Oppose BLM Wyoming Wild Horse Roundup: Act by May 7

April 26, 2010

The BLM’s Rock Springs Field Office proposal to roundup an unspecified number (in excess of 169) wild horses in two Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in Wyoming. Read on to take action. Also submit comments to help California wild horses here.

Once again, the agency has set arbitrarily low Appropriate Management Levels (AMLs) for wild horses:

• Little Colorado HMA - over 500,000 acres — only 69 to 100 wild horses allowed. (Current population estimate 142)
• White Mountain HMA — 392,649 acres — only 205 to 300 wild horses allowed. (Current population estimate 300.)

Meanwhile, domestic cattle and sheep are allowed to graze in these areas during the summer and winter.

The BLM plans to commence the roundup either in October 2010, or after foaling season in February 2011, continuing the unsustainable cycle of roundups and removals every few years. Meanwhile, progress toward sustainable on-the-range management — including limitations on livestock grazing, water and other range improvements, and fertility control measures where necessary — are absent once again from the BLM’s plans.

Please submit your comments by May 7 to oppose these additional unnecessary wild horse roundups. Please personalize, cut and paste the draft letter below and send it to the emails listed here. [Use the exact subject line provided below so that your comments will be counted.]

TO:
WhiteMountain_LittleColorado_HMA_WY@blm.gov

Chair@ceq.eop.gov

Lance_Porter@blm.gov

Jay_d’ewart@blm.gov

http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/blog/

New Wyoming Slaughter Bill: Conflict of Interest?

April 26, 2010...2:03 pm

Let me get this straight. On March 3, 2010, the State of Wyoming passes HB 122, allowing the slaughter of “estrays, livestock, and feral livestock”. Representative Sue Wallis (R-Recluse) sponsored the bill. Less than a month after the passage of the bill, United Organizations for the Horse (UOH) announces its “unified equine system” that offers to take so-called unwanted horses from private owners, brand inspectors, and law enforcement and either rehabilitate the animals, find other homes. or send them to slaughter. Private owners get tax rebates for the value of the donated horse. Brand inspectors and law enforcement get to feel good about finding a home for abandoned animals. What does UOH get?

According to the website, UOH is a non-profit group, registered in Wyoming, but is working on obtaining a 501 (c) (6) status, which will officially make it a lobbying group. The website also makes clear the reasons for UOH’s existence

1.to restore humane and regulated horse slaughter in the U.S.
2.to control the overpopulation of wild and feral horses on federal, state, tribal, and private lands.
Oh, and Sue Wallis is the founder and sits on the Board of Directors.

What it doesn’t say is what kind of monetary remuneration UOH will receive by selling its donated horses to slaughter. It also does not make clear exactly where those animals will be sent for slaughter. (Hey, how about Wyoming, Sue?) The interests of Representative Wallis seem murky at best; the bill she sponsored will clearly benefit the lobbying organization for which she is responsible.

As for the wild horses, that’s another issue; however, last May, the Casper Star Tribune reported that UOH had plans for wild horse legislation. I’m not surprised. Conrad Burns, author of the infamous 2005 Burns Amendment to the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act, which opened the door to sale authority and slaughter of mustangs, is also on the UOH Board.

Stay tuned. And, thanks for listening.

http://amyhm.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/321/

Wyoming Rep. “Slaughterhouse” Sue Wallis endorses gambling with Truck Raffle

by R.T. Fitch
November 23, 2009

Houston – (SFHH) Wyoming Representative Sue Wallis has issued an official endorsement of gambling (see below) through her questionable nonprofit 501c (3) organization, United Organizations of the Horse. Rep. Wallis also implicates another alleged 501c (3) nonprofit, the Horseman’s Front, in this plan to generate funds for organizations that are in possible violation of IRS 501c (3) nonprofit requirements.

A visit to either of the organization’s websites indicates that both groups are actively engaged in lobbying efforts, right down to authoring legislation, to further their personal agendas to bring back the predatory and inhumane industry of horse slaughter to the United States. IRS law clearly states that only 15% of a nonprofit’s time and expenditures can be spent on lobbying purposes and the purpose must not be aimed at furthering the cause of any one individual or associated businesses, see below:

“To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.

Organizations described in section 501(c)(3) are commonly referred to as charitable organizations. Organizations described in section 501(c)(3), other than testing for public safety organizations, are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions in accordance with Code section 170.

The organization must not be organized or operated for the benefit of private interests, and no part of a section 501(c)(3) organization’s net earnings may inure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. If the organization engages in an excess benefit transaction with a person having substantial influence over the organization, an excise tax may be imposed on the person and any organization managers agreeing to the transaction.

