House votes BLM budget cut over wild horse dispute

[Equine_Woman]

Not much info in the article. . .anyone know anything about this. I don't see how this is going to send a message? And what exactly do people think will happen if they stop bringing in mustangs? Everyone here knows I'm a mustang fan but there has to be a better way of managing them and the range. They can't be allowed to destroy the natural habitat they are living in, but to live their life in holding isn't a good solution either. I really hope they make headway with the birth control catch and release plans they have. This is one of those issues where I just don't know where I stand. . .

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/16/AR2011021604578.html

RENO, Nev. -- The U.S. House has approved an amendment on a voice vote that would cut $2 million from the Bureau of Land Management's budget in protest over the agency's wild horse roundups.



Indiana Republican Dan Burton (http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Dan_Burton) says his amendment is intended to send a signal to agency officials that most Americans want the mustangs treated more humanely on public lands across the West.



Virginia Democrat Jim Moran (http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/James_Moran) says Congress passed a law 40 years ago to protect the horses on the range, but that today there are more than 40,000 in holding pens and only 30,000 in the wild.



Wyoming Republican Cynthia Lummis (http://www.whorunsgov.com/Profiles/Cynthia_Lummis) was among those opposed. She says the well-meaning horse advocates are "loving the creatures to death" by fueling overpopulation of herds that damage the rangeland they depend upon.

[JackieB]

It might get through to the BLM. I would guess that they value their annual budget greatly. The sentiment is "We pay you to care for these horses, not treat them inhumanely". Activists presented video of nasty abuse by BLM contractors in the holding pens.

Now it could be that this will do more harm than good, I don't know. But that's the idea behind it anyway.

I do agree that the mustangs are feral animals (albeit ones released/escaped a very long time ago) and their populations must be controlled somehow.

[Equine_Woman]

Yeah, JackieB, this issue is near and dear to me and I don't see any way of doing it that everyone would agree on. I think a lot of the issues people have are with how the contractors the BLM hire handle round ups. There is no easy way to run horses for miles and miles into small holding pens that doesn't get some horses hurt. Maybe the BLM needs to evaluate and find better ways to do round ups, but they are always going to have to control the population somehow.

[natisha]

There are millions of cattle, privately owned on that same land. Do they do more damage than 30,000 horses?

[JackieB]

There are millions of cattle, privately owned on that same land. Do they do more damage than 30,000 horses?

I'm sure they must. Cattle eat all day long, too. And walk around with sharp hooves. But the horses aren't an economic benefit to the ranchers, so they would be the ones that are "overpopulated", of course.

[natisha]

I'm sure they must. Cattle eat all day long, too. And walk around with sharp hooves. But the horses aren't an economic benefit to the ranchers, so they would be the ones that are "overpopulated", of course.Of course. HE did a paper on this subject for high school. The stats were amazing. Maybe she still has the numbers. Cattle are also non-native.

[natisha]

http://www.wildhorsepreservation.org/news/wp-content/uploads/LOBBYING-FS-LIVESTOCK-VS-HORSES.pdf

This is an older report

[natisha]

BLM and the Cattle Industry vs. Wild Horses and Land Preservation

This article was on the editorial page of the South Bend Tribune and was written by Kaye Bauer, whose son has been in Nevada and Wyoming as a volunteer monitoring wild horse roundup and holding conditions. Below the article is a link to the National Sierra site about protecting our public lands and a link to Horse Power of Nevada, which has updated information about wild horses. Concerned citizens are encouraged to contact Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at exec@ios.dio.gov.



Article published Feb 27, 2010
BLM destroying wild horse heritage
By KAYE BAUER
Heads down, spirits crushed, families separated and stallions struggling to escape, America's wild horses wait, imprisoned behind the steel bars and barbed wire of a Bureau of Land Management trap. They have been driven to exhaustion by helicopters, branded, trucked to temporary holding pens, many with little or no shelter, and eventually moved to adoption centers many miles away where they may be held for years.

The capture and maintenance of these mustangs and burros costs taxpayers $39 million dollars annually.

Rounding up these horses violates the Wild Horse Annie Act of 1971, which prohibits harassment and guarantees preservation of these national treasures on their home ranges.

Today, as the herds are decimated, the BLM is destroying the genetic viability of the mustangs whose history dates back to the Spanish conquistadors.In the most recent roundup in the Calico Complex, which is composed of five horse management areas in Nevada, 27 horses died and two foals were run so aggressively for 14 miles that their hooves were destroyed. Miscarriages occurred and weanlings less than 18 weeks of age were driven beyond endurance.

In 2007, the BLM's environmental assessment of the complex indicated a population of 761 horses. In 2009 the count was 2,523. This increase would be a biological miracle even ignoring the fact that PZP22, a contraceptive, had been administered to many of the mares. Some population estimates are computer generated and a number of equine biologists and ecologists insist that BLM management of the herds is unnecessary. They state that the horses naturally limit births during natural disasters such as drought and adjust their populations to carrying capacity of territories. Mountain lions, natural predators, are being eliminated today by hunting.

The BLM claim that the horses are starving and destroying their range is contradicted by observation and photographic evidence. Proof exists that the horses are in good condition.

