My Aggie Girl
WooHoo!!!!!! The BLM is Suspending the Gather of the Walker Lake Band of Wild Horses!!!
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on November 2, 2010
BLM Nevada News Carson City District Office No. 11-09 For Release: November 2, 2010 Contact: Mark Struble, Public Affairs Officer, (775) 885-6107
BLM Suspending Gather of Walker Lake Band of Wild Horses
Carson City, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Carson City District-Stillwater Field Office, is suspending the planned late-November gather of approximately 104 wild horses currently residing south of Walker Lake on the Hawthorne Army Depot at Hawthorne, Nevada.
The suspension will give the Depot and the BLM time to fully investigate a proposal from horse advocate groups for solving immediate safety concerns of horses drifting onto U.S. Highway 95 and for the long-term maintenance of the band of horses currently on the Depot.
“BLM and the Hawthorne Army Depot wish to give full consideration to a proposal presented last week by horse advocate groups,” said Terri Knutson, BLM Stillwater Field Office Manager. “We will suspend the Walker Lake portion of our Pilot Mountain herd gather to come to agreement on how to construct fencing to keep wild horses off the highway near Walker Lake and to examine their ideas for maintaining a herd on Depot property.”
In February – March 2010 at least seven wild horses that drifted off the Hawthorne Army Depot were killed in vehicle accidents along highway U.S. 95 near Walker Lake, Nevada.
For more information, please call Mark Struble, BLM-Public Affairs Officer, (775) 885-6107.
The ~Texas~ Mustang Project's Blog 
Susan Emory said
Yesssss! Congratulations, to the horse advocates for coming up with a workable solution! Congratulations, to the BLM for taking the time to fully consider the proposals! Congratulations to all, for working together for the welfare of our Wild Ones! BEST case scenario: Win! Win! Win! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!
Jan said
maybe our horses will win too finally in this election – sure hope so
Morgan Griffith said
Oh I soooo hope Jan.
SHIRLEY LE GARDE said
GREAT NEWS. YOU ALL DID A WONDERFUL JOB. MAYBE THE TIDE WILL START TO TURN.
Texas Mustang Project said
Ya’ll just don’t know how high up on cloud #9 I am right now!!! We have struggled against so much throughout this year to maintain our sanity for one, but more importantly, we have struggled to keep our goal in sight of working for better management options and cohabitation through compromise and communication for the American Wild Mustang!
Here, with this news, we see that goal so close in sight! I am so very proud of each and every one of you! Sorry for getting all mushy, but this is just the greatest news I think I could’ve heard today LOL
The American Wild Mustang will see his healthy foals dance on the plains, the prairies, the deserts and the mountains!
TracieLynn
simone netherlands said
Thank you all so much.
This does not mean that we are there yet, or that the horses are permanently safe. It means that we get more time to work out the details of the proposal. I dont want the internet to go crazy over this just yet, but obviously we are very happy, and tonight, for the first time in a long time, we are going to bed with a smile on our faces and a sigh of relief for these horses.
If you want to do us a favor, we need you all to give props to Terri Knutson of the Still water field office in Carson City, for being open minded enough to give us a chance. It is a first. Negativity will only hurt us now. We need to motivate every Field Office Manager to take her lead. So please politely thank Terri Knutson.
Thank you all for following our progress on these horses and for all your letters and drawings.
Following is our press release:
Linda said
Woke up to this good news and it DID put a smile on my face. Thanks to everyone who submitted comments that helped make this happen. The real grin came when I learned someone had actually READ our submissions!
FINALLY someone has recognized advocates DO put forth good and constructive ideas. It provides a glimmer of hope the BLM is willing to at least consider our options. Maybe a start toward the cooperation we’ve been seeking for so long.
But these horses will still have to be managed in one way or another. The BLM will establish an AML and I imagine they will remove to the low number, the same as on the HMAs. But this relatively small herd provides an excellent opportunity to show management doesn’t have to mean PZP and skewed herd ratios.
A fence is a good first step. Now we must stay engaged in this process going forward and continue to provide workable solutions to protect the Walker Lake horses and all the wild ones wherever they roam.
cat Kindsfather said
Okay Simone, will do!
And yes, peacefully slept since this heavenly news! Thanks so very much for all your hard work! I can see your halo glowing from here, and your smile… : )
reveil said
Woohoo indeed.
THANK YOU to all working hard to make this happen and THANK YOU for the ones keeping an open mind. What a breath of fresh air and hope! Wonderful.
PS: Simone, where’s the link to your press release? Thanks.
Texas Mustang Project said
http://www.respect4horses.com/wildhorses.html
simone netherlands said
oh here is the press release sorry.
Press Release, Animal Recovery Mission and Respect4Horses, November 2, 2010
Animal Recovery Mission and Respect4Horses have been working with the BLM and the Army Depot in regards to the Walker Lake Herd, a herd of approximately 104 horses living around Walker Lake in Hawthorne, Nevada on Army Depot property. The Army Depot is in favor of keeping the herd where it is. On October 20th the BLM signed a Record of Decision to roundup and remove this herd by the end of November 2010.
The communities of Hawthorne and Walker Lake are deeply attached to these horses as evidenced by the hundreds of letters and petition signatures they collected. On Friday October 30th, Respect4horses, Animal Recovery Mission, and a few members of the Hawthorne and Walker Lake communities presented the Walker Lake Herd Preservation Proposal to the BLM.
The Proposal includes sensible and cost effective solutions to solve a “public safety hazard” on S95, as well as a ground breaking humane roundup plan by natural horsemanship principals in order to manage this herd humanely and stress free on the range.
In response to the Walker Lake Herd Preservation Proposal, the huge community support and the support of the Army Depot, Terri Knutson, BLM Field Office Manager, Stillwater Field Office in Carson City, has suspended the November roundup of the Walker Lake Herd. Animal Recovery Mission and Respect4Horses look forward to further work out the details of this proposal with all parties involved.
Morgan Griffith said
I’ll be making a call to Terri to thank her for her willingness to work with alternate proposals.
Eileen Coe said
Thank you to all – on both sides – for coming to at least an agreement to work things out for these horses. It is indeed a first step in the right direction. We need to all work together! Negative, harassing remarks will get us no where. How do we thank
Terri Knudson personally? Kudos to her for being so open minded.