Section 501(c)(3) organizations are restricted in how much political and legislative (lobbying) activities they may conduct. For a detailed discussion, see Political and Lobbying Activities. For more information about lobbying activities by charities, see the article Lobbying Issues; for more information about political activities of charities, see the FY-2002 CPE”

http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html

The intent of David Duquette’s “Horseman’s Front” is glaringly obvious as he and his associates own horse breeding operations and rather than be responsible and control horse breeding on the front end they prefer to manage it on the backside by throwing their “unwanted” horses onto the slaughter pile so as to maintain higher prices for their equine commodity.

Rep. Wallis’ motives and issues were clearly defined in the Editorial “What Sue Wallis’ proposed HORSE ACT of 2009 Really Means for Horses” written by equine welfare advocate Vicki Tobin.

What remains unclear is how Rep. Wallis’ actions and activities will reflect upon her political credibility and long term viability within her home state of Wyoming.

From: The United Organizations of the Horse
Reply-To: sue.wallis@unitedorgsofthehorse.org
Sender: The United Organizations of the Horse

Special Bulletin:
Win a Brand New Dodge Truck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Win a truck at the National Finals Rodeo and help the horse problem!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The wheels have been turning folks! A couple weeks ago a fund raising idea transpired and it has become a reality. The United Horsemen’s Front, (our 501(c)(3) nonprofit), is raffling off a truck at the National Finals Rodeo in two weeks!
A group of us plan to be there to help promote the raffle and our mission. No more than 2,000 tickets will be sold. At $100 per raffle ticket, we should be able to raise some substantial funds. The United Horsemen’s Front has already seen a great response. In fact, people who will not be attending the NFR have been contacting us to purchase tickets.

Click here to view the pickup and ticket purchase form on their website.

Please help us promote the raffle or fill out a ticket purchase form to get your own chance to win the truck and help our cause.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sign Up Today!
Become a Founding Member and Actively Participate in Your Future!
http://www.UnitedOrgsoftheHorse.org
The United Organizations of the Horse PO Box 71 Recluse WY 82725

Pictures of 2006 Sheldon Nevada Roundup

These numbers are recent (if not the latest) Bureau of Land Management numbers, as well as numbers obtained through independent investigation. Please understand that population levels in particular are fluid and subject to a significant degree of uncertainty (the same caveat applies to numbers provided by the BLM).

In the 19th century, more than 2 million wild horses roamed the West (source: J. Frank Dobie, “The Mustangs”, Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas, 1952).
Today, less than 25,000 wild horses likely remain on public lands.
Over 6 million head of private livestock enjoy subsidized grazing on public lands.
More than 200,000 wild horses and burros have been removed from public lands since 1971. The BLM plans to remove another 6,000 for Fiscal Year 2009.
The 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act mandates that wild horses and burros be managed on 47 million acres of public lands on 303 herd areas.
Since 1971, wild horses have been zeroed out from 111 herd areas representing over 19 million acres.


Wild burros numbered 14,000 at the time of the 1971 Act’s first census. Burros share their habitat with bighorn sheep, a highly-prized game species that now outnumbers them at least 16 to 1 on public lands. BLM’s target for nationwide burro population is less than 3,000.
BLM relies on an annual population increase rate of about 20% to evaluate population levels and justify round-ups, while the National Academy of Sciences estimates that rate to be closer to 10%.

Wild horses account for less than 0.5% of large grazing animals on public lands.
6 states have lost their entire wild horse and burro populations.
In 70% of the remaining herd areas, BLM’s population targets are set at levels that will not ensure genetic viability.
The current removal policy is costing over 39 million tax dollars a year.
According to the USGS, $7.7 million could be saved annually through the use of contraceptive measures alone.
The removal and processing of a single horse through the adoption pipeline can cost as much as $3,000.
Over 30,000 wild horses are currently held in government holding pens. Under the Burns Amendment, about 8,000 of them are threatened with slaughter.
BLM’s private livestock grazing program encompasses 214 million acres of public lands, costs over $130 million to manage annually, yet only provides 3% of our national beef supply.
The current fee to graze private cattle on public lands is $1.35 per animal unit month (AUM), the equivalent of $0.06 per acre per year, or about 1/10th of market rates to graze cattle on private lands.
Private livestock outnumber wild horses and burros at least 200 to 1 on public lands. (note: some livestock may not be grazed year round)
In 2008, less than 5% of BLM’s wild horse and burro program budget was allocated to herd management on the range, with the remaining 95% allocated to captures, holding and placement.

