Privately owned livestock allowed to remain on the range while wild horses risk death in helicopter roundup
WASHINGTON (June 7, 2012)—Protect Mustangs opposes the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Jackson Mountain roundup, in northwestern Nevada famous for Burning Man, set to begin tomorrow. The preservation group and members of the public are reaching out to elected officals nationwide to come to the aid of America’s wild horses and burros.
The BLM has chosen to endanger heavily pregnant mares and tiny foals by stampeding them in a terrifying helicopter roundup. Protect Mustangs asked BLM to continue trucking out water and other aid as needed for the wild horses. Their request was refused. Trucking aid to them is cheaper than a cruel million dollar roundup paid for by the American taxpayer. Originally the wild horse removal was planned for after foaling season in July but BLM claims the indigenous horses are at risk because of drought conditions even though rain is forecasted and private livestock is allowed to remain grazing on the range.
“We need our elected officials to intervene at this point,” says Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs. “We asked the BLM to continue bringing them water but they refused to wait until foaling season is over. Now the BLM will round them up and jeopardize their ability to peacefully birth their babies.”
The helicopter roundup will endanger more than 96 foals counted in April 2012 as well as the newborns and pregnant mares carrying the unborn.
In March 2012, Joan Guilfoyle, BLM wild horse and burro division chief, announced to the world they would use a new method to capture mustangs—bait trapping. Now the government agency is demonstrating their double speak and lack of human care for America’s wild horses. The roundups, funded by Congress, continue.
“The BLM obviously doesn’t care about the welfare of pregnant mares and tiny foals,” states Novak. “Stampeding them will cause spontaneous abortions and newborn foals won’t be able to keep up. Will they be separated from their mamas and left out there to die?”
Protect Mustangs is calling on Americans to contact their senators and representatives because theses wild horses belong to all Americans. Members of the public are encouraged to ask their elected officials intervene–to stop the Jackson Mountain foaling season roundup and bring America’s indigenous horses aid if needed.
The preservation group also suggests voicing concerns to Nevada’s Congressman Joe Heck 202-225-3252 (fax 202-225-3252) and Senator Dean Heller 202-224-6244 (fax 202-224-6244).
Protect mustangs feels the BLM’s estimate of 930 wild horses is inflated to justify a massive roundup. The entire capture area is more than 775,000 acres including the 286,000 acres within the Jackson Mountain Herd Management Area.
“The BLM is using the drought as an excuse to clear out wild horses while risking their death,” explains Novak. “They are leaving livestock on the same allegedly drought afflicted land to graze, so BLM’s actions don’t make any sense. It just shows how the government agency wants to dispose of America’s icons.”
SOURCE: PROTECT MUSTANGS PRESS RELEASE
Protect Mustangs is a Bay Area-based preservation group whose mission is to educate the public about the American wild horse, protect and research wild horses on the range and help those who have lost their freedom.
Tuesday's Horse 
All Round Ups Are not needed, especially when it is Foaling season , we have seen what happens to the mares , they abort their foals while running down rough terrain, this cruel and Inhuman we must stop them………..
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About the only thing this roundup has in the plus column is high temperatures through the week are expected to be in the mid-70’s to high 80’s as the week progresses (and, hopefully, the much-anticipated thunderstorms). Unlike the Cibola-Trigo burro roundup in the Southwest, where temperatures are daily in the triple digits..
If this was an emergency in the making, the Environmental Assessment made no indication. These animals are supposed to be monitored yearly from the air, an aerial census done 12 months BEFORE the necessity of the roundup, according to BLM Nevada policy, and the water sources and ‘range improvements’ maintained by the livestock permittees and the Bureau of Land Management, who are, after all, the Managers of the LAND, as they are so fond of reminding us.
The science doesn’t support the massive population increase from the last roundup in 2007; I suspect perhaps some of them immigrated from other HMAs to escape other Northern Nevada/Northern California roundups. And while the Bureau is under no obligation to speculate as to HOW these massive increases occur, it would appear the only diligence done as it applies to the range, the water sources, soil, forage and the animals themselves was done within the framework of the EA – in early May.
So now we’re left to hope the Bureau will do it’s job and ensure these animals, particularly the most vulnerable, aren’t stampeded across the landscape to their detriment by a salivating contactor who has shown almost no consideration for these animals – in any roundup.
I’m sending out a hope and a prayer – that someone in office can steel themselves into the desert as a member of the Public and observe this operation the way Advocates must – from a distance and severely strictured in their movement and behaviors, helpless to intervene. I’m also holding out the hope that, just this once, these animals, already stressed from lack of forage and giving birth, are shown some measure of humanity, for if it can be accomplished once, it can be accomplished again.
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