Grassroots rally in Los Angeles to save wild horses

Source: Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Neda DeMayo, Return To Freedom
805-735-3246, 805-588-5105

Media Alert

Preservationists Decry Wild-Horse Roundups

The Bureau of Land Management has begun rounding up more than 2500 wild horses from the Calico Complex in North Western Nevada, generating protests from both the public at large and animal advocate groups. Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary (www.returntofreedom.org) is partnering with other coalition members to organize a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday, January 6, in front of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office in Los Angeles to pressure the Obama administration to impose a moratorium on roundups by the BLM.

Coalition members supporting the mission and objectives of The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign (AWHPC) will join forces In Los Angeles on January 6 2010. Launched in 2004, the campaign was conceived as a uniting and grassroots tool to help protect America’s wild horses on their rightful ranges, on our public lands. The campaign is represented by a coalition of 50 diverse organizations collectively representing over 9 million people nationwide.

Joining the Coalition will be Wendie Malick, Tatjana Patitz and award-winning author Deanne Stillman, more surprise guests and other friends of the horses!

WHO:	Return To Freedom, American Wild Horse Sanctuary (RTF), In Defense of Animals (IDA), Lifesavers Wild Horse Rescue, The Cloud Foundation
WHAT:	Regional Protest of the Calico Wild Horse Roundup
WHERE:	In front of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s Office 11111 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite 915, Los Angeles, 90025
WHEN:	Wednesday, January 6, 2010 from 11AM to 1PM

“An immense amount of tax dollars are being spent on the removal of wild horses while less intrusive and less costly ‘in the wild’ management alternatives exist,” says Neda DeMayo, founder of Return to Freedom American Wild Horse Sanctuary and a spokesperson for the Campaign. “Americans want their wild horses to remain free and protected on the ranges where they currently exist. We are asking that the original spirit and intent of the Wild Free Roaming horse and Burro Act be upheld so that our grandchildren’s children will know the herds, who are a vital link to our western heritage”.

“While this may be the new administration, it is clearly the old BLM’s intent on callously slaughtering the wild horses—our national treasure,” states Betsy Dribben from the ASPCA. “That is now why we have taken to the streets to raise our voices that this is a public debate that must be negotiated upon at the political table and not by roundups.”

Call To Action

Return to Freedom is asking the public to:

· Attend Wednesday’s rally if they live near Los Angeles

· Write to their representatives in Congress and ask them to protect America’s wild horses by supporting The ROAM Act (HR1018/S1579). Find your Reps at http://www.congress.org or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to be connected.

Write to Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and ask him to:

· Call for a moratorium on all roundups until viable alternatives for minimally intrusive “In The Wild” Management policies are in place to preserve and protect our remaining wild horse herds on the public rangelands where they currently exist.

· Support management policies that reflect the original spirit and intent of the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horse and Burro Act to protect our herds on America’s public Lands.

The Honorable Ken Salazar
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240

Return To Freedom, American Wild Horse Sanctuary
P. 805-735-3246 M. 805-588-5105 F. 805-800-0868
http://www.returntofreedom.org /www.wildhorsepreservation.com

This is an informational post to let people know about the rally in case they would like to attend. My goal is only bring awareness of the rally to show our government that the American people still care about keeping Wild Horses in our western states… in numbers that will allow them to continue to roam free for generations to come.

You can research the controversy over the Calico Gather yourself, please read multiple articles on the subject as some are not very detailed and do not tell the whole tale. One needs to hear both sides of a debate before one side can make an informed decision.

There was a great 6 part investigation done by the ITeam Channel 8 in Vegas where they used interviews and info gathered over many years to create their series re: BLMs management of the herds… but that was in October before the current controversy over the pre-Christmas Federal Court ruling, advising BLM to delay the gather until they could have a plan in place for lawful disposition of the animals and the BLMs decision to continue the gather during the holidays.

The question is not if the horses need to be managed but if the BLM plan is legal within the current law.

The judge ruled it was not but declined to order against the gather, rather it urged BLM to delay the gather as they can not legally hold the horses long term, nor move them east to create tourist attractions. The law clearly states they are to be maintained where they were in 1971 in sufficient numbers…

So what will they do with the 12,000 mustangs they wish to remove this year? Last fall they were considering euthanasia of 30,000 horses already in holding facilities!

The court case will continue, and hopefully will clarify what BLM is allowed to do under the law. If there is a set number to horses to maintain in the wild, what land the horses can roam on, and what can BLM legally do with the horses gathered. So we need not debate that here.