Posted by Texas Mustang Project on August 7, 2011
Click here ( www.truecowboymagazine.com ) to download August issue featuring our Buckle Bunny Jessica Jean Tourino.
and more! Click on the lower right hand corners of right pages to turn…ENJOY! Saddle Up & subscribe at www.truecowboymagazine.com and show your support of our mission to save our wild mustangs!
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts, Mighty Mouse the Mustang | Tagged: American, Cowboy, Equine, Instruction, Learned, Lessons, LLEI, Magazine, Mighty, Mouse, Mustang, Texas, true, Wild | 6 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on August 6, 2011
Release Date: 08/05/11 Contacts: Serena Baker, 307-212-0197
White Mountain/Little Colorado Wild Horse Gather Decision
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will gather the White Mountain and Little Colorado (WMLC) Herd Management Areas (HMA). BLM Rock Springs Field Office released a decision record to remove excess wild horses to the low appropriate management level as the proposed action. This replaces the decision of June 22, 2011. The decision authorizes gathering approximately 90 percent (or about 873 wild horses), removing roughly 696 excess wild horses, leaving 205 wild horses in the White Mountain HMA, and 69 wild horses in the Little Colorado HMA. All mares released to the HMAs would be treated with the Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP) vaccine. Sex ratios would also be adjusted favoring stallions to mares. The gather would reduce the current population of nearly 1,000 wild horses in the WMLC HMAs, which is roughly three times the appropriate management level. The appropriate management level for White Mountain HMA is between 205-300 horses, and for Little Colorado HMA is 69-100. The two HMAs were last gathered in November 2007. The WMLC gather is scheduled to begin within the next 30 days, and is expected to last approximately three weeks. BLM is committed to offering as many public viewing opportunities as possible during the gather. If interested in watching the gather, you must contact Serena Baker, sbaker@blm.gov, 307-212-0197, to be added to the anticipated visitors’ log. Only individuals listed on the visitors’ log will be contacted with daily viewing sites, times, and locations of where to meet. All gathered mustangs will be examined by a veterinarian, dewormed, Coggins tested, and given booster shots. The wild horses will then be available for adoption to qualified applicants. Adoption applications and requirements for the White Mountain/Little Colorado gathered horses are available at: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses/adopt.html. For more information, visit: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/rsfo/whitemtn_littlecolo.html.
White Mountain & Little Colorado HMAs Gather
| FY 2011 |
| WhiteMountain_LittleColorado_HMA_WY@blm.gov |
Revised Environmental Assessment
Second Modified Decision – 08/05/11
Modified Decision – 06/22/11
| FY 2010 |
| FY 2007 |
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts, White Mountain & Little Colorado HMAs | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on August 6, 2011
(Video) HELPER — Federal agents impounded 47 Bureau of Land Management horses Friday at the Port of Entry in Helper, preventing the likelihood of the animals being hauled by truck for slaughter in Mexico, officials said.
Gus Warr, the Utah director of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program, said the horses were safely delivered to the agency’s center in Herriman while the investigation continues.
Multiple people are the target of the investigation, which spreads to Willard where some of the animals were held before being stopped in Carbon County, Warr said.
The sale of the animals occurred on paper at the Herriman facility but involved animals in the agency’s long-term holding pasture in Oklahoma.
Unlike the bureau’s adoption program, these animals are direct-sold to buyers under an agreement that includes an intent clause that prohibits subsequent sale for slaughter, Warr said. The horses are 11 years or older and may be bought for use as brood mares, for private equestrian pleasure or simply put out to pasture by the purchaser.
The last U.S. slaughterhouse for horse meat intended for human consumption closed in 2007 under a ban that went into effect that year. The prohibition has not stopped wholesale shipments of live animals to either Canada or Mexico where they are slaughtered for human consumption — mostly to supply overseas markets.
Warr said the BLM is keenly aware of the demand outside of the United States and watches for so-called “kill-buyers” who purchase the horses for such a destiny.
“The BLM is trying to be proactively ahead of the game, which is what happened here,” he said.
But the owner of the truck that was hauling the horses said late Friday that her husband was only helping out a friend by allowing the horses to stay on their property, the DK Ranch in Willard.
KSL News is not naming the woman or her husband because the investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made.
“We are known for buying slaughter horses,” she said, “but it was just our truck that was being used.”
She said the animals were bound for Texas, but were not going to be slaughtered, adding that the type of truck they were being hauled in was not a slaughter-style truck.
But Warr said the paper trail of where the animals were headed did not match up to the reality of where they were impounded — leading his agency to believe they were intended for slaughter.
“Our primary concern at this point is that they were not going where they were supposed to,” Warr said.
—-
Written by Amy Joi O’Donoghue with contributions from Alex Cabrero.
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | 3 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on July 28, 2011
I’ve attached a copy of a position statement on the proposed Wilson Creek wind farm that was prepared by the Coalition for Nevada’s Wildlife, a sports – hunting group. I’m forwarding their information as they have researched this project and have identified areas of concern. Even though they don’t address horses as that is not their focus area (and I’m not sure if any horses are left in the area,) the impacts on wildlife will have a ripple effect across the region. Furthermore while we clearly are going to see solar and wind projects in the West, we need to insist that they be properly researched and designed so as to have the most minimal impact as possible on our fragile ecosystems.
The deadline for comments appears to be FRIDAY, July 22. A link to send comments to BLM is provided on the Coalition’s comment paper. Comments are generally given consideration when they address technical aspects of a project and its EA, so my advice is to pick one or two issues raised by the Coalition and include them in your comment message.
BLM needs to see that there is public interest in seeing that these kinds of projects are done right and that they don’t shift a new burden to the agency and taxpayers resulting from unintended consequences. Or as a NDoW wildlife biologist once said, “What’s ‘green’ about destroying our water and knocking birds out of the sky?”
Thanks for spending a few minutes on this and passing it on.
“:O) Willis
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | 3 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on July 28, 2011
Contact: Jane Hendron, USFWS, 760-431-9440, ext. 205
Erin Curtis, BLM, 916-978-4622
Susanne Garfield, California Energy Commission, 916-654-4989
William Condon, DFG, 916-654-9937
Date: July 28, 2011
Public Input Wanted on Largest Habitat Conservation Plan
Aims to balance desert conservation and renewable energy development
Sacramento, Calif. – The Federal and State Renewable Energy Action Team (REAT) launched a joint environmental review for the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP or Plan) aimed at streamlining permitting of renewable energy facilities in the California desert.
The REAT is preparing a joint Environmental Impact Report and Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) for the DRECP, and the Bureau of Land Management’s proposed amendment to the California Desert Conservation area (CDCA) Plan.
Agencies are looking for public participation as they begin this process, and will hold three public meetings in August to gather input on the proposed Plan.
Remote Attendance and Availability of Documents
Presentations and audio from the scoping meetings will be broadcast by WebEx web meeting service. For details on how to participate by WebEx, please see http://www.drecp.org/meetings.
DRECP Background
The DRECP is focused on the desert regions and adjacent lands of seven California counties – Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego. It is being prepared through an unprecedented collaborative effort between the California Energy Commission, California Department of Fish and Game, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service known as the REAT.
The DRECP will result in an efficient and effective biological mitigation and conservation program providing renewable project developers with permit timing and cost certainty under the Federal and California Endangered Species Acts while at the same time preserving, restoring and enhancing natural communities and related ecosystems.
Approximately 22.5 million acres of Federal and non-Federal California desert land in parts of Imperial, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego counties are in the DRECP planning area.
Providing Comments
All interest parties are invited to provide comments and information regarding species to be covered, the range of alternatives to analyze and other issues associated with the DRECP and possible CDCA amendment during the comment period. Comments and information will be accepted until September 12, 2011. Comments will be accepted in writing at the scoping meetings and may also be sent to the contacts listed below.
Written comments may be submitted to Jim Bartel, Field Supervisor, Carlsbad Fish and Wildlife Office, 6010 Hidden Valley Rd., Suite 101, Carlsbad, CA 92011. You may also submit comments by email to FW8DRECP@fws.gov, and include “Scoping Comments” in the subject line, or by facsimile to 760-431–5902.
Comments may also be submitted in writing to California Energy Commission, Dockets Office, MS-4, Docket No. 09-RENEW E0-01, Scoping Comments, 1516 Ninth St., Sacramento CA 95814-5512. Or by email to docket@energy.state.ca.us, and include “Docket No. 09-RENEW EO-01/Scoping” in the subject line, or by facsimile to Kristy Chew at 916-654-4421.
At the close of the public comment period, all written comments received by the Federal and State lead agencies will be posted on the internet at http://www.drecp.org/document. For more information about the DRECP or instructions on submitting a written comment, visit www.drecp.org. The REAT anticipates releasing a draft DRECP EIR/EIS for public review and comment in the summer 2012. The final EIR/EIS is expected to be completed at the end of 2012 and, if approved, permits are expected to be issued at the beginning of 2013.
