updated wEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 2010
CHIEF INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER GEORGE KNAPP AND CHIEF PHOTOJOURNALIST MATT ADAMS
I-Team: More Horses Die in Gather, Public Not Allowed to Observe
POSTED: JUL 20, 2010 4:18 PM
Roundup of Rock Creek HMA was scheduled to start Wednesday, July 21. Dead middle of hot summer, foals just learning that they are horses... Thinking of watching these individuals running for their lives, filled with adrenalized fear in the hot sun, mile upon mile, is unimaginable. Thinking of the stallions trying to bring up the rear to protect their families... of course they haven't a chance.
They did not move the trap site off the private property, so it stands to reason that every day the horses were running from further and further away. I have heard the phrase "government subsidized animal abuse.
The "Tuscarora Gather Updates" page for Tuesday, July 20, states:
The Oywhee HMA immediate emergency rescue gather ended today. The contractor relocating gather operations to the Squaw Valley area within the Rock Creek and Little Humboldt HMAs. Two animals were euthanized due to pre-existing water starvation/dehydration related complications.
What two animals? How old? Male, or female? BLM keeps the information as impersonal and minimal as possible. These were individuals, and we would like to know about them.
As far as the water emergency, or lack thereof, please note in Dr. Kane's 7/11/10 report (the onsite vet), available on line, in the Summary/Conclusions section, that:
As far as the water emergency, or lack thereof, please note in Dr. Kane's 7/11/10 report (the onsite vet), available on line, in the Summary/Conclusions section, that:
Summary/Conclusions:
The history of this area is that water holes being used recently are drying up and horses were blocked from accessing a singular access point to a river that has historically been a watering point during dry conditions. ... (emphasis added)What a tremendously weighty statement couched quietly in a vet report. The implications are staggering, aren't they.
"Observation Days" scheduled for Rock Creek are this Friday and Saturday July 23 and 24. One needs to be on BLM;s list: the number to register is 1866/468-7826.
As I've always maintained, the concept of BLM-appointed "Observation Days" does not fulfill what I believe is the public's right to observe and know how our horses are being cared for by our government with our tax dollars, and I bristle at the concept. Tossing the public a crumb, a controlled peek, is not "transparency" in any sense.
"Observation Days" do not measure up to Wild Horse and Burro Program Director Don Glenn's unequivocal commitment to the public in December 2009 at the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board meeting that gathers are open to the public, who he asserted would be accommodated at any gather at any time, as seen here:
The White House phone number is 202/456-1111. Our President had a decent record concerning animals as a senator. Where did that conscience go? Big business talks loudly; perhaps it's being drowned. The Secretary of the Interior appears to be turning the seas and the lands over to special interests, making a mess of this country, and decimating our wild horses. They are America's beloved wild horses, not sacrificial lambs.
Tonight (Wednesday p.m.), George Knapp will report on what he learned and saw for himself and asks the key question: "Is the BLM telling the truth?"
I remain,
For the horses and their humble burro friends,
Elyse
Elyse thank you for being there with Laura during this very difficult time. How scary it must have been.
ReplyDeleteSo you and Laura are back in Court today??? I'll be thinking good thoughts for you and will be awaiting George Knapp's interview. He does fantastic work.
I can't tell you how disturbing it is to find that we are being denied our first amendment rights in this day. What is wrong with our government that they can do this with no accountability?
Hi Elyse:
ReplyDeleteHas anyone else received this letter from the BLM? Geez, even on page 20 of their new handbook it says foaling season is between mid March and June 30...
Hope all is well.
Please visit the following links to ensure you are getting correct and
current information about your concerns. There is a lot of misinformation
about the BLM and the gather being posted on blogs, etc. The BLM NV page
is the main reference page for all factual BLM updates and future
announcements: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en.html We are not inhumane and
feel very passionate about our responsibilities to the public lands and its
resources. We are following the laws established by Congress. If you do
not agree with the laws, we would recommend you contact your congressman.
Please note the EA pointed out the water issues in the Owyhee area and the
critical need for gathering horses. The BLM has hauled more than 40,000
gallons of water during the past week. The BLM has been coordinating with
local ranchers who own the water rights and who are allowing the BLM to use
their water/water sources (reservoirs and wells) to provide water to the
horses. The ranchers also have opened gates to allow horses access to
water. There are no cattle within this immediate area.
BLM has not violated the manual on gathering during foaling season. To
address the misinterpretation of our long, standing policy of not gathering
between March 1 and June 30, I have attached an announcement. Please note
the peak foaling season is mid-March thru mid-May; not March 1 thru June 30
as it is being interpreted:
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2010/july/NR_07_14_2010.html
The recent court action in Reno, Nevada, agreed with this interpretation.
We are happy to be a part of an action that is saving foals that would have
died on the range under current conditions.
BLM is not preventing the public from witnessing the Tuscarora gather. We
have not announced public observation days, because we are still on private
land. When the lawsuit was filed, the gather was delayed; therefore, the
access on public lands was delayed. Now that we are gathering, we plan to
post an announcement in the near future to the following link:
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en.html The announcement will instruct the
public on how to request attendance at the gather. Until that time, we do
not know what the official dates will be for public observation. Two
public observation days have been scheduled for July 23-24, 2010.
Some members of the public have stated they would rather have BLM leave the
horses on the range to die of water dehydration. If you agree with this
comment or have other constructive recommendations, please provide your
comment to the strategic planning document by August 3, 2010:
https://www.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/planAndProjectSite.do?methodName=renderDefaultPlanOrProjectSite&projectId=4900
If you have any problems with the link, please take a look at these options
http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro/wh_b_information_center/support_for_eplanning.html
Thank you for your interest in the program.
Debbie Collins
BLM National WH&B Team
Oh that Debbie is a riot! Hey, Debbie, why don't you do this stand-up routine for the horses? Give 'em a good laugh as they are dying in agony.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Elyse, but I have HAD it with these heartless criminals - that is only MY opinion, of course dear Debbie. I've traded emails with this one before.
Elyse, thank you for pointing me to this vet report. I plan to send it to my Congressionals. Not only were the horses blocked from the "singular" access point, but his assessment of the horses when they were first brought in. What emergency?