Dear Friends,
So many of you often ask me what you can do to help the wild horses. Here is what you can do. The BLM has publicly stated in a press release that they have plans “to gather and remove approximately 1,917 to 2,278 excess wild horses from in and around the Antelope Complex.”
I have previously submitted a proposal to Bob Abbey to postpone this gather that directly affects the wild horses on the future site of the eco-sanctuary that we are developing in Nevada and allow me to construct my own holding facilities on the private lands that I have already purchased for the horses, which are adjacent to the Antelope Complex. This would also be a considerable savings to American taxpayers and the government in many ways.
Just before the new year, the Obama Administration took action to address a Bush-era “no more wilderness” policy that had left millions of acres of western wild lands at risk to destructive development. The new policy requires the BLM to reconsider millions of acres of our public lands for new protections. The WildAlert community had spoken up urging this policy change many times over the past years, so thank you!
The new policy will be only as strong as the agency’s commitment to it. That’s why we need you to take action today to ensure that the guidance document that directs the process ensures maximum protection for deserving wild places. Read on to learn more, and take action.
Take Action
In ending the Bush-era “no more wilderness” policy, the Obama Administration has restored a path toward protection for millions of acres of wilderness-quality public lands across the West. BLM officials are now working on guidance to govern the process for wilderness inventory and management, and we need to ensure that the document covers all the bases. Click here to take action.
Do gathers really threaten wild horses & burros? Yes, but beyond the scope of keeping them simply at appropriate management levels….
To clarify, not by the various small regional/state BLM… the ‘worker bees’, but rather the “queen bee” better known as the government level BLM (Bob Abbey & office) acting as “right hand”, and DOI (Ken Salazar). How and why: We’ve lost over [conservatively] 20 MILLION herd management acres (part of the original 54 million set aside for mustang management) and since year 2000 alone, lost over 40% of our mustangs. CORRELATION? The federal government in this struggling economy has one quest and one focus – land and money. They’ve set their sights on the last remaining wild open spaces of our west for ‘green energy’ farms, development, and natural resource exploitation and wild horses, who may one day have better protection (through the will of the people), roam there. Wild horses and burros are simply a road block to what they call progress. Green energy is good, but must be more planful… not “government graffiti” on pristine high deserts or our western rangelands, with fascinating ecosystems and beautiful vistas.
Dear Animal Advocates,
As you may know, Congress is currently trying to pass a federal budget for fiscal year 2011. Unbelievably, although the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program is widely known to be broken and unsustainable, the House of Representatives has approved increasing its funding.
The BLM plans to use this funding to remove another 10,000 wild horses from public lands next year. If this happens, the population of mustangs warehoused for life in government holding facilities would swell to 45,000 — to the tune of $50 million in taxpayer money. Meanwhile, privately owned herds of cattle are allowed to graze on the same land that was “overcrowded” with wild horses.
We do have a chance to stop this: the Senate is still debating the 2011 federal spending bill, but the deadline to make changes and pass it is midnight on Saturday, December 18.
Part of Bolder's band including Cloud's grandson Echo, a target for removal in 2011.
Billings BLM Wants to Drug & Further Destroy Historic Herd – Send Letters by Wednesday, Dec. 1st
Dear Friends of Cloud, his family and herd;
Please take a few minutes out of what is a very busy time to year on behalf of Cloud, his family and herd in the beautiful Pryor Mountains of Montana.
We are asking you to comment on the BLM’s Preliminary Assessment, which would allow for five years of infertility drug use (2011-2015) on potentially every mare on the mountain over the age of one! Right now, 54 Pryor mares are currently on infertility drugs, 40 of them on a multi-year drug, PZP-22. Comments are due in writing by December 1st via mail to the Billings Field Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101 or by fax at (406) 896-5281, or by e-mail to info@thecloudfoundation.orgwhere we will fax your comments for you. You can also use the free computer fax service online here. If you email your comments to us, please try to do so by 2 pm MST on December 1st so we will have time to fax them in before BLM closes at 4:30 pm.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing a roundup of 294 wild horses in Nevada’s Augusta Mountains Herd Management Area (HMA). Unlike other capture plans, the BLM’s Winnemucca District Office intends to treat mares with PZP fertility control and release all horses captured from within the HMA back to the range.
