A Continuation of Craig Downer’s Open Letter to the BLM~ Click (HERE) for first installment
BLM’s Lack of Equine Understanding is Stunning
Feb. 6, 2011
BLM Ely District Office (Nevada)
Attn: Gary W. Medlyn, Egan Field Manager
re: DOI-BLM-NV-L010-2011-0004-EA (2nd input)
BLM's Renegade Pilot Flying Crazy at Antelope Stampede ~ Photo by Laura Leigh
Dear Sirs:
I sent you an email input on Jan. 30th of this year and would like to add the following input:
On page 23 of your document you paint a very rosy picture of the results of the roundup, but in fact overlook many positive aspects of leaving the wild horses alone. You mention that the rate of foaling will increase after the roundup. Yes, I agree, but is this not what you want to prevent by allowing the herds to self-stabilize? They do self-stabilize if allowed to fill their niche. I suggest you look into natural boundaries, predators, buffer zones, etc., as part of an effective Reserve Design concept.
I would like to add that by over-reducing the herd, you set back the natural adaptive process, that I so appreciate as a biologist. This occurs between the wild horses and the ecosystem they inhabit. Part of this is that by removing the mature horses, you disrupt the social and ecological order. These older horses have had more time to attune themselves to the natural life community where they live and they guide the younger ones, prevent too early reproduction, and lead the bands in their seasonal migrations up elevation in the warmer seasons and down elevations in the colder seasons. They perform a natural rest rotation of grazing pressure on forage when fences do not prevent them from doing so. So my question to you is: are you taking into full account all these natural factors that you should when providing for a integrated wild-horse-containing ecosystem that provides for a truly long-term genetically viable population? And is this in harmony with the true intent of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971? I protest your overly low AML (see earlier input) and your skewed sex ratios and PZP’ed mares and favor a Reserve Design concept for the attainment of self-stabilizing herds, in conjunction with a fairer allocation of forage for the wild horses, meaning less given to livestock and more to the wild horses who by law should be treated as the principal presences within their legal herd areas or herd management areas (BLM) or territories (USFS).
On page 24, you mention those older or infirm horses that will be targeted for euthanasia. Here I would just like to make two points: Would it not be much fairer and more in tune with the WFRHBA were you to allow the natural life cycles to complete themselves in the wild, rather than subjecting these horses, who have managed to survive, obviously, up unto the point of gather, to a very stressful and anguishing jerking out of their natural home and band and herd companionship and placing in the artificial confines of a corral and its truly overcrowded conditions compared with what they are used to? By allowing them to contribute their remains to the natural world and its food web when they die, you would be in true conformance with the WFRHBA, which stresses that they are to be regarded as natural components of the federal lands ecosystems and minimally interfered with.
Also on page 24, you mention that only 0.5% of the horses gathered die in the gather operation. This is a misleading statistic that does not account for the much larger percentage that later dies during the processing, short-term holding and long term holding. This is usually ca. 5% or more, judging from the Calico Complex wild horse roundups that occurred during the first months of 2010 and their attrition at the Broken Arrow private short term holding facility north of Fallon.
Sincerely,
Craig C. Downer, Wildlife Ecologist
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Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
Craig,
I understand the need to formally communicate with DOI, but do you send these emails to any other Executive Branch entity?…their IG?…Department of Justice?…GAO?…anyone in the Legislative Branch (your Congressional reps, committee leadership, etc)?
It seems the policy of DOI/USDA is to ignore advocates or pump out whacked replies that address nothing and deny everything. Just curious.
Thank you for continuing to make a difference….as frustrating as it is.
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Thank you so much for taking the time for your detailed and professional letter. I agree that your letter needs to be copied to several other entities so it will be harder for it to be buried on a desk and ignored. The more people the facts are put in front of, the higher the chance that one of them will be affected!
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That is a beautifully written letter to BLM Field manager, stating facts that unfortunately BLM managers can either not comprehend or that they never even read. Throughout the BLM’s mindless and heartless destruction of the Mustang families and lives, the facts have been ignored by BLM and by Obama as he allows this maiming and killing of innocent and helpless horses to continue.
This is the worse administration for animals and wildlife that I have ever witnessed. Crippling, shooting, and causing the deaths of foals, mares and stallions does not bother BLM, Salazar, or Obama, nor do they care what the tax paying citizens of this country think or want. The secretive and cruel treatment of the Mustangs while BLM blocks public viewing is, in itself, evidence of criminal activities toward our wild horses. This violation of the rights of the Mustangs and the vile disregard for their safety will be documented in history as criminal and unforgivable, but it will be too late then for our Mustangs.
For me, it is more than I can bear to see horses stampeded to death being run by helicopters, the hooves run off foals who are then shot, mares run down and hit by a helicoptor, a little brave foal being roped and loaded on a truck to who knows where, and mares, foals and stallions murdered by these fiends who have no legitimate excuse for criminal activities toward the horses.
Salazar ignored letters from Congressmen, and apparently he, along with BLM employees, has no respect for this country, or for the wishes of the public who pay their salaries, and we can no longer depend on the Judicial system. Beautiful, healthy Mustangs are the victims of corruption as they are cruelly and dangerously removed from their own homeland to make room for cattle and pipelines? How many of these Mustangs have been driven by night to slaughter houses?
Bill O’Riley asked the president if he knew how he is hated by the American public, as documented in polls, and the president just laughed and grinned. What he has allowed BLM and Salazar to do to the Mustangs is no laughing matter. It is not funny. It is an outrage.