David C. Briery,
External Affairs
BLM California Desert District
22835 Calle San Juan de Los Lagos
Moreno Valley, CA 92553
951.697.5220 (office)
951.842.9018 (cell)
dbriery@blm.gov
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on July 21, 2011
Carrol Abel
July 20, 2011
I sat down with Wild Horse Annie today. We had quite the conversation. I complained of how convoluted her law had become, how it was now a life sentence for the very animals it was intended to protect. She listened quietly, never uttering a word. “We really need your help.” I told her. She offered no reply.
The grass surrounding us was cool & refreshing, the day warm & clear. I closed my eyes and imagined a band of wild horses grazing peacefully nearby. How fitting it would have been. But alas! Imaginings are nothing more than imaginings. There were no wild horses and Wild Horse Annie was not going to answer.
Beside me was a small and unassuming grave marker. In that, it was much like the woman buried there. Beneath the name Velma B. Johnston, Wild Horse Annie and the dates March 5, 1912 – June 27, 1977 are three mustangs, running wild and free. As I ran my fingers across the relief and looked closer at the image, I realized there was something unexpectedly ominous portrayed there.
The running mustang trio has reached the edge of a dangerous precipice with no choice left but to jump. The last of the three is rearing and looking over his shoulder as if deciding whether to fight or flee. Tears started flowing when I put the scene in the context of the battle we’re waging today. I started sobbing like a crazy fool and blurted out, “Help me! I don’t know what else to do.”
It was then that a voice came to me, a gentle but strong whisper in my ear.
“FIGHT” it said, “Fight like a wild stallion.”
Carrol Abel
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | 2 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on July 20, 2011
I found this picture of Mouse while cleaning up my hard drive this morning. I knew he had changed over the past year, but I had completely forgotten just how poor he really was at the adoption. Looking at him now, I almost wouldn’t believe he was the same horse if I didn’t know better. He truly proves the old adage… “Never judge a book by its cover!”
Mighty Mouse the Mustang, May 22, 2010
Posted in Daily Posts, Mighty Mouse the Mustang | 1 Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 28, 2011
BLM to Begin Triple B, Maverick-Medicine, and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas Wild Horse Gather
Public encouraged to attend, especially on Saturdays
Ely, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Elko District, Wells Field Office; and BLM Ely District, Egan Field Office will initiate the Triple B, Maverick-Medicine, and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas (HMAs) Wild Horse Gather on or about Thursday, July 7, 2011, to gather and remove approximately 1,726 excess wild horses from in and around the HMAs, and the Cherry Springs Wild Horse Territory (WHT), located about 30 miles northwest of Ely and 70 miles southeast of Elko, Nev.
Any horses gathered above targeted removal numbers will be released back to the HMAs and WHT so that the remaining population is within appropriate management level (AML). The AML for the Triple B HMA is 250-518 wild horses; the AML for the Maverick-Medicine HMA is 166-276 wild horses; the AML for the Antelope Valley HMA west of U.S. Highway 93 is 16-27 wild horses; and the AML for the Cherry Springs WHT is 40-68 wild horses.
Any gathered mares released back to the range will be vaccinated with the PZP-22 (Porcine Zona Pellucida) fertility control vaccine. Additionally, sex ratios of gathered animals to be returned to the HMAs may be adjusted to achieve an approximately 60 percent male/40 percent female ratio. The gather, removal and fertility control are intended to slow wild horse population growth, maintain population size within the appropriate management levels necessary to achieve a thriving natural ecological balance on the public lands and to extend the time before another gather to remove excess wild horses would be needed.
There will be no closure of the public lands and therefore, public lands within the HMAs and WHT will be open to the public during the gather operations, subject to necessary safety restrictions. The public is welcome to attend the gather, and is encouraged to attend on Saturdays, when the media and public will have additional interpretive opportunities and can interact with staff. The BLM has tentatively scheduled the dates of July 9, 16, 23 and 30; and Aug. 6, 13 and 20. The dates are subject to change depending upon weather and gather operations, and the public is encouraged to check the gather hotline nightly (775-289-1880) for changes in the schedule. For more information or to sign up, call Tiffany Trodahl, BLM Egan Field Office resource assistant, at (775) 289-1892. The BLM will also regularly post gather information on its Website at: www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office.html.
The gather will be conducted in close coordination with the Nevada Department of Agriculture’s (NDOA) Brands Division. The NDOA brand inspectors will verify that all gathered animals are wild horses and burros as defined by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. Once verified, the brand inspector will provide the BLM a certificate to transport the animals. Without this cooperation and coordination, the BLM would not be able to remove the excess wild horses and burros which, if not removed in a timely manner, would result in degradation of our native rangelands. The NDOA also may take jurisdiction of any estray, branded or abandoned domestic horse(s) under the State of Nevada estray laws.
The gathered animals will be transported to either the National Wild Horse and Burro Center at Palomino Valley (PVC), in Reno, Nev.;Gunnison Correctional Facility in Gunnison, Utah; or the Delta Wild Horse Corrals in Delta City, Utah, where they will be prepared for the BLM adoption program or for long-term holding. Wild horses for which there is no adoption demand will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanely cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The BLM does not sell or send any horses to slaughter. For more information, contact Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely District public affairs specialist, at (775) 289-1842 or chanefel@blm.gov. Chris Hanefeld, 775-289-1842 Ely District Office public affairs
Posted in Antelope HMA, BLM, Chokecherry, Daily Posts, Ely FO, FY2011 | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 24, 2011
BLM Says: “The High Rock Complex Gather is being coordinated with the Calico Complex Gather proposed by the Winnemucca BLM District’s Black Rock Field Office in Fall/Winter 2011.”
Advocates Ask: “Why?” (rather sarcastically I might add…)
According to the High Rock Complex Gather EA, BLM states the following:
“The benefit of coordinating these wild horse gathers is that it affords the BLM the opportunity to gather wild horses that have moved out of their designated HMAs (due to gather pressure) and have moved into adjacent areas which are subject to different administrative jurisdiction. In the past, horses that have moved out of the prescribed gather area during operations have not been gathered. By coordinating the High Rock and Calico Gathers to occur consecutively, the effective gather area would be increased, thereby improving gather success rates and the ability to achieve the AML within this broader area.”
The High Rock Complex is managed by the Surprise Field Office in California and consists of the Bitner, Fox-Hog, High Rock, Nut Mountain, and Wall Canyon HMAs, along with the Nut Mountain HMA. There is some minuscule light shining at the end of the tunnel though. In the first paragraph of the High Rock EA, BLM states the following:
“The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Surprise Field Office is proposing to implement a population management operation for wild horses in order to achieve desired population levels within the Bitner, Fox-Hog, High Rock, Nut Mountain, and Wall Canyon Herd Management Areas (HMAs), and from adjacent public lands outside of these designated HMAs. This would entail gathering and removing excess horses from four HMAs (Bitner, Fox-Hog, High Rock, and Wall Canyon) and potentially adding horses to one HMA (Nut Mountain). The Nut Mountain HMA did not have excess animals at the time of the last population inventory. All HMAs will be managed for Appropriate Management Levels.”
Whether or not this actually occurs will be the question on everyone’s lips from now until then. The Tri-State MOU includes the following Wild Horse Areas:
Contact Info:
Rolando R. Mendez
Field Manager
Bureau of Land Management
Black Rock Field Office
5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd.
Winnemucca, NV 89445
775.623.1500
e-mail: Tri-State-Calico_Complex@blm.gov
Comments need to be writing and should reference High Rock Complex Wild Horse Roundup, the specific document you are referencing, and include applicable section or page numbers.
Comments may be mailed to: Bureau of Land Management Surprise Field Office, P.O. Box 460, Cedarville, CA 96104, or emailed to: CA High Rock Complex Horse Roundup
Documents:
Tri-State Calico Complex Wild Horse and Burro Gather PEA (Public comment period ends July 18, 2011)
High Rock Complex Wild Horse and Burro Roundup (Comments will be accepted until July 15, 2011)
Posted in BLM, Calico Complex Gather 2009-2010, Daily Posts, FY2011, Ruby Pipeline, LLC, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge | 7 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 16, 2011
More to come on the Calico Complex from TMP soon… T.
BLM Nevada News
WINNEMUCCA DISTRICT OFFICE NO. 2011-24
FOR RELEASE: June 15, 2011
CONTACT: Lisa Ross at (775) 623-1541, lisa_ross@blm.gov
Winnemucca, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Winnemucca District, Black Rock Field Office has prepared a preliminary environmental assessment (EA) for the Tri-State-Calico Complex Wild Horse and Burro Gather Plan. The BLM is proposing to gather approximately 1,298 wild horses and 140 wild burros, of which as many as 268 wild horses would be released back to the range following the gather. The gather area is located northeast of Gerlach, Nev., within Humboldt and Washoe counties. The BLM would appreciate receiving substantive comments on the preliminary EA by July 18, 2011.
