by R.T. Fitch
I swear, there’s just no winning for losing. Only hours after we heard that the BLM had postponed the highly controversial Eagle round-up we learn that another assault is being planned at the Twin Peaks Management area in southeastern California. Same bad numbers, same junk science and twisted interpretation of the law. The release is inserted in it’s entirety, below.
BLM Seeks Public Input on Proposed Horse Gather
Feb. 5, 2010 – The Bureau of Land Management‘s Eagle Lake Field Office is seeking public input on a proposed gather and removal of an overpopulation of wild horses and burros from the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA), northeast of Susanville, Calif. The gather, involving an estimated 1,800 wild horses and 180 burros, is tentatively planned for August and September 2010.
A 30-day public scoping period begins February 5 and ends March 5, 2010. The public is asked to identify issues to be addressed in an environmental assessment (EA) to be prepared as required by the National Environmental Policy Act. The EA and proposed decision will be released about May 1 for public review and comment.
The purpose of the gather is to return the population of horses and burros to its appropriate management level (AML), or population range, established through the Eagle Lake Resource Management Plan, developed with full public involvement in 2008. The AML, which determines the number of animals the range can sustain, is set at between 448-758 horses and 72-116 burros. The current population is estimated at about 2,300 horses and 250 burros, resulting in ongoing resource damage that will be analyzed in the environmental assessment.
The proposed gather would remove sufficient horses and burros to bring the population within the AML. Under the proposal, most mares left on the range would be treated with a birth control drug effective for one to two years. The wild herd would be structured with more males than females. Both actions are intended to slow the growth rate of the herds.
The proposed action would restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple use relationship in the area consistent with the provisions of Section 3(b) (2) of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.
Comments can be sent to Eagle Lake Field Office, Attn: Twin Peaks Wild Horse Gather, 2950 Riverside Dr., Susanville, CA 96130. Comments may also be sent via email to twinpeaks@ca.blm.gov.
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
RT, All of a sudden there are 2300 horses where they said there were about 1000. Very bad math. mar
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My apologies in advance to anyone who already knows about this site, I don’t mean to be a pest, but I consider any opportunity to help wild horses or any horses is worth repeating.
I think calling attention to these BLM descrepancies, past and present, would be a great topic to post on the Department of the Interior’s new “Idea” website. This is the direct link to their sign-up page:
http://openinterior.ideascale.com/
Be sure to read the “Terms of Participation” carefully, so our ideas, votes, and comments will be posted. As always, messages to any government agency or individual should be constructive and respectful.
I received a reminder from the Site Moderator stating, “Personal attacks on BLM employees, contractors, or anyone else violate the Terms of Participation for this dialogue.” and “Let’s keep it focused on the program overall, not individuals.” They have already removed these types of comments. It would be a shame to lose an entire “Idea” and its votes because of a violation. We need to play by their rules to ensure every vote counts.
The deadline for posts is March 19th. I hope as many individuals as possible submit a variety of ideas and comments on wild horse and BLM issues. That way the DOI will know how many different people are calling for change.
And don’t forget to vote on every relevant topic! They’re tracking email signatures, so we only can cast one vote for each idea. Every “New Idea” will provide another opportunity to vote and comment, multiplying our voices exponentially and strengthening our position.
Ideas and votes on BLM policies and practices, especially regarding wild horse and burro issues, are outstripping all others. This should be a wakeup call for change at the BLM and help save wild horses, whether on the range or in prison.
Please forward this information to every wild horse supporter and organization you can think of.
The DOI has asked for input, so let’s give it to them!
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Gotta keep Cattoors in the lifestyle they have beocme accustomed to – to heck with the rest of the country!
This male to female ratio bothers me. I heard Ginger’s eyewitness account of this -and it aint pretty! And I don’t think it was Howling Ridge – but I’ve heard the interviewer a couple of itmes on TCF – female, an english accent – she talked like some familiarity with So. Calif. area.
Please find the radio interview where Ginger talks about this. It was 6 to 9 months ago I am sure. I will try to find it too.
I’d rather they took a chance and gelded some of those stallions (do it right of course) – any other input from anyone?
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RT the Pizza was wrong… mar
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ROxy: That might be an interview with Anna Twinney at Reach out for Horses. You can listen to the podcasts. She did interview Ginger.
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“The proposed action would restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple use relationship in the area consistent with the provisions of Section 3(b) (2) of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971.”
What a load of crap! Are they going to leave the horses as the “predominant” species? Ah ha! ha!