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T. Boyd, You have said it very well and I hope Mr. Downer reads and heeds your comments.
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Expertly , beautifully and very compassionatly written, Thank You Mr. Graig Downer…………
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Mr. Downer, et al,
This carefully considered information coming from a trained biologist is wasted if only sent to the people running all this in Nevada. Their collective disregard for the short and long term effects on the horses and the whole ecology of their environment has been made painfully obvious. It is not just the egregious and inexcusable methods being employed daily to bring the horses in and remove them, the facts are that they are doing irreparable damage to the whole ecosystem. BUT THEY ARE EITHER TOTALLY IGNORANT OR THEY SIMPLY DO NOT CARE! BLM Equine Specialists? I am of the opinion the BLM doesn’t have a single one worthy of the name. What a poor joke on the American people! It is also clear they are not going to do anything to stop the person flying that helicopter. Supposedly he has been “reprimanded” but even if that actually happened it has certainly made no difference to him. Only sending this kind of information to them is akin to tossing it on a blazing campfire and watching the paper curl in the flames then drift away with the smoke on the wind.
I think the only government entity with the power to actually take effective action to put an immediate hold on these activities is Congress. The DOI/BLM honchos have made it clear they believe themselves to be impervious to public opinion, laws already in place and even recent court rulings. They have been destroying the wild herds with impunity and will continue to do so while giving lip service to the public about how concerned they are for the welfare of the horses unless Congress cuts off their funding and cancels the illegal contracts they are using to hire the kind of slugs that will do their bidding without any sign of conscience.
What the BLM is doing must be stopped now then followed by detailed Congressional investigations into their operations past and present. And I don’t mean calling a few DOI/BLM tin gods in front of some committee and tossing softballs at them then declaring the situation “investigated.” I mean an in depth, independent digging into the complex money trails plus the cruel and inhumane actions involved in the whole sordid mess then followed by indictments, prosecutions and imprisonment of guilty individuals – oh, and loss of their lucrative government retirement benefits!
Expecting the BLM to investigate and clean its own house is like telling the fox to go to the chicken coop and report back after figuring out who has been killing the chickens.
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Dear Wambli Okiye So Beautifully written , all my sentiments to a T !!!! Thank You !!!
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Craig Downer is my hero. He tells it like it is, without fanfare. I wonder if he gets the respect he deserves from the BLM?
Tricia
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I salute you, Wambli Okiye, astute observations and well written.
Plaudits to you!
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FYI – guys – I went off today about an article that came out in Range magazine on the wild horse issue. I try not to rant much, but I lost it over this thing . I got madder about this than anything I’ve seen in a long time. http://www.allpetspost.org/allhorsespost/?p=8995
The article in question is at the bottom of the post. It’s long, and it does have some words from a couple of advocates at the end. But the first 12 pages totally poison the well.
Ass.
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CJ Hadley also has a very nasty editorial in Range, as usual, about the wild horses and their Overpopulation!! These idiots are screaming there are too many horses even when they are nearly gone just to ensure they keep disappearing! mar
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Craig, your letter might reach more people in the letters to the editor section of the San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times or any of the major metropolitan newspapers. Your words would resonate with readers there. For some strange reason, many people in cities have much more appreciation for Wildlife than do those who live in the midst of it. Perhaps that is because they don’t take it for granted.
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Agree with Louie. Craig, with all your knowledge and wisdom on this subject, you need to share it with the news media and every outlet you can find. All your scientific knowledge and research must be made public. As they say, knowledge is power, you certainly have it when it comes to our wildlife, so please don’t waste it by sharing only wtih the BLM. We all know and it appears by now, they’re not taking anyone seriously, regardless of the facts. This is a very sad time, in our history, for these senseless roundups and destruction of our American wild horses. Please, let the truth and facts become available for ALL to see, before it’s too late. Thank you Craig.
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Craig, I do appreciate you putting Reserve Design out there for people to know about and because BLM has never done anything with serious science. One day it will be used. mar
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Criag Downer:
Have you done any studies and published papers on them to support your findings? I have seen some of your scholarly works on the tapir in my searches, but none on the horses. If there are any, I would love to read them and appreciate knowing where they are.
Thank you
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Mr. C Downer has stated the PLAIN TRUTH which is far too easy for the BLM and such to understand. When “housecleaning” is to be done, an outside party has to be brought in or else, like with most, the dirt gets swept under the rug and forgotten. I hope Mr. Downer forwards his honestly truthful & to the point letter to the editor’s desk of high profile news centers. It’s obvious that the BLM will just turn a blind-eye to these plain-as-day facts. As I always think in my mind, that no matter how wrong or despicable their actions are, the BLM keep jobs and make money from this and greed is a very powerful aphrodisiac!
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Craig is my hero in this “war”. He is above reproach in his knowledge and devotion to the wild ones. Craig, may we have your permission to use your letters to pass on to all that we can think who will listen? Your words need to be heard far and wide. Thank you.
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There are many Heros Here for the Wild Mustangs, some are small but work diligently behind the scenes everyday, some of whom we may never know who they are , but be assured they are here…………………………… I Thank All of Them……….. Fact is to work from within is most successful………………
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At first maybe the BLM accused people who care about the wild Mustangs as irrational, emotional people, though we all know this not to be true, now the BLM has an expert opinion from a wildlife biologist who suggests a Reserve Design. Is it now time to listen?!
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