In the proposed action, of the wild horses released back to the range, approximately 87 mares would receive a 22-month Porcine Zona Pellucida (PZP-22) immunocontraceptive vaccine treatment and 181 studs/geldings would be released due to sex ratio adjustments (60 percent male/40 percent female). The goal is to slow population growth and maintain population size within the appropriate management level, and extend the time before a gather to remove excess wild horses would be needed.
“Keeping the herd population in balance with the available forage and water helps keep these wild horses healthy,” said Rolando Mendez, Black Rock field manager. “It is the BLM’s responsibility to sustain the health of the rangelands, and achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance.” The BLM is proposing to finish the proposed action and decision made in the Calico Mountains Complex Wild Horse Gather Plan from 2010. Although the Calico Mountains Complex was gathered in Jan. and Feb. 2010, the overall proposed action was not achieved due to winter conditions and wild horse movement within the tri-state area of Nevada, Oregon, and California, which necessitates the need for this follow-up gather.
The BLM estimates there are currently 1,602 wild horses within the Complex and 179 wild burros. The gather is proposed in order to return the wild horse and burro population to within the appropriate management level of 572 to 952 wild horses and 39 to 65 wild burros. The Complex consists of approximately 584,000 acres (public and private) but the gather area consists of approximately 1,041,000 acres to encompass wild horses and burros residing outside of the herd management areas (HMAs).
Wild horses and burros from the Tri-State-Calico Complex would be gathered as a Complex or unit as herds move and interact throughout. The proposed gather is being conducted in conjunction with BLM California’s High Rock Wild Horse Gather, which would take place immediately prior to this proposed gather. This is conducive because both gathers are located within the tri-state area where wild horse movement between these areas exists. The Complex gather involves areas beyond the HMA boundaries as wild horse and burros have moved outside of HMAs in search of forage, water and space, due to the current over-population of wild horses and burros in these areas. The Complex includes the following HMAs: Black Rock Range East, Black Rock Range West, Calico Mountains, Granite Range, Warm Springs Canyon, and McGee Mountain. The proposed gather is tentatively scheduled to begin in December 2011 and will last approximately 40-50 days.
The document may be reviewed on-line at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_information/nepa0.html. Printed copies are available upon request from the BLM Winnemucca District Office. Questions and written comments should be directed to: Rolando Mendez, Field Manager, Black Rock Field Office, BLM Winnemucca District, 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445-2921.Comments may also be submitted by email to Tri-State-Calico_Complex@blm.gov. Email messages should include “Tri-State-Calico Complex Gather Plan (Whitman)” in the subject line. Public comments submitted for this project, including names and addresses of commentors will be available for public review at the Winnemucca District Office during regular business hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.
––BLM–
Immediately following the email distribution of this news, a reply-to-all message was sent:
Do you have any other documentation available to support the conclusions set forth in the EA? Names of the experts, their backgrounds, photographic evidence (specific locations, documented on the ground photos & aerial) and detailed examples of damage, over use, etc.? Please provide the methodology used to calculate the numbers of Wild Horses on the various ranges; dates, times, and methods used and the specific individuals utilized and their professional backgrounds. Do you have a new and specific proposed multi-use plan? If yes, please provide?
Best regards,
William M. LeRoy, President & CEO
American Legal & Financial Network® (ALFN®)
Posted in BLM, Calico Complex Gather 2009-2010, Daily Posts, Ruby Pipeline, LLC, You Be the Judge Series | 5 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 15, 2011
Back in April, I posted The Lone Star State is Brightly Burning… detailing the dire conditions of my fair state. Well, it is now June and we’ve still not received rain. Literally, in my area, we’ve had no rain to speak of since late March. Worse, the forecast doesn’t look too promising anytime soon. I cannot remember a time when we’ve gone for so long without any rain – at all. Luckily, I have an artesian fed well that supplies water for my livestock. The underground veins that lead to this well have also allowed for my North grazing pasture to remain somewhat green, albeit very short. However, not all Texans are as “lucky” as DeLoach Farms.
The folks at Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society College Station, Texas work with law enforcement agencies throughout Texas to help starving, abused, abandoned and neglected horses. They also offer assistance in the form of education and advice to agencies, including other rescues, outside the state of Texas. BEHS is a 501c3 non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the lives of equines by educating and helping owners, assisting law enforcement agencies, rehabilitating abused and neglected equines, and placing them into safe, permanent homes. BEHS President Jennifer Williams, PhD won the 2010 Good Samaritan Visionary Award from the Texas Veterinary Medical Foundation.
Currently, BEHS Pres. Jennifer is placing an SOS: “The economy and drought have had their toll on the horses in Texas. We’ve have a couple of very bad neglect cases where we need to assist law enforcement in seizing horses. We need more space and more money if we’re going to help any more horses! Please consider adopting (1/2 price fees!), becoming a foster home or donating. These horses are desperate for help our hearts are breaking for them.”
I know, I know… We’re all in a bind right now. Trust me; I know firsthand just how bad this economy and lack of rain is making things. But… If you have a dollar to spare, or an open stall, or even some much needed extra hay, it would be most greatly appreciated. Below are the contacts and one of the sponsor stories from BEHS. Also, don’t miss out on the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge (details below)!
Thanks, the TMP Team
Address: PO Box 632, College Station, TX 77841
Phone: (888) 542 5163
Website: http://www.bluebonnetequine.org
Email: info@bluebonnetequine.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BluebonnetEquineHumaneSociety?ref=ts&sk=app_198655166838433
Galeno and his pals at Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society need you!
Galeno’s dam, Corazon, was emaciated when she arrived at Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society last month. She is terrified of humans, and we couldn’t get close to her to determine whether she was pregnant or not. So imagine her foster home’s surprise when she walked outside and saw Galeno one morning! Because his mom hadn’t been cared for while she was pregnant, Galeno was small and poorly muscled. He saw the veterinarian right away and was treated. He’s a lucky boy – if his mom hadn’t been removed with negligent owners, he wouldn’t have received critical care.
Sadly there are many other horses like Corazon and Galeno out there who need our help. But the economy and the drought are making times tough for BEHS and the horses we look out for.
Please help us help these guys – you can donate on our website at http://www.bluebonnetequine.org and all donations are greatly appreciated! And if you have room to foster, you can help us help even more horses in Texas. Please help us help them – and give them a brighter future!
Adoption Days are Here! That means half price adoption fees for you!
June is half-price adoption days at BEHS. Any approved adopter will receive half-price adoption fees on any horse, donkey, mule, pony or miniature horse that they adopt during the month of June. If you want to adopt but aren’t yet approved, get that application in! You can download one at http://www.bluebonnetequine.org/help/adopt.htm – you’ll receive half-price adoption fees on any equine you adopt within 30 days of applying to adopt. Our horses are current on vaccinations, Coggins, dental care, de-worming and farrier care – so if you are looking to add to your heard, give a rescue a chance!
Time to Enter the Bluebonnet Rescue Horse Training Challenge
For those who don’t know about the Challenge, it is a competition in which volunteer foster homes and professional trainers work with a Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society foster horse for three months (starting in early July) and show off the horse’s training at the Challenge at the 2011 Bluebonnet Horse Expo on October 22, 2011 in Austin, Texas.
The goals of the Challenge are to:
The competition is open to any BEHS member who applies to foster and is approved, as well as professional trainers whose property is inspected and approved. If you are not currently an approved foster home or BEHS member, you can join the rescue at http://www.bluebonnetequine.org/help/joinbehs.htm and download a fostering application at http://www.bluebonnetequine.org/help/foster.htm and we’ll get you set up to go.
The Challenge will include the following divisions:
Horses in the professional trainer division will compete under saddle. All other divisions will compete in either an under saddle subcategory or an in-hand subcategory.
At the Challenge, all horses will compete over an obstacle course and will be allowed an additional 10 minutes for a freestyle presentation. This may include riding skills, tricks, presentation of “before and after” history, etc. The contest will be judged by a panel of equine professionals. Each horse/trainer combination will be scored on:
The horses who participate in the Challenge will go up for Adoption the day of the contest. Horses who are not broke to ride will be offered for adoption for $300. Horses who are broke to ride will be offered for adoption for $750. Pre-approved adopters may adopt and take home the horse after the Challenge. If more than one pre-approved adopter wishes to adopt the same horse, they may bid up the adoption fee and the highest bidder will adopt the horse. Adoption applications will also be accepted the day of the Challenge but those adopters will not be allowed to adopt until their property is inspected and approved. Click here for more information and/or to download a Training Challenge application.
Posted in Daily Posts | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 10, 2011
I was working on the TMP website today, updating things and fixing bugs. I came across our page “Clarification of My Position” that contains my speech prepared for the National Wild Horse & Burro Advisory Board Meeting, Reno, NV, in December 2009. As most of you know, I did not make it to that meeting. Texas hadn’t had snow in years, but it certainly came in that week.
