Kathrens, Leigh and Fite issue statements on Tuscarora Mustang roundup

Reno, NV (Aug 4, 2010) —”The Tuscarora roundup accurately characterizes a government agency who treads heavily on the First Amendment Rights of American citizens while they destroy a beloved icon of the West,” explains Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation and Emmy Award-winning producer.

Herd Watch Director Laura Leigh, who filed a lawsuit to stop Owyhee HMA roundup in Nevada has been repeatedly denied her 1st Amendment right to observe, as upheld by a federal judge.

“Originally the BLM locked down the area—to dissuade press and observers from covering the roundup for the first two weeks. We can only imagine the dirty work the BLM did not want us to see,” says Laura Leigh, Herd Watch Director for The Cloud Foundation. ”

Even as an accredited member of the press and member of the public I was not allowed to observe any horses during the deadly Owyhee roundup. It is absolutely unacceptable that our government can operate in such a cloak and dagger manner with a resource so important to the American people. This kind of secretive action cannot be allowed to happen again. It is a clear violation of the checks and balances afforded in our Constitution.”

“It is horrific to see dead horses off rocky cliffs as a result of the Tuscarora roundup,” says Anne Novak spokesperson for The Cloud Foundation. “When the press and public are barred from bearing witness, we can only wonder what the contractor and the BLM are trying to hide.”

Despite the BLM’s spin doctors at work on the Tuscarora death toll, Katie Fite Biodiversity Director for Western Watersheds Project states, “The desert doesn’t lie,” reminding us the truth will be revealed.

Source: Press Release