Grazing habits of the mustangs actually preserve the land as opposed to the destruction inflicted by thousands of cattle inhabiting public lands. The horses are mobile, moving constantly. Cattle move slowly, trampling grazing areas, denuding the ranges and destroying plant life. Due to upper incisors, horses nip off plants above ground. Cattle uproot vegetation. Digestive systems of the horses allow rapid passage of partially reduced organic matter, thus contributing soil retaining moisture and nutrients necessary for plant growth.

What is prompting the government's removal of the horses and burros? Enter the cattle industry. The Government Accountability Office reported that the government spends $144 million annually to manage livestock on our public lands, but collects only $21 million in grazing fees. The majority of grazing fees are not deposited in the U.S. Treasury, but are diverted to a "Range Retirement Fund" to pay for infrastructures that support cattle grazing.Next, consider the Ruby Pipeline, a $3 billion natural gas delivery project which spans four states and runs through the middle of the Calico Complex. According to the organization Horse Power of Nevada, Ruby has offered to help the BLM minimize wild horse and burro grazing along their right of way and/or reduce wild horse populations. The pipeline may eliminate one of the summer sources of water remaining to the horses due to fencing erected by the BLM.

The mustangs are icons of American life. They represent freedom and our connection with the wilderness.. They do not belong to the government or to the cattle ranchers, They "belong" to the people. Thousands are calling for a moratorium on all roundups. Concerned citizens are contacting President Obama and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at exec@ios.doi.gov.


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[WashingtonBay]

There are millions of cattle, privately owned on that same land. Do they do more damage than 30,000 horses?

The cattle are feeding us. It's not like ranchers are dumping cattle on public lands to grow old and die there.

I think there has to be room for some wild horses. We can afford to make that room.
But managing their numbers can't mean just penning them up indefinitely.

[Kara]

I love the mustangs too!

Big difference is that cattle aren't as hard on the land as horses are, and also (like WB said) they feed us.

I don't like knowing that horses are stuck in holding pens, I think maybe charge more for adoption so not every nut can get one and I also heard they are finding ways to not get the mares preggo.

Whats wrong with tranquillizing the stallions and gelding them, and just letting them recover on their own. When you geld a horse anyways you have to let them recover on their own. might not stop ALL the breeding but cut it down to a good number. Instead of chasing foals and very preggo mares miles.

[Remali]

It has been shown that cattle are more destructive than horses. Not to mention what the cattle do to the wildlife in that area.

The grazing fee for 2010 was only $1.35. The percentage of cattle grazing public land that are actually used for food is not all that high....

Quote:"Given the vast tracks of land used and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent every year, some may be surprised to learn that public lands ranching makes up less than 3 percent of all beef production in the U.S. Yet the United States continues to aggressively fund and support this outdated and destructive industry – despite the consequences. "

[WashingtonBay]

the percentage of cattle grazing public land that are actually used for food is not all that high.

What are they pets?

[WashingtonBay]

Quote:"Given the vast tracks of land used and the hundreds of millions of dollars spent every year, some may be surprised to learn that public lands ranching makes up less than 3 percent of all beef production in the U.S. Yet the United States continues to aggressively fund and support this outdated and destructive industry – despite the consequences. "

That means 3% of the beef production in the country comes from public lands. Not that only 3% of those on public lands become beef.

[Remali]

It is a very small percentage of cattle used for our food chain, so really, they do not actually "feed" us all that much.

[mare]

When a rancher leases public land for grazing cattle or sheep, it is highly regulated and for a short period of time. The length of time cattle and sheep can be on a grazing allotment is determined by the amount of forage.

Strict records are kept on the amount of forage used in the allotment. Ranchers are required to maintain and improve the browse and water. The migratory and grazing routes of wild animals and feral horses cannot be blocked.

Not so with the horses. The BLM is really up against some tough issues and decisions when managing the feral herds.

And, if pro-feral horse groups (among others) would quit suing at every turn, the BLM would sure have more resources to apply to the horse program. They would love to expand the birth control solution. They would love to do more research on optimal range management for all wild and feral species. They would love to focus more on multi-use of public lands and develop more trails and campgrounds in appropriate areas so more of us (who are kind of co-owners of this land) could enjoy it. They would love to devote more resources reclaiming areas damaged by drought and pests.

[gabhainn]

adding to mares statement, yes if cows were left to roam they would do more damage eventually, but leases are short term and rotation is paramount. The fact is, if it was the 3 toed sloth running around nobody would care but because it is horses the bunny huggers come out in droves.
Also should be noted that 1.35 per unit per acre adds up to a fairly healthy chunk of change. A fact almost every writer forgets to put in context...Kevin

[cowgirlup@idaho]

Up here you have to belong to a 'cattlemen's assoc' and you can't just turn out your cattle. You are provided a designated area, which in turn, the rancher must maintain. They must hire a rider (a requirement) that keeps watch daily on the cattle, the forage, the trees (we have the forest), the fences, and anything the forest service has going on and prevent damage from the cattle. Also, individual ranches don't share or co-graze, and pay to be in the assoc in order to get 'grazing rights', besides the per head payment. I think turnout is May to October and you better be getting you girls in by the designated time, or else!