Today, I found myself re-reading the statement I had prepared, and I realized that it was just as pertinent now as it was then. This is a very sad realization. So, in the interest of putting it out there and trying to reconcile some of the differences we see so much of still, here is that statement again. MF*T*
I do not affiliate myself with any one advocacy group or organization at this time because I do not personally agree with any one of the groups and organizations that have approached me with this proposition. I do not feel as though it would be fair to the wild horses and burros to devote any of my energies whatsoever toward the non-efficient and ill-fated blaming sessions that are so common in this campaign. In the end, the wild horses and burros are the ones who ultimately suffer. I also do not feel as though my participation from an internal standpoint would be beneficial to any party involved based on the knowledge of conflict of opinions between myself and other members at this time. The energies put forth should be directed at the ultimate goal, not toward conflict of any kind. I do not affiliate myself with any government agency or organization at this time for these same reasons.
However, I do feel as though the path to a viable and clear solution involves all of the voices among the sides of this situation. Each person has a voice, and each voice should be heard. In those voices, we can glean the information we need to come to the best possible conclusion for the wild horses and burros. We can use this information along with the information we have readily available to us to promote better management options and cohabitation through compromise and communication.
I agree with the BLM’s mandate of protection and management of the wild horses and burros due to the need to maintain a balance of the ecological systems wherein they reside through population control. I do not agree with the methods currently in place to facilitate that mandate. To members of the BLM, the National Wild Horse and Burro Program, the Advisory Board, and to all other members of their affiliates, I put forth the following statements:
•No horse or burro should ever be struck with any object in an attempt to “make” him perform an intended task. He is a sentient being. He should not be struck for any reason by the hands of man. There are other ways to communicate without violence. The wild horses and burros have shown and taught mankind the language of Equus. It was only discovered by those members of mankind with an open mind to actually stop and see the fascinating methods of communication among the different members of the herds. Through this language, members speak as clearly as you and I are speaking now and its discovery has brought about an entirely new form of interspecies communication called Natural Horsemanship.
•No horse or burro should ever be pushed to step on or trample another member of his herd in an attempt to “speed things along”. Again, these are living and breathing creatures who do feel pain and who do feel emotion. There is no time schedule whose strictness is important enough that it causes injury or death to another creature simply because of man’s impatience or quest for promptness, efficiency or budget constraints. I ask you to place yourself in his place for just a moment. Imagine that you were forced to harm a member of your own family. There is no difference simply because we are human. These animals have a family bond that is unlike no other. Just because it is not understood by some members of mankind does not mean that it is any less real.
•No horse or burro should ever be placed in a position, physically, mentally or emotionally, where he will be forced to resort to fight or flight instincts. Mankind seems to forget somewhere along the path that we are not the rulers of any universe; we are the cohabitants of this universe. We do not have the right to force our hand on another soul with the misguided notion that we are somehow superior. Let us not forget that it is only through the blood, sweat, and sacrifice of these animals that we are in this very location today. Without their help, Lewis and Clark might’ve never made it to this range and we could all still be in the prehistoric era of our evolutionary timeline.
I agree with the various advocacy groups and organizations whose mission statements correlate with the mandate of better protection and management of wild horses and burros. I do not agree with the extremist point of view mission statements, nor do I agree with the opinion of letting nature take its course. To members of these groups, I put forth the following statements:
•If you want protection for the wild horses and burros, understand that with that protection comes management. You cannot have one without the other. Without protection, they are vulnerable to the cruelties of mankind’s lower and colder hearted members who would exploit these magnificent animals for their own profit and gain. In the process, the wild horses and burros would be subjected to unimaginable cruelties and inhumanities. With protection, they are not subjected to this situation at the hands of these members of society. They are however subjected to lesser cruelties and inhumanities by their managers. This is where we need compromise the most, from both sides.
•The facts are evident at this point in time that we cannot allow nature to take its course where the wild horses and burros are concerned due to the facts that mankind has altered the course of nature with its continual evolutionary processes and growth towards cleaner and brighter futures for our children and grandchildren, among other causes. As a result, the course that nature would have originally taken no longer exists. Therefore, the argument of simply letting nature take its course is not a valid position. Were this allowed to take place, the congregation of wild horses and burros would surely become extinct in a matter of a few decades. Furthermore, this process would be one of a greater pain and suffering that we see now at the hands of their managers.
•Remember that even though the wild horses and burros are our passion and point of interest, they are not the only integral parts of the natural system which they inhabit. There are other members of this ecological system who are equally as important as those members who have stolen our hearts. Just because the horses and burros are the sources of our passions does not give them immunity from the imbalance that their existence sometimes contributes to.
•If you start with misinformation, realize the error of your ways and work to correct them. Do not allow pride to cloud your judgment resulting in a non-factually based proposal. Find all the information possible to make your decision one that comes from a well informed standpoint. Do not stop with just the information needed to support a decision that best benefits you, individually or as a group. Remember that you are not the ones in danger, and that your ignorance of all information available does not physically cause you harm. The wild horses and burros are the ones who pay your debt of ignorance.
Finally, to all parties involved, I put forth the following statement:
•Where mankind is involved so shall there be error. This is inevitable. Therefore, I take this opportunity to remind you all of the fact that we are all human; we will all make mistakes. Our ultimate goal in any quest should be that we make the best decisions possible with all of the information we can gather in order to effect the end result with the least amount of adverse reactions possible. There are those among us today who have made the statement over and over of how they would have performed in a more suitable manner than the ones next to them if only they had been given the chance. This is usually a statement made with great pride. I say to you here and now: it is only with humility in our hearts that we can listen with an open mind to the plight of another and take that plight to the next step of positive action. Let he who has no sin cast the first stone. But let he who has humility in his heart be the one to wipe away the tears of the one who was struck with humility and with a kindness that does not expect any reward in return.
I do not disagree 100 percent with the BLM’s officials, personnel, or their mandates. I do not disagree 100 percent with the advocacy groups, organizations, or the individuals. I only agree with those members of the aforementioned persons who are willing to look at all sides of the information and who work toward the common goal of better protection and management of the wild horses and burros diplomatically. It is only through this cooperation that we can attain that goal. There is no completely right answer. There is no completely wrong answer. The job that we have all signed on to perform is to come to the best possible solution by taking the best points from the many answers and the vastness of information available and putting them forth into positive actions.
Because of my position, I have been accused of “riding the fence” by members of both sides of this argument. I put forth the consideration that there are many sides to this argument, not just two. Even among those of us present, there are different views among the individuals involved. You cannot say that your views are exactly the same as the person sitting next to you, nor could they say the same. There is nothing wrong with this. There is everything right with this. The key to the puzzle is how we go about using all of the views toward our common goal. The answer is that we use all of the views productively and with an attitude of acceptance. Accept that we are not going to get our way every time, and that this is ok. This is not a game. This is reality. This is the reality of lives, literally lives at stake, dependent upon our ability to reconcile our differences, work together, and compromise for the best possible outcome.
I am by no means without guilt in this situation nor do I proclaim to be such. I too have participated in the very actions that I speak out against in this statement in the respect of the “blaming game”. For that, I do apologize and ask forgiveness to all of those whom I have affected with these behaviors. However, I do not feel that the mistakes of mankind should be debts paid by innocent creatures.
It is not my wish or intent that this statement is taken as an insult or in a condescending manner. It is not meant in any derogatory way. My only wish is that we put aside our differences and focus on the reality of the problem at hand, and realize that this is the only problem worth our time and energy where this campaign is concerned. With this approach, I truly believe that we can help our beloved mustangs and burros, and that our children will not only have cleaner energy and brighter futures but will have the opportunity to look out across a rangeland plentiful with the Spirit of the West.
*Update: Over the course of the past couple of years, I have in fact become an ally to a specific advocacy group and its affiliates. The Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates (AOWHO) is a group that has stolen my heart and much of my time. Their program – the Least Resistance Training Concepts (LRTC) Wild Horse Mentors (WHM) – is one of inestimable value. As most of you know, I am a Natural Horsemanship / Equus Trainer and Instructor. I firmly believe that manners are a two way street; if you treat your horse with respect, he will respect you. LRTC WHM are of the same belief system. More specifically, they’re goals are all about the American Wild Mustang. Their Mission Statement says it all: “To ensure appropriate and safe homes for adopted animals and a satisfying experience for adopters by providing pertinent education and mentoring assistance, and to develop programs that preserve viable herds on the range.” The group and it’s allies have received quite a bit of criticism over the years. Specifically, they have been wrongly “labeled” as BLM sympathizers, “on the BLM payroll”, etc. I find this to be very disheartening. The lives of Mustangs that have been saved over the years through this program can’t be truly counted. In order to accomplish the saving of these lives, certain relationships and cooperation with BLM / WH&B were required. What I don’t understand is how anyone could claim that AOWHO, LRTC, or WHM is in the wrong for doing so. LIVES WERE SAVED. ‘NUFF SAID. MF*T*
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | 4 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 6, 2011
Drs Jay Kirkpatrick and Patricia Fazio take on the debate of native or introduced species where the American Wild Mustang is concerned. Naturally, we know that they are in fact Native to North America, but to put this argument to rest from a scholarly perspective, the good doctors published the following paper and were gracious enough to give permissions to TMP to share it with you all. Some info you already know, but a heck of a lot that you didn’t know.
