November 24, 2007

• The recent death of a black stallion in Corolla, Virginia has been confirmed as resulting from a gunshot wound- the seventh wild horse shot in the area in the last six years. http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_111907_horse_wild_shot.1c683737.html
• The Wild Horse Preservation League is sponsoring the Fund-a-Flake program by distributing donation cans around Central Lyon County. http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20071123/DAYTON/111230132
• An interesting historical letter from Chief Seattle dated from the 1800's that poignantly describes a completely different attitude towards living with the Earth and of course, wild horses. http://jameskilgarriff.wordpress.com/2007/11/23/letter-from-chief-seattle/
• In true irony, while Australia plots the murder of 10,000 "feral" wild horses, they celebrate the birth of the first Przewalski foal in seven years at their zoo because it is the only "true" wild horse and therefore "special". It's special mainly because it was hunted into extinction in the wild with the only survivors having been domesticated. http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/11/133.shtml
• By odd coincidence, a blog titled Kyklops offers photos of wild horses in Japan that have strikingly similar features to the photo provided of the Przewalski horses referenced above. http://kyklops.blogspot.com/2007/11/horses-of-cape-toi.html
• A newly released study focuses on horses dispersing weed seeds. While cattle, sheep, rabbits and deer were also cited as having many seeds survive, the study only focused on the "large numbers of horses on public lands". Wonder who cut the check that funded that study? http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/11/135.shtml?refer=rss
• BLM is at it again...more emergency round ups in the Antelope HAs and HMAs in Nevada. This time, BLM states that if they don't immediately remove the wild horses, their deaths will be CATASTROPHIC over the winter. Why? Because BLM "experts" can't seem to figure out by even the largest margins how many wild horses actually reside in their "well-monitored" ranges. Antelope horses were removed in 2002 and again in January 2005 cleansing another 964. At the time, BLM claimed only 319 remained but a "new census" in October revealed that the population had exploded to an estimated 1,181 wild horses in just two years. Wow, are these guys good or what? BLM gave the public 15 days to respond to the CATASTROPHIC emergency round up (having absolutely nothing to do with a fence recently erected that prevents wild horses from migrating to their normal winter range) and BLM expressly forbids the public from commenting via email. If anyone would like to tell BLM what you think about that, you can email William Dunn, Field Manager at William_E_Dunn@blm.gov or Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Benjamin Noyes at Benjamin_Noyes@blm.gov or Public Relations Specialist Chris Hanefeld at Chris_Hanefeld@nv.blm.gov or Nevada Wild Horse and Burro Lead Susie Stokke at Susie_Stokke@nv.blm.gov
• The BLM has announced an extension through December 7, 2007 of their original deadline for public nominations to fill three vacancies on the national Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. The categories to be filled are: Wild Horse and Burro Advocacy, Veterinarian Medicine and General Public Interest. For experienced WH&B advocates who know how to read between the lines, BLMs extension of the nomination deadline translates into no one has yet submitted a nomination that BLM will "approve of". While advocates who have passionately pursued wild horse and burro preservation have been continually denied appointments for many years, perhaps NOW is the time to try again since BLM seems a little short of qualified individuals they haven't "reappointed to death". For qualifications and submission requirements, go to: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2007/0711/NR_07_11_19.html
• The Nevada Commission for the Preservation of Wild Horses will conduct their next meeting on November 26, 2007 an 12:00 pm (noon) at the Washoe County Commission Chambers, 1001 E. 9th, Reno, NV 89512. Copies of the Commission's agenda were cited as posted on their website, at http://www.wildhorse.nv.gov/ but as of today, no agenda is publicly available.

The Commissions privately released agenda plans to address and may take action on the following items:

1. Issuing recommendations for the National policies and procedures of implementing gelding herds in lieu of functional reproductive herds to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board.

2. Discussing Litigation Options regarding the wild horse and burro program though no information was provided on what the Commission intends to begin litigation on.

3. Requesting studies on fertility control treatments that now have been applied to a large percentage of the remaining wild populations.

4. Reviewing BLM management of the Nellis wild horses located in the Nevada Wild Horse range with special emphasis on water management or the lack of it.

• The Bureau of Land Management in Utah has bombarded the public with FIVE Draft Management Plans for establishing how public lands will be managed within the next 10-20 years. These plans will become the guiding foundation for HOW Utahs wild horse and burro herds will be administered and grant BLM the future authority of what they do to those herds. Land use plans are huge documents that require hours of study of BLMs proposals. Posting five of them all within the same few months is yet another effort by land managers to overwhelm the public and consequently, discourage public awareness, participation and involvement.

To access ALL currently proposed Draft Management Plans, go to: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/planning.1.html

Moab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by November 30, 2007 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/planning/draft_rmp_eia.html#Download
Vernal Draft Management Plan -Supplemental - Public Input Due by January 3, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis/draft_rmp_eis.html
Kanab Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 12, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/kanab/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html
Richfield Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by January 26, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/richfield/planning/rmp/draft_rmp_eis.html
Monticello Draft Management Plan - Public Input Due by February 8, 2008 http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/monticello/planning/draft_rmp_eis.html