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Linda they also censored me. I called the contractor out on the fact that they left 30 horses without water overnight. This was verified by the BLM. I had also made the comment that their contract should be reviewed. Why? Because with all the deaths in Calico it should be up for review. There is precedence for this. We don’t want another Blackwater USA (which was a Private Military for hire thing). That got someone upset.
Just a little info–some employees of Blackwater in 2007 went into an intersection in Baghdad and shot 18 Iraqi civilians–unarmed civilians. Blackwater eventually lost their business license to operate in Iraq–now they work in Afghanistan.
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Margaret, thanks so much for bringing this up… this needs to be done, demanded. Review the contracts and keep showing that they are not humane and their methods never change and no one else in the world would depend on such a violent method to manage wild horses… They are expensive and there is no competition for these jobs allowed due to the ignorance of BLM. mar
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Mar, I’ve noticed the voting and posting has slowed considerably. Maybe not the good idea I first thought it was.
I’m such a “newbie”!
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BLM & Cattor – Dumb like a fox!
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Margaret, sorry your first “Idea” was removed. It was both good and accurate.
Unfortunately, anything that has criticised an individual or company by name has been TOTALLY dumped. Those deemed less offensive is currently in “Off-topic Comments”, just above the “Idea Scale” logo. Don’t know for how long.
Since the Moderator says they “can be viewed”, I’m hoping they’ll be available until the site closes. You can still open Comments on Off-topic items, but can’t post anything new to them.
No matter what we may feel about these people, references to them have to be generic, like “The President”, “top BLM officials”, “contractors”, etc. And ideas ans comments have to be “constructive”. I’d love to bitch, but I think my stuff has stayed up because I’ve tried to avoid direct criticism and attacks.
It’s a royal pain, but it’s their site, and they make the rules.
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My comment on the BLM Advisory Board has stayed up and I am a little surprised it has. Here it is–
“I have attended a BLM Advisory Board Meeting in the past. It is time for the Advisory Board to have representation from wild horse experts and advocates as well as bona fide Humane representation. I was amazed at the meeting to find that many of the members of the Advisory Board showed an negative regard for the animals in question. It is also apparent that the Board does not respond to any concerned public comment, grouping the comments together to overlook later. I see no Democracy in action in this Board. It is time for some long time members to step aside and be replaced by concerned citizens and those with a understanding of wild equine science. The BLM can not continue “business as usual”.” Go give the comments that have stayed up more votes and pass it around. Got to keep chipping away at them. I really wanted to say Larry Johnson needs his as* kicked to the curb along with the rest of them!
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The BLM is like whack-a-mole. To me it looks like they are slinking from one place to another to avoid being watched and having the cruely and abuse documented,
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The BLM could buy themselves a lot of grace if they were consistent in their compilation of data from office to office, a ‘foible’ the GAO in 2008 found somewhat distasteful. More grace – seek out new contractors for the round-ups, if they are so utterly necessary to herd and range health. There are cowboys out there, experienced professionals who speak of the Wild Ones with admiration and respect. The round-ups would be a whole lot easier to swallow if they were conducted with the best interests and well-being of the Wild Ones in mind.
A factual, moderately detailed ‘tell me what I wanna know about how you assess range capabilities’ would be another grace. Please, don’t pat me on my widdle Horsie Hugger head and expect me to buy the Standard Stockman’s Steer Manure (also known as BS) Levels for Sustainability.
Also some mention somewhere on how the Wild Ones may actually be beneficial for their ability to consume massive quantities of invasive grasses that are of little to no value to other range occupants. Since 2001, 74,000 Wild Ones have been taken from the range. Since 2002, we have seen wild fires of historical proportions, with incremental increases every year.
And for my Wildlife Advocate compadres, please explain to them how AUM’s for Wildlife in a particular area have dropped severely since 2003, but AUM’s for cattle have increased – and will continue to increase exponentially – over the next 4 years. I ask this only because the Wild Ones take it in the shorts where a vast majority of Wildlife Advocates are concerned. After living as neighbors for 500 years, it’s only recent history that paints the Wild Ones as Demons of the Desert, maliciously dooming their range companions to eventual extinction. I’d like this redressed.
I’m not attacking the BLM; these are natural facts or omissions that need to be addressed. In the spirit of transparency. (Sorry this was so long. I’m pretty windy.)
