Cross-posted from Wild Horses & Renegades
WRITTEN BY JAMES KLEINERT
Disappointment Valley Wild Horse. Image / BLM Colorado Photostream on Flickr.
The film Wild Horses and Renegades has generated a federal lawsuit, Kleinert v. Salazar, challenging the recent Disappointment Valley helicopter roundup based on violations of the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse & Burro Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the U.S. Constitution.
The legal strategy focuses on staying in court post-roundup. Federal lawsuits against the BLM under the 1971 Wild Horse Act are rare and recent, and this area of the law is literally developing by the day. Most lawsuits are dismissed for lack of standing and mootness. The Kleinert case is unique and should withstand dismissal. This is because the volunteer group is able to return captured horses back to the larger range they inhabited 1971, so the herd can repopulate to a higher, genetically sustainable size
Since the captured Disappointment horses can in fact be returned to the range thanks to community support, the court can grant this relief, which means the case should withstand dismissal and the plaintiffs can stay in court post-roundup.
This will be a rare opportunity to create new law. It could be a game changer for the American wild horse and its advocates.
Continue reading http://theamericanwildhorse.com/kleinert-vs-salazar/ >>
If you would like to learn more about the lawsuit, please go to the BLM Lawsuit page.
The work done by the plaintiff, Laura Leigh has laid great ground work for this case in Federal courts in Nevada. Hoping for great success all around.. BLM is indeed having to defend its inhumane ways, and its ignoring of the 1971 law.
I am behind Laura Leigh ALL THE WAY. Thank you Laura for doing all this work for these magnificent animals. The BLM MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE for its INHUMANE WAYS AND LAWLESSNESS.