However, approximately 50 horses living outside of the HMA need your help to stay with their families free on the range. The horses are living in an area that was once designated as wild horse habitat but “zeroed out” for wild horses to accommodate grazing of privately-held farmed animals.
Dear Friends,
We wanted to give you an update on the Pony Express Delivery. Since the beginning of August when we started the campaign, we have received 71,568 letters and emails! We are so elated that so many people have come through on this… and are STILL coming through on this; we’re still getting letters!
We’ve received so much positive feedback for the Pony Express from all over the world. So many schools and organizations begged us to let their kids’ letters be included. So, how could we say no to that?
So, we appreciate your patience in this very important issue of stopping the wild horse government roundups. We have extended the deadline, so please keep sending your letters in if you haven’t already. This is an issue that is at the top of everyone’s list and I will deliver on my promise. Literally.
Rabiola Grand Champion at Dressage at Devon. Photos by Hoof Print Images.
BLM Mustang Also Makes His Mark
Devon, PA — The Grand Championship at Dressage at Devon is always a nail biter, but this year’s group of champions really impressed with incredible movement, type and conformation as they competed for this big award. To the thrill of the crowd, two beautiful mares trotted away with the show’s most coveted ribbons during the breed division. Wearing the championship neck sash once again was Iron Spring Farm’s Rabiola, the gorgeous KWPN mare who has won more than ten championships at the show over the years. Finishing with the Reserve Grand Championship was Dazzle, a two-year-old mare by Jazz, who also has quality gaits and charisma.
Rabiola kicked off her day by winning the Four-Year-Old and Older Broodmares class. She then trotted to the Mare and Mature Horse Championships before clinching the title of Grand Champion. The mare, by Metall out of Fabiola by Zadok, is not only frequently a big winner at DAD, she’s also a mom of several Dressage at Devon winners. “She’s the Queen,” said a very happy Mary Alice Malone, owner of Rabiola. “This was really amazing. I’m really lucky to own her.”
Dear Our Fabulous Wild Horse Supporters,
We are SO excited to FINALLY announce the best news we have had to share with you in over 2 1/2 years!
OUR MUSTANGS ARE GETTING THEIR SANCTUARY AND HAVE THE BLM’S SUPPORT!
Over the past three days, I have been to meetings in Sacramento and again in Washington, DC. I’ve met with BLM Director, Bob Abbey, and Deputy Director, Mike Pool, along with the Wild Horse and Burro team. The BLM has officially agreed to support going forward with the development of the wild horse Eco-sanctuary for the horses in holding! Also in DC, I met with Congressman Jim Moran, who had already given his blessing, but is submitting legislation to members of Congress on behalf of these wild mustangs. We are so thankful to him and his staff for their efforts on the wild horse and burro issue. All the meetings were fabulous and we could not be happier about the news!
Trigger's mare Evita foaled in August and we've named the newest member of the Freedom Fund bands "Pistol".
Introducing Pistol
One year ago this week the BLM roundup of Cloud’s herd began and 57 wild horses in Cloud’s herd lost what they value most: their freedom and their families. It was only with your help and immediate action that people working with the Cloud Foundation were able to adopt and purchase four family bands after the disastrous roundup. Because of your generosity, Pistol lives with both his mother and his father – growing up as close to wild as possible.
I first filmed Pistol’s father, Trigger, when he was just a few days old for the National Geographic special “Horses”, so it was very special to meet Pistol at this age – he looks very much like his father did! Trigger is the only offspring of the stallion, Challenger, who was struck and killed by lightning in 1999, as portrayed in Cloud: Wild Stallion of the Rockies. With such a small herd now remaining in the wild, the removal of Trigger and his band is especially detrimental to the unique Spanish genetics of the Pryor Mountain herd.
It is my hope that Pistol and his sister will be allowed to return to the wild someday and continue Challenger and Trigger’s legacy.
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