“The News as We See It” by R.T. Fitch ~ author of “Straight from the Horse’s Heart”
If you want accurate numbers “Who Ya Gonna Call?” the BLM? NOT!
Areas where alleged survey is to be conducted
The Bureau of Land Management reports that they will work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to conduct an aerial population survey of native wild horses on nearly four million acres of public land located in northwest Nevada and southeast Oregon.
The survey is slated to begin on June 20 and will last up to eight days, using a fixed-wing aircraft versus the deadly helicopters that the BLM is known for.
The alleged goal of the project is a late effort to improve the quality and accuracy of wild horse population counts, this comes on the heels of the botched and mismanaged Calico complex round up where the BLM captured over 2,000+ horses, many dying in the process, and claimed to have left 600 on the range. To date, observers have visualized less than 50 horses remaining while hundreds of privately owned cattle were observed destroying the public land.
“Past population surveys and management projects by BLM and the USFWS within the survey area have shown that animals may move between a number of BLM herd management areas and across the Sheldon and Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuges,” said BLM Nevada State Director Ron Wenker. “This joint effort will produce a base line count and distribution for the entire area as a whole. We are planning to return in the fall for a second survey, where we will see how and where the herds moved, and how that affects population counts within the individual areas.”
The flight will encompass herd management areas (HMAs) administered by the BLM Winnemucca District in Nevada; the BLM Lakeview and Burns District Offices in Oregon; the BLM Northern California District Office in California that manages some of the HMAs within Nevada, and the two wildlife refuges managed by USFWS.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), which conducted research into improving BLM’s population counts, will assist with the population survey by modeling and analyzing the data collected on the flight and providing a population estimate with a supposed 95 percent confidence interval. Accuracy will depend on the credentials, skill and honesty of the observer.
This survey methodology, called Simultaneous Double-Count with Sightability Bias Correction, uses two Federal employees to independently observe and record data on groups of individual horses. There will be no independent or non-biased observers allowed due to “safety, risk and insurance reasons”.
The methodology incorporates peer-reviewed techniques that have been used for decades to estimate wildlife populations around the world but evidently the BLM has not thought to utilize this method until the news media noted their inability to count.
Although an accurate count of native wild horses needs to be taken it is doubtful that clean, accurate and honest numbers will be reported by the BLM. Again, the alleged science and math will be massaged behind closed doors just as their operation and holding of the Calico herd is kept from public scrutiny.
If the BLM truly wished to show good faith, they would invite a trained, professional observer on this project and call an immediate halt to all round ups until an accurate census and management plan can be formulated.
But if things go as they always go with the BLM, a plane will fire up on an air field Sunday morning, two government employees with limited experience and knowledge will climb in and it will be a dark comedy of errors while they count rocks, cows, shrubs and shadows as wild horses.
At this rate, the horses will be gone in a year.
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- BLM manipulating wild herd counts and resource data (ppjg.wordpress.com)
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- Purge Valve (artandhorseslauraleigh.wordpress.com)
Categories: Horse News, The Force of the Horse, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Since USGS has already debunked BLM’s count, I doubt they will really use them. BLM is just saying that to “sound” open minded. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised –I would like that. I would rather USGS did their own separate fly over.
Oh yeh, “safety factors” again for independent or non-biased observers!
R.T, Great article, I fear you are correct of the outcome. I hope we are both wrong.
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They need to bring an independent wildlife expert who is independent of both state and federal agencies.
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Everyone–go over to HERD WATCH and read how they do a herd count.
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So much for pro-active partnership and more transparency !!! Mother of all manipulation, BLM pretends to listen to us, yet blows us off again in the midst of their agenda to act as if they are on the “right track”… still no observer allowed. WHAT ARE THEY HIDING ??? Haven’t we heard the pathetic “safety, risk and insurance” excuse before ? WHEN are they ever going to stop this refusal to incorporate an independent observer in ALL operations ? BLM, agency of mystery and abuse of power. Disgusting, after we just spent two days listening to “more transparency” discussions and looking at projected budget numbers for just this purpose for 500K !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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The results of the USGS population counts are good science. Several of us met with the USGS research team at Fort Science last winter, and they went into some depth on the methods and the advantages of each one relating to herd area topography and vegetation. However, in order for the BLM to establish any credibility, these population counts need to be done by an objective 3rd party and not the BLM, to validate accuracy. To establish credibility, it behooves BLM to give this to the experts to complete–not their short-staffed offices. It seems like they look for ways to manipulte their clandestine numbers instead of presenting complete transparency in the process. Of course, these counts should include the population counts of livestock as well!
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If the USGS is assisting the BLM, we should ask that they use WHIMS (developed by USGS) wherein they take photos of the herds, and begin a database. (They did a WHIMS on the Pryor horses) Hopefully the public could access the WHIMS and there might then be some real accountability by the BLM (unlike now, when they don’t even count the foals at the Indian Lakes Road holding facility in Fallon, NV)
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“Mother of all manipulation”
Monicka, thats a great one – I will use it often!
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Sorry Monika, without a “c”.
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I meant to type AMERICAN HERDS–Calico:Past, present and future Part Vl
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http://americanherds.blogspot.com/
A must read in conjuntion with this survey, the shell game of physically moving horses around on these adjoining HMAs and Sheldon to skew the census numbers
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When you go to the Cloud Foundation blog, you can click onto AMERICAN HERDS from the blogroll on the right hand side–for anyone who hasn’t already found it
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Look to your right, Louie…the link is right here on our blogroll…numbero uno.
