducing wild horses) to maintain the genetic viability of the herd.

Don’t forget that the BLM is managing the wild horses and burros to extinction.

Don’t forget the BLM is doing little to reduce or suspend livestock grazing on public lands.

The BLM is duping the public and then trying to whitewash it with PR.