BLM Removes Thousands of Wild Horses to Make Room for Millions of Cattle
Wild horses rounded up by BLM.
The Bureau of Land Management's latest proposal to round up wild horses says they are trying to prevent "further range deterioration." If they're worried about range deterioration, shouldn't they ban the grazing of tens of millions of cattle and other domestic livestock on public lands?
These are not theoretical livestock, hundreds of miles away from the horses. If you look at the map of the "capture area" (outlined in yellow), these cattle grazing allotments (outlined in green) are inside the Calico Complex area where the BLM proposes to remove the horses because they claim to be concerned about range deterioration.
Not only are the livestock in the horses' territory, but they are inside a National Conservation Area. Animal advocates are well-aware that the word "conservation" does not mean that animals will be protected. But the word conjures up images of saving wildlife. Not displacing wildlife in favor of private livestock interests.
What you can do: First, go vegan. The horses are being removed from their natural habitat because they compete with domestic livestock grazing on public lands. Second, submit comments on the BLM's proposal for the removal of wild horses from the Calico Mountain Complex. The comment period was just extended to November 22, 2009. Send comments to:
Dave Hays, Field Manager
Black Rock Field Office
BLM Winnemucca District Office
5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd.
Winnemucca, NV 89445-2921
Email: wfoweb@nv.blm.gov
Oh, and the BLM's plan to put wild horses on "preserves" is similarly offensive. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who is a hunter and a rancher, stated in an October 7, 2009 letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:
[A]rid western lands and watersheds cannot support a population this large without significant damage to the environment. To prevent starvation of animals and to protect the lands from over-grazing, the BLM each year moves thousands of wild horses to short-term corrals and long-term pastures.
Salazar's letter somehow fails to mention that while there are 37,000 wild horses eating vegetation on BLM's public lands, tens of millions of cattle and sheep are allowed to graze on that same land. Hmmm. Must've slipped Salazar's mind.
Jeff T. Green / Getty Images
Addendum: The Preliminary Environmental Assessment for the Calico Complex wild horse capture plan makes it plain that the horses are being removed because they compete with cattle. After determining that the cattle and horses cannot coexist for much longer (p. 34), the BLM considered several options, but not one of them included reducing the number of cattle allowed to graze in the area. Every option focuses on removal, sterilization and/or killing of the horses. Page 19 of the Preliminary EA shows that 2,498 cattle currently graze in the area, and according to page 22, about 3,095 wild horses live there.
Update: See Lawsuit Stalls Wild Horse Roundup, posted December 2, 2009. And thank you to Mike Hudak for pointing out my mathematical error. The number of domestic livestock grazing on public lands is in the millions, not tens of millions, in a typical recent year.
Suggested Reading:
- What's Wrong with Livestock Grazing on Public Lands?
- What's Wrong with Grass-Fed Beef?
- Friends of Animals' Letter to Obama on BLM Horse Management
- Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates
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United animal rights and wild horse advocates have delivered a petition to the White House requesting an immediate moratorium on wild horse round ups pending corgressional investigation. Over 100 organizations signed the original document. Join us in the effort to save Americas wild horses before it’s too late.
for a copy of petition and to sign on write to:
news@thecloudfoundation.org
or
john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Nicely written article. Thank you for telling people the whole story about why BLM wants horses gone.
Dear Doris,
Thanks for your thoughtful column.
Stampeded by helicopters and slammed into metal pens, America’s wild horses have been robbed of their homelands and forced to stand dull-eyed in pens, awaiting the slaughter that the Bureau of Land Management says will come in their “silver bullet” plan is implemented.
It’s going on today. Tomorrow. The next day.
I have been on the range in northern Nevada and observed the horses four times in the last six months. The horses are glossy and healthy. The land is greener than usual and water sources are looking good, even when they’re shared with cattle which outnumber wild horses at least 500-1. It’s hard to tell what the numbers really are, because even within the Dept. of the Interior, they vary.
These million dollar helicopter round-ups are done in my name and yours as if it’s the will of the American people, despite the cost, the lack of a clearly stated plan and our continued protests that this is NOT what we want.
That’s why my name is on a letter to President Obama and Congress requesting that all round-ups stop until accurate numbers of horses and livestock are available and range conditions are evaluated by independent observers.
Want to help help the horses? Send the President a message : http://animalrights.change.org/actions/view/blm_and_wild_horse_roundups
Terri Farley
Everyone be sure to remember that Barack “The Wolf Killer” Obama and his trusty cattle rancher cowboy sidekick in The Interior Department “Ken Salazar” are responsible for this too! This government and its obsession with killing and exploiting wildlife for special interests makes me sick!
Have any of you ever seen a feral horse in your whole life. First they are not wild. The hundreds around the las Vegas valley suffer from overpopulation leaving them all sick and dying. There isn’t a single cow anaywhere around here either. You all should take a second look at your radical animal rights POV. Your too willing to believe ELF’s perspective.
Cattle for wild horses! We need more unhealthy meat and methane gas? We don’t have enough meat? Get your priorities straight…..
Dear Doris,
Thank you very much for speaking on behalf of these horses.
Here is an update on action that people can take to help:
“The National Wild Horse And Burro Advisory Board is accepting public comments through December 2, 4 p.m. PST”
https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=1345&JServSessionIdr003=zmfnxekah8.app245b
Thank you also for for the information including the suggestion to “go vegan”. It is important that people who eat animal products understand the implications of their dietary choices on the environment, including impacts on wildlife as a result.
Gratefully, Peggy Oki