October 31, 2007

• A crafty political maneuver by Nevada Senator Harry Reid pushes through confirmation to a top post in the U.S. Department of the Interior that circumvented months of opposition by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, who based his concerns on ethics questions as well as attempting to demand accountability of the Department and the current Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. The appointment was necessary to replace former U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Deputy Assistant Secretary Julie MacDonald, who resigned amid controversy. The Inspector General determined MacDonald had broken federal rules and should be punished for bullying federal scientists and improperly leaking information. Randi Spivak, executive director of American Lands Alliance stated, " The Department of the Interior is rife with political interference. Kempthorne has not come close to making a commitment to scientific integrity.....The spotlight needs to shine on Kempthorne. Is he going to get that house in order?" Senator Reid successfully ended Senator Wydens attempt to pressure the Department and Secretary into much needed reform. Thanks Harry!!! http://www.denverpost.com:80/news/ci_7324628
• 15 or more of 59 Belgian draft horses were killed or had to be euthanized in what was described as a "horrific accident" Saturday night in Wadsworth, Illinois. A packed double-decker semi the horses were being transported in on their way to auction in Minnesota overturned, causing dozens of firefighters and volunteers to work for more than five hours to free the horses from the wreckage. Questions about transport laws and violations have arose due to the horses being crammed into a such a tiny trailer, which is being cited as a contributing factor to the carnage. Links to stories and videos:
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-horse_weboct29,0,5960426.story?coll=chi-navrailbusiness-nav
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-071028horsecrash-photogallery,0,5303145.photogallery?coll=chi_home_util
• http://cbs2chicago.com/northsuburbanbureau/draft.horse.crash.2.414718.html
• http://wgntv.trb.com/
• http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=local&id=5731185
• http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-071029horses-wn,0,2299462.worldnowvideo?coll=chi_home_util
• The reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the 2001 and 2005 wild horse shootings on the Outer Banks has just been increased to $12,000 by the Humane Society of the United States. The Corrolla Wild Horse fund has had a standing offer of $9,500 in this case. Corrolla's wild horses in the Outer Banks' are descendants from the mid-16th century Spanish explorers with an estimated 92 wild horses remaining. The American Livestock Breed Conservancy lists the Colonial Spanish Mustang breed as "threatened". http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-reward.o30,0,152667.story
• "The extended drought and poor range conditions might lead to the deaths of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of wild horses this winter, state officials say." The fate of hundreds of Virginia Range wild horses, located on 287,000 acres in Western Nevada, is being considered with alternatives including sterilization. http://politics.lasvegassun.com/2007/10/drought-endange.html
• "Nevada's Wild Horses: Soon Gone Forever?" A story published last year by Nevada Investigative Reporter, George Knapp, that provides several links to previous stories about wild horse and burro management in Nevada and the Las Vegas area. http://lasvegasnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=5425086