T.
Posted in Daily Posts | 2 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 3, 2011
Please cross post on Friday, June 3! TIME SENSITIVE!
IF YOU HAVE NOT CONTACTED SENATOR HORSFORD AND ASSEMBLYMAN OCEGUERA
(and even if you have)
Today is the deadline to get SB364, the horse tripping ban, brought back up as an emergency measure. The problem we’re facing is that there is a pile of bills that the Legislature has to get through before Monday, so it’s not that these people don’t care, it’s a matter of what issues are given priority. Please call and/or email and encourage these leaders of their respective houses to let SB364 get to the floor for a vote. Nevada’s reputation and the welfare of a number of unfortunate horses hang in the balance!
Thanks “:O) Willis
The original messages are posted below.
On 6/1/2011 7:31 AM, Willis Lamm wrote:
IMPORTANT – CRITICALLY TIME SENSITIVE! Please cross post and respond today, June 1st.
We have a chance at a Hail Mary pass on SB364 (horse tripping.) The Legislature may consider a rules waiver so that the bill can be voted on before the legislative session ends this Friday. I’m forwarding a message from Eric Mills on the subject. Please take a minute and call the legislators listed in his message. Please be polite and responsible, but please urge them to let this bill come up for a vote. Nevada and its horses shouldn’t suffer because a committee was hoodwinked by people who misrepresented the facts in testimony. But we literally have just a few hours to get a waiver signed.
PLEASE DO THIS BEFORE YOU GET DISTRACTED. The hourglass is nearly empty on this one.
Thanks!
“:O) Willis
[Begin forwarded message]
Thanks to the tireless efforts of lobbyist Beverlee McGrath, and Senators Mark Manendo and Allison Copening, there’s a good chance that Senator Copening’s bill to ban horse tripping, SB 364, could be resurrected in the next day or two. But the effort needs your help.
As you likely know, the current Nevada Legislative Session ends this Friday, June 3.
I got a call from Beverlee late this afternoon with some promising news. It seems that SB 364 may be brought up again this week for A VOTE ONLY (no more discussion, no amendments, since the bill has already had a full hearing in the Senate Natural Resources Committee chaired by Senator Manendo).
Here’s the deal: Senator Steven Horsford (D-Las Vegas), Senate Majority Leader, together with Assembly member John Oceguera (D-Las Vegas), Speaker of the Assembly, must BOTH sign the waiver to resurrect SB 364, apparently for another committee vote, followed by a full floor vote. A long shot, but possible…
PLEASE EMAIL AND/OR CALL THEM ASAP (PREFERABLY TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY MORNING), and ask that they do just that: PLEASE SIGN THE WAIVER TO RESURRECT SB 364. Emphasize that this bill would in NO WAY affect American-style rodeo, and that nine other states have already passed similar legislation. It’s time for Nevada to follow suit.
SENATOR STEVEN HORSFORD — shorsford@sen.state.nv.us tel. 775/684-1429
ASSEMBLYMEMBER JOHN OCEGUERA — joceguera@asm.state.nv.us tel. 775/684-8595
And please ask all your friends to do likewise. These abused horses should not have to wait another two years for relief.
Many thanks,
Eric Mills, Coordinator
ACTION FOR ANIMALS
Oakland
Posted in Daily Posts | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on June 2, 2011
It has been a year since Mighty Mouse came to live with us. There were hard times. There were easy times. But they were always the best times because they with Mouse. Our whole family instantly became enamored with this little spit-fire of a horse. From the moment my mother-in-law saw him at the adoption, she loved him. When he got home, the rest of the family quickly followed suit. My father-in-law, “Pa”, was a horseman of sorts in his younger days but has not been around them in a few decades. It took all of about 2.5 seconds for Mouse and Pa to become fast friends. Even when Mouse was mad at everyone else for whatever reason or another, Pa could walk out in the pasture straight up to him with no problems. Talking with Sandra awhile back, I realized in our conversation just how much Mouse meant to me. I’ve had horses all of my life, literally. From the time I was 11 months old, my Grammaw would mount me behind the harness knobs of her plow horse to plow the fields. She used to make me laugh when she’d tell me about it; said she had to wait until I could sit up on my own before she could get the fields done “properly”. I’ve had all kinds of horses, from the old plow horse to the best-bred barrel and cutting horses. But never before have I had a horse that was so kind, so gentle, and yet such a spunky one! Mouse is unlike any horse I have ever owned or even been around. He has the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen. He actually listens when I talk to him. (Seriously, we have full length conversations!) LOL we even watch our soaps together in the barn! (One Life to Live & All My Children are his favorites :D) I know some of this sounds silly, but the relationship shared between me and Mouse is one of extraordinary uniqueness. And neither of us would have it any other way. He is most definitely an Ambassador for the American Wild Mustang. So, without further adieu…
Ladies & Gentlemen, we are proud to present…
The Story of Mighty Mouse, Part 2!
Posted in Daily Posts, Mighty Mouse the Mustang | 19 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on May 27, 2011
FY2011 Gather Schedule as of May 23, 2011 Available as a pdf from TMP for easier print out. ~T.
|
2011 Summer Gathers 2011 as of May 23, 2011 |
|||||||||||
|
State |
Agency |
HMA / HA |
Complex |
Start Date |
End Date |
#Planned Gathered |
#Planned Removed |
Contractor /BLM |
Species |
Mares Treated w/PZP |
#Geldings /Stallions Released |
|
NM |
FS |
Jicarilla |
Bait Trapping |
1/1/11 |
9/28/11 |
150 |
150 |
FS/BT |
Horses |
|
|
|
CA |
BLM |
Centennial HA |
China Lake |
5/27/11 |
5/31/11 |
20 |
20 |
Cattoor |
Burros |
|
|
|
CA |
BLM |
Slate Range HA |
China Lake |
5/27/11 |
5/31/11 |
38 |
38 |
Cattoor |
Burros |
|
|
|
OR |
BLM |
Kiger |
|
7/1/11 |
7/5/11 |
132 |
85 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
|
|
|
NV |
BLM |
|
Buck/Bald Complex |
7/1/11 |
8/16/11 |
1,687 |
1,579 |
Sun J |
Horses |
|
108 |
|
NV |
BLM |
Triple B |
Buck/Bald Complex |
7/1/11 |
8/16/11 |
|
|
Sun J |
Horses |
|
|
|
NV |
FS |
Cherry Creek |
Buck/Bald Complex |
7/1/11 |
8/16/11 |
|
|
Sun J |
Horses |
|
|
|
NV |
BLM |
Maverick/ Medicine |
Buck/Bald Complex |
7/1/11 |
8/16/11 |
|
|
Sun J |
Horses |
|
|
|
NV |
BLM |
Antelope Valley West |
Buck/Bald Complex |
7/1/11 |
8/16/11 |
|
|
Sun J |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
FS |
Big Summit* |
Bait Trapping |
7/1/11 |
9/29/11 |
50 |
50 |
FS/BT |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
FS |
Murderers Creek* |
Bait Trapping |
7/1/11 |
9/29/11 |
50 |
50 |
FS/BT |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
BLM |
Outside Paisley |
Bait Trapping |
7/1/11 |
9/29/11 |
10 |
10 |
BLM/BT |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
BLM |
Outside Warm Spring |
Bait Trapping |
7/1/11 |
9/29/11 |
10 |
10 |
BLM/BT |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
BLM |
Riddle |
|
7/6/11 |
7/10/11 |
87 |
54 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
BLM |
Jackies Butte |
|
7/12/11 |
7/17/11 |
210 |
135 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
|
10 |
|
OR |
BLM |
Three Fingers |
|
7/19/11 |
7/24/11 |
210 |
135 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
32 |
10 |
|
UT |
BLM |
Winter Ridge HA |
|
8/10/11 |
8/15/11 |
200 |
200 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
|
|
|
WY |
BLM |
Little Colorado |
|
8/17/11 |
9/6/11 |
280 |
241 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
23 |
46 |
|
WY |
BLM |
White Mountain |
|
8/17/11 |
9/6/11 |
594 |
455 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
66 |
139 |
|
OR |
BLM |
|
Barren Valley |
9/10/11 |
9/30/11 |
626 |
258 |
Sun J |
Horses |
140 |
50 |
|
OR |
BLM |
Coyote /Alvord |
Barren Valley |
9/10/11 |
9/30/11 |
|
|
Sun J |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
BLM |
Sheepshead /Heath |
Barren Valley |
9/10/11 |
9/30/11 |
|
|
Sun J |
Horses |
|
|
|
OR |
BLM |
Sand Springs |
Barren Valley |
9/10/11 |
9/30/11 |
|
|
Sun J |
Horses |
|
|
|
CO |
BLM |
Spring Creek Basin |
|
9/15/11 |
9/18/11 |
90 |
60 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
10 |
|
|
CO |
BLM |
Piceance/East Douglas |
|
9/20/11 |
9/30/11 |
250 |
250 |
Cattoor |
Horses |
|
|
|
Summer Totals
|
4694 |
3780 |
271 |
363 |
|||||||
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts, FY2011 | 3 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on May 21, 2011
While doing routine maintenance to the TMP site here, I came across one of the search requests that led a visitor to our site. The term searched stated “ruby valley guzzler #3”. I decided to check into this one myself as it seemed interesting given our most recent battles in the Nevada Legislature about water and wildlife. Imagine my surprise when the search engine’s results brought up Elko, NV as the location of this guzzler, and that the NDoW was in charge of this guzzler. The story below is from the Elko Daily Free Press. It was printed on May 13, 2011. What I found the most astonishing is the caption with the picture accompanying the article. MF*T*
Volunteers needed for Ruby Valley guzzler project
Posted: Friday, May 13, 2011 7:41 pm | (0) Comments
Courtesy Joe Doucette/NDOW Joe Doucette Jr. and Jerry Smith stretch wire around a guzzler that was built in 2005 just west of Spruce Mountain. A wildlife friendly fence is built around the drinkers and tanks, while an animal proof fence is built around the water collection pads to keep hooves from putting holes in them.