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I’m confused. Why are they doing counts AFTER the herds have been decimated in these areas?
And I didn’t notice (maybe I missed it because of some many players and areas to consider), but I see no mention of other Fed agencies (USFS, USDA) involved in mustang/burro whacking and the notorious state level agencies that seem to be always doing their own thing when it comes to our wild ones, especially Nevada.
I guess my point is, if one really wants good numbers shouldn’t everyone be involved? This isn’t being coordinated well (once again) and the stinking, dead fish excuse called liabilty is once again being fed to the concerned public.
I have no doubt that several wild horse/burro advocates would sign any release to be a part of the census. Funny how they are concerned about safety, when we have seen over and over again how the safety of the equines is of little to no concern to them.
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Denise, see the recent Part IV (IV?) on American Herds – will answer some questions about counting, and moving horses around to count them multiple times.
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did Craig or someone know about this flyover soon enough to go up in a plane himself, tail the BLM plane and record what HE sees???? you can’t ride in their plane, couldn’t you follow in your OWN plane?
I hope we are not witnessing the last of the wild ones free in these states, but we may be.
I pray so hard for a good outcome,
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jan-
Excellent idea… MADELEINE………… where is your plane???? Can we borrow it?
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Yes, but in some retarded way aren’t counts part of the AMLs?
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It seems to me counting the horses left on the calico is a seperate “legal” issue..that being..they have removed more than excess horses..how and where they set the AMLs is a seperate issue in this case
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Denise, try inserting “carrot” instead of baiting – dangling a carrot in front of our faces? Does that make more sense? In other words they (being BLM) have presented us with something BLM thinks we will accept, but it is not necessarily in the horses or our best interest. And we have accepted the notion of AML as some guidepost or benchmark, when it is not.
Nothing under wraps or she would not have brought it up I don’t think, and Laura will correct me if I am wrong, is pointing out that the whole idea of a AML is obscure and misleading in and of itself, because it is arbitrary and capricious and does not connect to any other pertenant issues, such as forage, water, range conditions, horses possible disease, predators, real reproduction rates, etc., etc. Taking the carrot would be like falling into a “trap”, i.e. “bait trap”.
All of these need to be part of the mix for accurate understanding and reporting.
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R.T.
After reading the article in AMERICAN HERDS I think my brain just hit overload–at least, that’s my excuse.
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Louie, I totally agree. It will take several readings to digest all this complex information, but I’ll do it considering its importance.
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Got it! but it’s still more of the same-old, same-old politics as usual.
Louie, i know what you mean!!! that AH article is a LOT to get through, not just read, but comprehend what all is involved in this dilemma.
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Glad it wasn’t a helicopter–never would have seen it.
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FY, Elyse has more information and pictures of the Denver meeting on her Humane Observer blog,
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I don’t need to see more pictures of advocates getting served the ‘kool aide”
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I’ve read all the previous articles in American Herds, so, fortunately, I will have only this on to digest for now. There is a LOT of info in these posts, and well worth the effort.
Of course, they DO make me furious about things we don’t seem to be able to do anything about, but at least I am informed – and that is always an advantage.
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Laura, I understand “baiting” as in “gotcha – hook, line, and sinker” – is that what you mean? AKA Con Game, Scam, Fraud, etc.
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Roxy (and Laura)…I didn’t quite get the “baiting” thing either. But I have none of the experience and knowledge that our on the ground advocates have. I defer to them.
Maybe I can get a better explanation and will go to AH, but a thorough explanation is not necessary if it will jeopardize a response or plan by the equine advocates.
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finally came across a legal decision granting injuction to stop removals of w. horses in Challis Id. Judge said” look at removing cows!” read it-it will make you feel good for 5 minutes! It does set a legal prededent that can be cited to prove our case..I am now going to start puting the cite, as a link, in my comments on EAs.. How about we get a legal case up and going using this same approach, we just need a judge to see it our way.
http://vlex.com/vid/american-horse-protection-watt-interior-37002330
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Forward it to Spriggs, IDA, Cloud, Downer, et al also.
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I say, let’s just take this whole thing over!! It’s obvious to me (a suburban housewife & mother, in the midwest, who happens to be an avid horse lover & animal advocate!!), that the BLM, nor our government, are going to do ANYTHING, more than drive these beautiful creatures to extinction in the wild!! They certainly are NOT doing anything to save them, nor do they have plans to do so! Where is Madeleine when you need her!!?? Why won’t they let the public help them by establishing wild horse sanctuaries; they have to pay for their upkeep anyway, why not in a more natural environment, rather than crowded, filthy, disease prone, unsheltered pens!!?? The BEST answer would be return them to FREEDOM, & stop the roundups!! In this economy, how do they expect enough people to be able to afford adoption & upkeep?? This inhumane treatment not only is sad & heartbreaking, but, it’s got me, & MANY others, ANGRY as HELL, & pissed!!
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The LOL moment came in reading their ‘secret” internal document..as they were trying to figure out how to get the american horse advocate originally to take on the care of all these horses, pay for it and provide the land for all these horses they were rounding up..The unmitigated arrogance of these people is unbelievable..they allow us no input other than these meaningless meetings which are no more than a pink pacifier, and a distraction..and want us to take on the burden of their lack of management skills and the corruption of their deptment…Hey, I can smell a skunk before I see it…
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