Nevada Mustangs under attack again from the BLM
Dear Friends,
Thank you to everyone who has taken action on behalf of horses! July has brought 2 victories in the national effort to protect wild and domestic horses from slaughter. Last week a Federal court upheld the State of Illinois’ ban on horse slaughter, closing the doors on the last operating slaughter house in the U.S. While this is definitely a victory, we must continue to press the national legislation (HR 503 and S 311) so that American horses are not simply trucked to Canada and Mexico for slaughter. Please urge you Members of Congress to support Hr 503 and S 311.
Shortly after the court ruling, we learned that the Agriculture Committee in the House of Representatives completed the final mark up of the 2007 Farm Bill without Section 123. Section 123 was a proposed attachment to the farm bill that would have taken away the rights of states of pass laws about food products inspected by the USDA. This would have overturned the Texas and Illinois State bans on horse slaughter, as well as numerous other animal and consumer welfare initiatives. Thank you to everyone who made calls to their Representatives to protest Section 123!
But as the saying goes, 2 steps forward 1 step back. In Nevada, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing to remove 150 wild horses from the Jakes Wash & Moriah Herd Management Areas (HMAs). This would leave only 30-40 horses on 208,000 acres (less than one horse per 5,000 acres!). BLM will only leave very old horses on the range, as they are likely planning to “zero out” these HMAs completely as part of the new 2007 Land Use Plan.
While BLM claims the HMAs’ wild horse population is “excessive,” livestock in that same area have been allocated 3,300% more forage than wild horses, despite the fact that the range is legally designated for horses.
This latest effort to “reduce competition” with livestock is just another egregious example of BLM’s bias in favor of subsidized private ranchers on public lands, and will cost an estimated $317,000 of our tax-dollars.
Please protest this gross waste of tax-dollars and mismanagement of our natural resources. Send your comments to BLM by Tuesday, July 17, 4:00 p.m. PST:
BLM Ely Field Office
775 North Industrial Way
HC33 Box 33500
Ely, NV 89301-9408
Phone: (775) 289-1800 Fax: (775) 289-1910
Email William_E_Dunn@blm.gov
Urge the BLM to take “No Action” on the scheduled round-ups and be sure to reference the EA # NV-040-07-002 – Jakes Wash & Moriah Herd Management Area Capture Plan, and to include your name and address.
Thank you,
Jill Anderson
Outreach & Communications Director
Return to Freedom, American Wild Horse Sanctuary
Ph: (805) 737-9246 Fax: (805) 800-0868