ELKO — On May 21, The Nevada Department of Wildlife will reconstruct an old guzzler in southeastern Ruby Valley. Because of the labor-intensive nature of these projects, volunteers are needed to assist.
No special skills are required and volunteers of all ages are welcome to participate. Tools will be provided, as will a lunch and dinner, which has been donated by Elko Bighorns Unlimited.
Anyone wanting to travel in convoy should meet at the NDOW office at 6:45 a.m. on May 21. For those who want to meet at the site, work will start around 9 a.m. Directions and a map to the project area can be obtained by calling Norv Dallin at 777-2300.
A guzzler is an artificial water collection structure designed to catch and store water from snow and rain for wildlife. Guzzlers are installed in areas with good habitat, but little or no surface water, making the habitat available for wildlife to use. This guzzler is designed for antelope but may also be used by several big game species, birds, small mammals, and other wildlife.
“The hundreds of guzzlers built in arid parts of Nevada have greatly increased the acreage of habitat available to wildlife,” said Ken Gray, game division supervisor for NDOW’s Eastern Region.
Posted in Lifestyles on Friday, May 13, 2011 7:41 pm Updated: 7:43 pm.
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts, Elko DO | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on May 21, 2011
Messing around this evening with my Excel spreadsheet, I wondered just what the numbers would add up to if I plugged in a formula at the bottom of BLM’s FY 2010 Completed Gather numbers. I knew it had been a lot, but its different when you see it in black and white. T.
| Estimated Pre-Gather Population | # of Animals Gathered | # of Animals Removed | # of Mares Treated with Fertility Control Vaccine | # of Animals Died/Euthanized Gather Related1 | # of Animals Died/Euthanized Not Gather Related2 | Estimated Post Gather Population | |
| FY2010 Grand Totals |
15,508 |
11,554 |
10,345 |
443 |
27 |
74 |
6,167 |
All of these totals came from adding together data listed on BLM’s chart, copied from this address, on May 20, 2011. Or, see below…
|
Completed Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Gather Reports (as of 11/4/10) |
||||||||
| Herd Management Area | Completion Date | Estimated Pre-Gather Population | # of Animals Gathered | # of Animals Removed | # of Mares Treated with Fertility Control Vaccine | # of Animals Died/Euthanized Gather Related1 | # of Animals Died/Euthanized Not Gather Related2 | Estimated Post Gather Population |
| Onaqui | 10/4/09 | 308 | 218 | 184 | 17 | 0 | 2 | 124 |
| Four Mile | 10/9/09 | 149 | 123 | 112 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 37 |
| Sands Basin | 10/13/09 | 122 | 102 | 69 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 53 |
| Caliente Complex | 10/14/09 | 277 | 301 | 301 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 67 |
| McCullough Peaks | 10/20/09 | 207 | 193 | 94 | 33 | 0 | 1 | 110 |
| Garfield Flats | 10/20/09 | 225 | 205 | 135 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 89 |
| Fifteen Mile | 10/24/09 | 392 | 378 | 301 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 89 |
| Tobin Range | 11/3/09 | 443 | 375 | 375 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 67 |
| Hog Creek | 11/11/09 | 64 | 36 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 |
| South Steens | 11/20/09 | 584 | 482 | 369 | 59 | 0 | 0 | 135 |
| Red Desert Complex | 11/25/09 | 1,391 | 1,234 | 843 | 191 | 6 | 6 | 528 |
| Buckhorn | 12/9/09 | 255 | 236 | 193 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 61 |
| Coppersmith | 12/11/09 | 177 | 117 | 116 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61 |
| Paisley | 12/21/09 | 354 | 275 | 250 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 102 |
| Palomino Buttes | 12/24/09 | 120 | 103 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 32 |
| Calico Complex | 02/4/10 | 3,034 | 1,922 | 1,916 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1,362 |
| Black Mountain (Burros) |
02/19/10 | 175 | 84 | 80 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 635 |
| Liggett Table | 02/28/10 | 32 | 25 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Cold Springs | 7/16/10 | 187 | 159 | 115 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 75 |
| Nuisance (Burros AZ) |
7/29/10 | Nuisance | 60 | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Nuisance |
| Owyhee Complex | 8/1/10 | 1,548 | 1,224 | 1,097 | 64 | 4 | 24 | 454 |
| Moriah | 8/13/10 | Data Pending3 | 72 | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Data Pending3 |
| Stinking Water | 8/25/10 | 215 | 210 | 210 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 40 |
| Saylor Creek | 9/1/10 | 200 | 198 | 198 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Emergency Gather |
| Conger | 9/11/2010 | 291 | 218 | 218 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 73 |
| Reveille | 9/14/2010 | 298 | 222 | 222 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 76 |
| Confusion | 9/18/2010 | 349 | 216 | 211 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 138 |
| Twin Peaks (H) | 9/23/2010 | 2430 | 1637 | 1575 | 14 | 1 | 4 | 851 |
| Twin Peaks (B) | 9/24/2010 | 262 | 162 | 159 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 162 |
| Montezuma/
Paymaster |
9/22/2010 | 220 | 149 | 149 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 71 |
| Cibola | 9/28/2010 | 600 | 103 | 98 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 502 |
| Piute | 10/1/2010 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| Silver King | 10/15/2010 | 606 | 504 | 503 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 103 |
1 “Gather Related Deaths” are defined as animals that died or were euthanized at field gather sites due to acute injuries or medical conditions brought about by the gather and removal process including those that occurred during capture, sorting and holding at the gather site. Includes animals found dead in pens overnight and all animals that died for known or unknown reasons thought to be related to gather activities. These numbers only include deaths at capture sites and do not include deaths at short-term holding facilities.
2 “Not Gather Related Deaths” are defined as animals that died or were euthanized according to BLM policy at field gather sites for reasons related to chronic or pre-existing conditions such as poor body condition, lameness, serious physical defects, etc. Includes animals that were euthanized for conditions not brought about by the gather activity. These numbers only include deaths at capture sites and do not include deaths at short-term holding facilities.
3 Final data pending.
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | 4 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on May 21, 2011
I have some very real fears about this gather. The timing, mixed with the weather patterns across the US as of late, does not make for a very safe gather operation. Yes, we know that most all gathers conducted by BLM and FS are not safe to standards that we would like. The point here is that even by the meager standards of BLM and FS, this gather shows promise of disaster.
A) July? Most colts are only a few months old. Some may be almost weanling age if they were born early this year. Some are going to be just off the ground.
B) Again, July? The weather as of late has been showing great forecasts of heat, heat, and more heat. While granted, the heat in Northern Nevada is not as “hot” as it is in other parts of the country due to the low humidity, 95 degrees Fahrenheit is still 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
C) 1,726? Seriously??? Are you out of your ever-bleeping minds? Has history not shown you anything about gathering this many horses at once? For Pete’s sake, take a lesson learned!
D) Say what you will, but I still take serious issue with skewing sex ratios. I don’t agree with it, never have and never will. How’s about making you a mare in the middle of a bunch of studs? Outnumbered and overpowered.
I could go on all night with the reasons why this gather is a bad idea but someone said the world was gonna end in a couple of hours so I guess I’ll try to get some sleep. Don’t want to be all sleep deprived for the big day.
T.
Ely, Nev. –The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Elko District, Wells Field Office; and BLM Ely District, Egan Field Office have issued the Decision Record for the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Triple B, Maverick-Medicine, and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas (HMAs) Wild Horse Gather. The BLM will gather and remove approximately 1,726 excess wild horses from in and around the HMAs, and the Cherry Springs Wild Horse
Territory (WHT) located approximately 30 miles northwest of Ely and 70 miles southeast of Elko, Nev., beginning in July.