Please take action now.
Sign petition at: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/166841148

Copyright © 2004-2008 AWHPC. All rights reserved.
Reproduction authorized solely for educational purposes,
provided www.wildhorsepreservation.org is credited as source.

Help us save what is left of America's wild horses

Guilty by Association

Well, I was going to do a post about “emotional women” ("The AQHA leadership has always been pro-slaughter, and when their own polls revealed their membership wasn't, their own president blamed the results on ‘emotional women.’”) of whom I’m one, but after an email chat I instead opted to talk about the following...You know, it’s hard enough to think about horses getting slaughtered to make room for more, more, more (as in the AQHA making more money via more registration fees and more membership fees by getting rid of what's already here), much less realize an association as massive and well known as the AQHA—one who actually took steps to amend some of their rules to the benefit of horses... or was that only to quell public outcry?—have so little regard for their breed and all the regard for the almighty dollar that they advocate it. That begs the question: When they (the AQHA leadership) shot themselves in the foot because of it, did they also paint targets on their members, too? Let’s think about this. In the court of public opinion, owners of Quarter Horses/members of AQHA, and the association itself, are one and the same. So, guilt by association. An example might be the anti-fur movement, where folks don’t just target furriers but the individuals wearing it, to the point were people who owned it (even the homeless!) wouldn’t be caught dead in it. Now, instead of fur, it’s horse slaughter advocated by the Quarter Horse Association—the very association that’s suppose to tout and protect the breed, not push for the slaughter of it. What will the public think of it’s members now? They’ll never hear about the polls, or who agreed or disagreed with it, and they won’t stop to ask, either. One and the same, remember? Members are AQHA. Members did this. Members are the heartless bastards who will ride it AND eat it, baby. Hi ho Silver... and don’t forget the ketchup. Let’s take a moment to let this sink in. Can you say “manipulated” (as in even the pro-slaughter members were manipulated into thinking this was a good thing when all the while it was a money making venture from the beginning, something where everyone (including the cattle ranchers who are all set up and eager to turn into horse meat ranchers) wins EXCEPT the horse), folks? I know you can. I hate being manipulated. I hate being told one thing and find out it’s a whole other ballgame (or is that ‘market‘?). I hate being guilty by association, and I particularly hate that the Quarter Horse association painted it's own members as targets. By the way, how much do you think the AQHA cares about their breed when they’re advocating slaughtering them? Just curious. Oh. And while we‘re here, let this sink in too.And so it begins (note the blog’s name... and good on the blog owner for coming up with it and speaking out!). But that’s not what I’m talking about here. What I am, is pointing out that a really bad situation CAN get far worse. Yep, seems everyone’s jumping on the band wagon, including cattlemen who are being encouraged to see horse slaughter as yet another opportunity (others before being buffalo and elk, though with horses it’s a different ballgame, horses being an already established market—if they can’t sell it here, they’ll just ship it to Europe) to make a buck.So what's the alternative to slaughter? Stop backyard indiscriminate breeding. Stop thinking of horses as disposable. You bought it so you look after it for life. If you can't, then sell it to someone reputable who can. And, God forbid, if something happens to the horse to necessitate it's death, be strong enough to euthanize it instead of shipping it. At least that's my opinion.
Posted by Hawke at 9:42 AM

http://hawkeview.blogspot.com/2009/05/guilt-by-american-quarter-horse.html

Horse slaughter dream a financial nightmare

Horse slaughter gut piles at Natural Valley Farms, Canada

05.13.09
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: John Holland
540.268.5693
john@equinewelfarealliance.org
Vicki Tobin
630.961.9292