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NEW MEXICO – PLACITAS WILD HORSES IN DANGER
For anyone who hasn’t already seen this, here’s the link to WHOA’s page on the Placitas Wild Horses. This isn’t on the BLM schedule, so I’m assuming it’s a “stealth gather”.
http://www.whoanm.org/PlacitasProject/PlacitasProject.htm
This is the Mustangs 4 Us link on New Mexico’s Wild Horses under USFS management. Take a look at the photo and description of “Valeroso”, a Placitas-area horse, and the stats on acreage (especially Carson NF)/horse numbers/AMLs/cattle allotments. This whole thing is so depressing.
http://www.mustangs4us.com/new_mexico.htm
I received an email (forwarded from the New Mexico Horse Rescue Coalition) of a letter and action alert from photographer and wild horse lover Lynne Pomaranz. It also contains a lot of information on how deeply the people in the area feel about protecting the herd. She would like it distributed as widely as possible. I could forward it to someone, and they could take it from there.
If you have time Google “Placitas Horses” and view the images. Looks like a lot of Spanish (especially Barb) blood to me.
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Another Stealth Roundup in the Making. mar This is from WHOA:
WHOA
Feb 11, 2010
New Mexico
It is illegal to willfully remove or entice a legally wild horse off BLM lands per 16 USC 1334.
There is strong evidence that the BLM is performing/preparing a round up of the Placitas Wild Horses. It should be in the light of day and should be listed as an alternative in the next step of the RMP. The people of Placitas have proven to the BLM and their representatives their interest, concern, and desire to keep these horses in Placitas.
It is not proper in the middle of a Resource Management Revision (Unit 5 of the Rio Puerco) to make so many changes to the BLM before any final decisions. The BLM has opened right of ways, carelessly added new roads apparently to perform this round up, granted grazing permits in a clandestine manner, and has withheld much of the public record as well as misrepresented information regarding the public record.
Moreover, the BLM has deemed most of the Placitas public record as “Out of Scope” of their scoping process. Now Placitans and New Mexicans have the added insult of a round up without the light of day.
This letter will be followed by proof of birth in Placitas of these horses including pictures, as well as proof that they were here long before 1971. This by definition makes them legally wild on BLM lands. This letter of proof will be shared with all Placitans and friends on the back side of the mountain. WHOA continues to offer and work every administrative remedy available to it. Call WHOA for round up details of the BLM. WHOA has written confirmation of this round up plan from the Honorable San Felipe Pueblo and again, visual evidence of the last 4 days shows it is in progress.
PLACITANS/FRIENDS – What You Can Do.
Though we continue to try every administrative remedy, the BLM will not entertain a discussion of the legal aspects of these Placitas Wild Horses. The BLM has deemed all comments approximately 2000 of them regarding the horses as “out of scope.
Please be out on the BLM walking up and down the Northern most side of it every day, as the apparent plan is to move them through the grazing permittees property to San Felipe Pueblo.
Please be open and professional when you see any BLM employees out there. Ask them what is your name, and what is your mission here? Record their license plate and send to WHOA.
Please take your cameras and recording devices and send WHOA any documentation.
Please send donations to WHOA Legal Fund, PO Box 932, Placitas NM 87043 (Every cent goes to the defense of the horses and the open spaces with they live.)
5. Please call/email your representatives below and ask them: (phone nos. below)
· Please hold a mediation and include WHOA and all stake holders per WHOA’s request.
· What did they knew about this round up plan.
· What new proof does the BLM have that San Felipe owns these horses as they have denied it through the years.
· Has the BLM used mining permits or other “incentives” to gain cooperation from the honorable San Felipe Pueblo?
· Did the grazing permittee gain his new permit from the BLM in the middle of this BLM RMP by agreeing to “safe passage” of this secret round up across his property?
· Will you please stop the round up at least until the BLM’s RMP is done and disputes are settled?
· Please document the answers to these and your questions and send to WHOA via email.
Downtown Albuquerque Office Representative Heinrich
20 First Plaza NW Suite 603 | Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 346-6781 | Fax: (505) 346-6723
Sarah Cobb for Senator Tom Udall
219 Central Avenue. NW Suite 210
Albuquerque, NM 87102
ph: 505-346-6791
WHOA to Senator Udall and Representative Heinrich –
Dear Representatives – Representative Heinrich, and Senator Udall
Please sponsor a mediation where WHOA and our legal counsel can discuss the legalities of this issue so important to the people of this state and to Placitas. Please ensure all the stake holders are there.
Please stop this clandestine round up.
Please answer the bulleted questions above as well
For the Open Spaces and the Animals that Grace Them,
Patience O’Dowd co-founder WHOA
Wild Horse Observers Association
A public 501 c3 non-profit corp.
PO Box 932
Placitas, NM 87043
505-867-5228
505-610-7644
Permission to cross post granted by WHOA
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