At the time of the proposed gather, it is estimated that the population will be more than 1,460 wild horses in the Triple B HMA where the Appropriate Management Level (AML) is 250-518 wild horses; 636 wild horses in the Maverick-Medicine HMA where the AML is 166-276 wild horses; 28 wild horses in the portion of the Antelope Valley HMA west of U.S. Highway 93 where the AML is 16-27 wild horses; and 74 wild horses in the Cherry Springs WHT where the AML is 40-68 wild horses. The estimate includes the 2011 foal crop. Wild horse numbers fluctuate between the HMAs and WHT, based on seasonal movement.
If more than 1,726 wild horses are gathered, selective removal criteria would be used to return horses to the range. Of the horses remaining on the range, BLM would conduct fertility control measures on mares and/or adjust the sex ratios of the gathered animals to be returned to the HMA to 60 percent male/40 percent female ratios.
Removing the excess wild horses will help to prevent further deterioration of the range, and achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship as required under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, and Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as well as help to achieve and maintain healthy wild horse
populations.
The gathered animals will be transported to the Palomino Valley Center near Reno, Nev., where they will be prepared for the BLM adoption program. Un-adopted horses will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanely cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The BLM does not sell or send any horses to slaughter.
The Triple B, Maverick-Medicine, and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas gather and impacts are described and analyzed in the EA, which is available online at http://www.blm.gov/nv/. Click on the Ely District map and then click on the EA listed “In the Spotlight.” The BLM will also provide updates and information at the same Web address on a regular basis throughout the course of the gather.
For more information, contact Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely District public affairs specialist, at (775) 289-1842 or chris_hanefeld@blm.gov.
Triple B, Maverick Medicine, and Antelope Valley HMA Wild Horse Gather
Ely District Office (Employee Directory)
702 North Industrial Way, HC 33 Box 33500 Ely, NV 89301
Phone: 775-289-1800 Fax: 775-289-1910 Email: eyfoweb@blm.gov
District Manager: Rosemary Thomas
Caliente Field Office
US Hwy 93 Bldg #1, P.O. Box 237 Caliente, NV 89008
Phone: 775-726-8100 Fax: 775-726-8111
Field Manager: Victoria Barr
Egan Field Office
702 North Industrial Way, HC 33 Box 33500 Ely, NV 89301
Phone: 775-289-1800 Fax: 775-289-1910
Field Manager: Gary Medlyn
Schell Field Office
702 North Industrial Way, HC 33 Box 33500 Ely, NV 89301
Phone: 775-289-1800 Fax: 775-289-1910
Field Manager: Mary D’Aversa
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | 2 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on May 13, 2011
BLM to Host Public Tours of its Fallon Wild Horse and Burro Facility
Reno, Nev. —The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is offering public tours of its Indian Lakes Road Short-Term Holding Facility in Fallon, Nev., Friday, June 3, and Friday, July 15, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The tours can each accommodate up to 30 people and will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The public can sign up to attend and get driving directions to the facility by calling the BLM at (775) 475-2222.
The facility is located at 5676 Indian Lakes Road, Fallon, and is privately owned and operated. Those attending the tour will be taken around the facility as a group on a wagon so visitors can hear information about the facility and program, ask questions, and to provide safety for visitors, since the facility is quite large to walk around by foot.
About a one and one-half hour drive from Reno, the Indian Lakes Road Facility is the BLM’s newest contracted short-term holding facility, and provides care for up to 2,850 excess wild horses that are removed during gathers. The facility encompasses 320 acres and contains 36 large holding pens that are 70,000 square feet per pen and can hold approximately 100 horses safely per pen. The horses are fed an abundance of feed tailored to their needs each day, and a veterinarian routinely inspects the horses and provides necessary medical care.
Once preparation for adoption is completed, and the animals have fully transitioned to a diet of domestic feed, they are ready for shipment to adoption venues and may be available to the public for adoption through the BLM’s Adopt-A-Horse or Burro Program.
The BLM plans to hold periodic public tours in the future. Announcements of future public tours, as well as information about the Indian Lakes Road Facility and the public tours, can be found at the BLM Nevada website at www.blm.gov/nv/.
Posted in BLM, Calico Complex Gather 2009-2010, Daily Posts | 1 Comment »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on May 13, 2011
Issue: The Nevada State Legislature continues to make it tough to be a horse in the Silver State
Priority: HIGH
Status: Working Incident
Date: May 13, 2011
Through its unfathomable actions the Nevada State Legislature is continuing its unprecedented assault on horses of all kinds. A ban on horse tripping failed to get out of committee on the excuse that such things didn’t happen in Nevada, only to be followed a few days later by a KRNV (Reno Channel 4) exposé and video of horses being tripped in a Winnemucca mangana (Mexican rodeo.) (See story.)
This fiasco came on the heels of Senate Joint Resolution 5 (SJR5) that opposed certain proposed reforms to the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro Program and it preceded the Legislature’s latest endeavor, Assembly Bill 329 (AB329,) that is aimed to prevent the Bureau of Land Management from being able to appropriate water within the state for wild horses.
Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc.) have gone “viral” with angry posts from citizens across the world. An effort is underway to “blacklist” Nevada. Thousands of people are pledging not to spend money in Nevada as tourists or purchase Nevada products. The venom expressed on these sites is unmistakable. (See one example.)
Nevada residents are growing concerned because the image projected to the world by the state is essential to successful tourism marketing. The tourism industry is Nevada’s largest employment sector. According to the Nevada Commission on Tourism, Nevada is six times more tourism-dependent than the U.S. average with tourism accounting for 13 percent of Nevada’s overall statewide Gross Domestic Product.
Revenues from tourism and gaming produce 35 percent of the state’s tax revenues. It appears that the Nevada State Legislature could be about to receive a lesson in marketing and economics. However the Legislature’s answer may be to shift the burden of its folly onto the taxpayers. Senate Bill 495 would impose a “transaction tax,” or a whole new tax, similar to the sales tax on merchandise, that would be imposed on virtually every kind of labor service other than health care.
This Legislature needn’t worry about its impact on tourism revenues. If some of the tourists decide to stay home, Nevada citizens can be squeezed to provide the money needed to keep the state operating. What’s a State Legislature for other than to make foolish decisions and legally extract money from its citizens?
The reality is that some people in the Nevada State Legislature need to wake up. Provocative approaches to dealing with state issues can and will alienate the state’s “customer base,” particularly when these very issues could be addressed in a less controversial manner. Quotes made by a couple of legislators that were dismissive of non-Nevadans have further inflamed this situation. Citizen comments such as, “If you don’t respect my opinion, then you won’t get my money” are being voiced in response.
It is not that this Legislature hasn’t been warned by a number of people trying to preserve Nevada’s tourism image. This Legislature either doesn’t get it or it just doesn’t care. It could be that Nevada is headed for tough times and the citizens need to be figuring out who is responsible.
Please fasten your seat belts and keep your head and arms inside the ride until it comes to a complete stop. It’s likely to be a rough ride.
Get involved with legislative activities. Constructive interaction with legislators helps produce beneficial legislation. The Nevada State Legislature has a useful web site that can be visited by clicking here.
Additional Documents Worth Viewing
Nevada Wildlife Commission Proposed “Feral Horse Policy”
(More links will be added.)
Posted in Daily Posts | 2 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on May 13, 2011
(Copied from Animal Law Coalition.) Food Network Canada Contact Us
Horse Advocates Call Foul on Food Network
Posted May 13, 2011 by lauraallen
Chicago (EWA) – Equine Welfare Alliance (EWA) joins its Canadian partner, Canadian Horse Defence Coalition (CHDC) in calling for the withdrawal of an episode scheduled to air Monday, May 16 on the Food Network’s program Top Chef Canada.
The program features “French Cuisine” including horse meat and foie gras, angering both horse advocates and animal welfare groups across the globe. The timing of this episode coincides with CHDC’s May Equine Awareness campaign.
In choosing these menu items, the program has completely ignored the cruelty involved in their production. Foie gras is diseased duck liver produced by force feeding ducks using a feeding tube thrust down their throats several times a day until they are too fat to even stand up. The liver becomes hugely swollen in an attempt to deal with the process.
Horse meat in Canada comes from horses that often suffer incredible abuse even before they arrive at slaughter. Beyond this, horse meat is likely to contain drugs that are illegal in food animals.
Last year, renowned chef at Pangaea Restaurant in Toronto, Martin Kouprie, removed horse meat from the menu because slaughterhouses cannot tell him where the horses come from and whether the meat is free of toxic substances. “I cannot in good conscience serve that to my customers,” said Kouprie. “Every ingredient in my kitchen has a story, and if I don’t know that story, I cannot serve it.”
The investigations into two of the major horse slaughter plants in Canada last year revealed horrific conditions and has caused outrage across the world. A recent European Union Food and Veterinary Office investigation into the horse slaughter plants in Mexico revealed numerous serious violations including drug residues in the meat.
North American horses are not raised or regulated as food animals. “Consumers need to be aware of the health dangers of eating horse meat and the cruelty the horses endure before ending up on their plates.” commented John Holland, president of EWA.
“Many Canadians consider horses to be as dear to their hearts as dogs and cats,” adds Sinikka Crosland, Executive Director of the Canadian Horse Defence Coalition. “Companion animals are not likely to be well-accepted as menu items in our country.”