CHICAGO, (EWA) – The dream of the AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association) and its affiliate the MQHA (Montana Quarter Horse Association) to bring horse slaughter back to the US may have just been dealt what may be its death blow. The blow came not from anti-slaughter advocates, nor public revulsion, nor Congress, but from a horse slaughter industry insider whose op-ed, Meat plant: a cautionary tale, appeared on April 30th in the Western Producer, a subscription-only Canadian online animal agriculture journal.
“Natural Valley Farms died the day the decision makers chose to kill horses”, says Henry Skjerven, an investor and director of the defunct Natural Valley Farms (NVF) slaughter complex in Saskatchewan, Canada. Skjerven tells the story of how NVF, which had originally been built to process cattle during the BSE crisis, ended in a $42 million financial disaster following its decision to kill horses for the Velda Group of Belgium.
The story broke just as the AQHA and Stan Weaver of the MQHA, were celebrating the passage of Montana bill (HB 418).
On April 5, EWA broke the news that the plant had been closed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in December. In his article, Skjerven refers to the plant’s confrontational interaction with the CFIA over the plant’s “composting” and other issues. Unlike beef that can be used in pet food, horse byproducts must be disposed of properly because they contain substances such as the wormer, Ivermectin, which can cause fatal encephalitis in some breeds of dogs.
Blood disposal appears to have been equally problematic for NVF as with other horse slaughter plants. Not only do horses have twice the quantity of blood as cows, but the blood is notoriously difficult to treat. The bacterial agents used in standard cattle digesters fail to provide acceptable discharge levels because of antibiotics often found in horse blood. As a result, pollution follows the horse slaughter industry where ever it goes.
During debate over HB 418, the Montana Senate Agriculture committee dismissed evidence of these problems as anti-slaughter propaganda. Even the testimony of former Kaufman, Texas mayor Paula Bacon was ignored when she told of blood rising into people’s bathtubs in her town. But unfortunately for NVF, the CFIA was not so easily assuaged.
Even Butcher has admitted that any horse slaughter plant that is built in the US will have to be operated by an EU group like Velda because the horse meat market is in Europe and they control it. Now Velda needs a new home, but in his op-ed Skjerven, says, “horse slaughter never brought a single minute of profitability to the company.”
In the end, it may not matter that HB 418 is unconstitutional, nor that a horse slaughter plant in the US could not export its horse meat without USDA inspectors, nor that the industry has committed a thousand sins against horses and the environment. If investors in a horse slaughter plant cannot be comfortable in knowing they will make a profit, there will be no plant built.
If Stan Weaver and the AQHA want horse slaughter they may have to do the killing themselves.
www.equinewelfarealliance.org

"NEBRASKA 200" Must Leave Fairgrounds by May 9th

Hundreds of Mustangs Rescued from Nebraska Ranch Ready for New Homes
Rescue Agencies and Volunteers Continue to Care for the ‘Nebraska 200’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jerry Finch 409-682-6621

1 May 2009
Alliance, NE – More than two hundred neglected horses and burros found at a Morrill County ranch are now available for adoption through Habitat for Horses, a Texas-based equine protection organization.

On April 22nd, more than two hundred horses and burros were seized from Three Strikes Ranch, a private mustang facility just outside Alliance, Nebraska. An additional 74 animals were confirmed dead. Necropsy results on a number of these animals revealed significant fat and muscle atrophy, which is consistent with starvation.

Jason Maduna, the ranch’s owner, was arrested on one count of felony animal cruelty, but additional charges are expected. The animals are now recuperating at their temporary home at the Bridgeport Rodeo Grounds. The Humane Society of the United States, Habitat for Horses and Front Range Equine Rescue have been working alongside the Bureau of Land Management and area veterinarians to feed, treat, and assess the 220 animals, including a number of foals born since the seizure. According to Jerry Finch of Habitat for Horses, “the outpouring of support from the local community is humbling. From home-cooked meals for the volunteers, to hay provided by the local Farm Bureaus, we could not ask for more or better support.”

Of the 220 animals at the Fairgrounds, 22 have been identified by their owners and will be returned to them. The remaining animals are available for placement with qualified individuals or groups. Those interested, should contact Hillary Wood of Front Range Equine Rescue at 719-481-1490. The horses have all received a negative Coggins and have been dewormed, vaccinated and microchipped. Finch strongly cautions that they are looking for those with experience in handling and training wild mustangs. According to Finch, "these are not back yard ponies."

A dedicated website has been setup which includes photographs and descriptions of the available animals, as well as forms and contact numbers. For more information, please visit: http://nebraska200.horsereunions.com/.

Donations are still needed to help cover the cost of medical care. Credit card donations can be made online at http://www.habitatforhorses.org/getinvolved/donatenow.html. Donations can also be mailed to: Habitat for Horses, P.O. Box 213, Hitchcock, TX 77563. Please notate on your check and/or credit card donations that it is for "Nebraska 200 ". Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
~
Habitat for Horses (HfH) is a not-for-profit equine protection agency committed to the prevention, rescue and rehabilitation of neglected, abused and homeless horses. The largest organization of its kind in North America, HfH operates a rehabilitation ranch in Texas. The organization has taken a leadership role in horse protection issues and has been instrumental in developing and promoting legislation to eliminate the slaughter of American horses. To learn more, visit www.habitatforhorses.org