The Equine Welfare Alliance believes that the choice of horse meat was not an accidental social misjudgment, but more likely the result of influence from a well funded public relations effort on the part of horse slaughter supporters aimed at gaining acceptance for the meat and desensitizing viewers to horse slaughter in general. Case in point, The Toronto Observer also ran a story on May 11 defending the consumption of horsemeat.
It is in the best interest of the Food Network and consumers to withdraw the episode promoting food that is dangerous to consumers and cruel to equines. Fortunately, the French have many excellent sauces and dishes to choose from that do not involve cruelty and carcinogens as ingredients.
Posted in Daily Posts | 6 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on April 29, 2011
It’s a little early, we know; but then again, it’s never really early to tell your Mama Thanks!
There are many different variations of the names given to mothers. In the South, we call them “Mama”. Being a Mama is a very serious job with very big responsibilities. As Mamas, we don’t take it lightly. One of our most important responsibilities is to protect our children from the cruelties, hatred, and evil in this world. We strive to keep our children “kids” for as long as we can. And to do so, we preserve their innocence in any way that we know how. One of those ways is through horses.
The bond between a child and his horse is one that tempered steel and a diamond bit cannot break. Even as Mamas, most of us can remember our first four-hoof friend from our childhoods. They taught us more than we ever realized they were teaching us at the time, and some of us don’t even realize now some of our lessons learned on the backs of our mounts.
But for those of us who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity now with our children, our Equine heroes are continuing that tradition. I for one could not be more grateful each and every time I see Britton with his mare, India. I see that innocence in his eyes, his smile and in his loving care of her needs. Even at the age of 9 – which by today’s standards is practically a teenager – Britton is maintaining the essence of his childhood. I credit India with a great deal of that accomplishment.
Almost all of you have seen me write about Britton and India, how their friendship started even before he was born, and still continues today. The day that India gallops into the sky will indeed be a day of tremendous loss for our family. And even though India has never foaled, she is more of a “Mama” than many of the two leggeds I see in this world.
In tribute to India – and all Mamas like her – I dedicate the following compilation. The song is by the late, great Patsy Cline – who was taken too soon from her time here on Earth. It’s called “If I Could See the World”. She sings about seeing this world through the eyes of a child, with no trouble and no strife, just a big happy life, and a bluebird in every tree. The pictures are from family and friends. The message is simple: Thank you.
Posted in Daily Posts | 5 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on April 27, 2011
(Links and resources at the end of BLM’s Press Release)
Bureau of Land Management
Contacts: Paul McGuire (Oklahoma) (405-794-9624) Heather Emmons (Nevada) (775-384-7966) Tom Gorey (Washington, D.C.) (202-912-7420)
For release: Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Bureau of Land Management and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) have begun a five-year wild horse contraceptive study at the BLM’s short-term holding facility in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. The pasture breeding study will test the effectiveness of two formulations of the investigational contraceptive vaccine SpayVac® to determine if the treatment can reduce foaling rates in wild horse mares.
The goal is to see if SpayVac®, a novel formulation of a glycoprotein called porcine zona pellucida (PZP), will provide a longer-term effect than other PZP vaccines currently used by the BLM. If the vaccine is found to reduce foaling in this controlled setting, it will be considered for use with free-roaming horses to help control population growth rates on the
range.
As the primary agency responsible for management of wild horses on U.S. public lands, the BLM has a need for a long-lasting contraceptive agent to control herd growth rates. Given the protection afforded by the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and a general lack of natural predators, wild horse populations increase at an average rate of 20 percent a year and can quickly exceed the carrying capacity of their ranges.
The BLM, as part of its development of a new wild horse and burro management strategy, has been stepping up its efforts to reduce population growth rates in wild horse herds using contraceptive agents. A main limitation of the agents currently available is that they are of relatively short duration or need to be administered annually. Maximizing the duration of contraceptive effectiveness is especially important in wild horses, which in most cases must be captured in order for the treatment to be successfully administered.
In the BLM-USGS study, 90 mares have been treated with either one of two formulations of the vaccine or a placebo. The mares will be followed for five years to measure anti-PZP antibody levels and compare the foaling rates between treated horses and controls. Although breeding is not usually allowed to occur in BLM facilities, a clinical trial in this controlled environment will provide critical information on how well SpayVac® works as a contraceptive.
The mares and stallions enrolled in the study were selected from horses already in BLM holding facilities. They are being housed in three 30-acre pastures and will be together during the next five breeding seasons. Foals that are born during the study will be offered for adoption each fall after they have been weaned. At the conclusion of the study, all adult horses
will be returned to the BLM’s Adopt-A-Horse Program or placed in long-term pasture facilities.
The BLM has an interagency agreement with the USGS for research and scientific support, and this study is a collaborative effort with scientists from the USGS, veterinarians with the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and TerraMar Environmental Research LLC.
Crooks and Liars: Nevada Agriculture Director Scuttles Birth Control Study October 17, 2008
SpayVac® Immunocontraception in Feral Horses
Q – Why doesn’t BLM consider other fertility control agents such as SpayVac or Gonacon?
A – GonaCon™ is an experimental fertility control vaccine. Presently, applications of GnRH are being researched in controlled field studies for potential use as a wildlife management tool for deer. Tests of the GnRH vaccine are ongoing in several states and countries, involving a wide range of wildlife and feral species, including horses. At present, the effectiveness of GonaCon™ as a fertility control agent appears similar to or less than PZP-22 which BLM is currently using, suggesting limited potential for development of an effective longer-lasting fertility control agent.
SpayVac™ is an experimental fertility control vaccine using PZPantigens. A single vaccination with SpayVac™ has maintained a high level of contraception throughout the 4-year Nevada estray horse study. There is no regulatory approval for the management or investigational use of SpayVac™ through EPA or FDA. There is no SpayVac™ available for investigational use and no one is currently making it. Data is not available that describes the impact of SpayVac™ on the behavior and physical health of the mares. SpayVac™ may have potential for use as an effective, longer-lasting fertility control agent in the future. It may also offer an alternative to spaying mares in the future. However, additional research over the next 5-10 years would be needed before it could be used on a population-management basis.
Evaluation of Three Contraceptive Approaches for Population Control in Wild Horses (pdf)
WILD HORSE BIRTH CONTROL WITH PZP from Dianne Nelson of The Wild Horse Sanctuary, Shingletown, CA
A Similar Vaccine, American Herds Blog Post, October 02, 2010
Posted in BLM, Daily Posts | 14 Comments »
Posted by Texas Mustang Project on April 18, 2011
The Lone Star State is Brightly Burning… So much so that it can be seen from space. Photo from a NASA satellite. The Rock House fire, which began in Marfa, Texas, became the fastest-moving wildfire to scorch the area in decades.
Yes, my friends, the Lone Star State is burning brightly. I am a Texan. I was born here. I was raised here. I’ve lived here all of my life and if I have anything to say about it, I will die between the Red and Rio Grande. I love this state. I love the birds, the hills, the prairies and – of course – I love the Aggies.
But right now, the state that I love and count myself among the most blessed to be a citizen of is hurting deeply. Her eyes are upon us, but they’ve dried up from all the tears she’s cried. And it breaks my heart to see the devastation all around.
I visited our family’s homeplace this morning. My grandmother and grandfather were given seven acres of land in 1932 as a wedding present to start their lives together, the homeplace. Since then, four generations of Walters’ have been born, raised, and settled there. My mom and dad still live there today. Driving down the dirt road towards the old gate this morning, I found it very difficult to look at all of the smoke in the air, the ashes landing on my truck, and the literally countless burned plantation pines and oak trees along the way. My family’s homeplace is still safe, as are the woods immediately surrounding it. However, our friends and extended family members ten miles north of us were not so lucky. No official reports yet on the severity of the damages except for one vehicle lost. Thankfully, no homes have been damaged, and no one has been injured.
The current wildfire threatening our area, Pipeline No. 204, began Friday and has now reached over 7,500 acres. Reports early this morning stated 75% containment. It began as a result of a flare stack on an oil field location backfiring as it was being lit. The worker said he tried his best to get the flames out before they spread but the brush was so dry that it quickly spread to the surrounding woods.
Loss of Wildlife, Livestock, Livelihoods and Lives
As a result of the Pipeline No. 204 wildfire, over a thousand acres of hay pastures have been lost from an already decreased harvest forecast. Several hundred smaller grazing pastures have been charred beyond their ability to heal within this year. But the most damaging aspect of this fire has been the thousands of acres of natural habitat that have been destroyed.
Our little neck of the woods is very well known for its birds, whitetail deer, and even a few re-introduced black bears. Our ecosystems are some of Mother Nature’s finest – with the exception of the feral hogs and the damages they incur on their own. We call it the Big Thicket.
The National Parks Service folks call it the Big Thicket National Preserve. Other people have called it “an American ark and the biological crossroads of North America” because of how many species co-exist here. It is home to approximately 1,300 species of Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Daily Posts | 7 Comments »
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