Tell Salazar to Save Wild Horses

I’ve written before about the problems our wild horses are facing at the behest of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM), complete inability to actually implement a real “management” plan that’s genetically, ethically or fiscally responsible, instead of continuing with D: none of the above.

While the BLM’s busy screwing things up, you may have heard about Madeleine Pickens’ plan to purchase about a million acres of ranchland, including both public and private parcels, in Nevada to be used as a sanctuary for the horses and burros currently in holding facilities.

Pickens’ plan for the National Wild Horse Foundation also includes promoting ecotourism accompanied by environmental education programs to give people the opportunity to go see wild horses and learn about our heritage. Additionally, management plans will include gelding (neutering) to keep herd populations in check.

As it stands right now, the BLM has rounded up more horses than it can afford to care for, about 33,000, costing taxpayers around $27 million.

“It is costing BLM so much money to keep this program going. It’s $27 then $35 then it goes to $65 million next year. It’s inappropriate at a time when we have a global meltdown that they still continue to gather, continue to put into short term holding and cost the taxpayers this money. By the year 2020, if they do my program, they would have saved $800 million. It’s a huge number. I don’t see how they could turn it down,” said Pickens.

Well said, Mrs. Pickens. Well said. It seems almost to good to be true, and what it really seems like is something the BLM should’ve done in the first place, but I digress.

Regardless, Pickens’ brilliant and compassionate plan seems to have hit a roadblock. Apparently, the BLM and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar have stated the government doesn’t want wild horses on the federal land being considered for the sanctuary because they didn’t exist there when the Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act was enacted.

The reason? They would be eating grass on BLM land that cattle could be eating, despite the amount being foraged by wild horses and burros being meager 5.3 percent.

The BLM would rather continue to crap on democracy, cave to special interests and waste millions rounding up horses and keeping them crammed into holding pens to wait for slaughter, instead of going with a plan that’s sustainable and actually makes sense. To which I say, what…the…hell.

YOU CAN HELP!!!!

Please take a minute to send Salazar a letter asking him to work with the National Wild Horse Foundation to provide a sustainable future for our wild horses.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Muhammad Faiz F.

1:54AM PDT on Apr 25, 2009

Please Save Wild Horses! Horses is amazing creature that God create!

send a green star

Mandi T.

9:26AM PDT on Apr 3, 2009

Run free wild Mustangs!!!

lorii H.

4:49AM PDT on Apr 3, 2009

can the humans respect horses in their natural way of living can humans respect life becose if we can not ther ir not hope for horses and for us

Judy E.

12:19AM PDT on Apr 2, 2009

So far, I'm not terribly impressed by Salazar and think we should write to President Obama directly. Salazar has already sold out the gray wolves. I fear for our horses.

Deidre E.

10:35PM PDT on Apr 1, 2009

These horses are wild, the cattle are not. Was'nt the BLM set up to protect wild life on federal land ?
Mustang Anne would have a cow over this.

George S.

7:12PM PDT on Apr 1, 2009

The Bureau of Land Management needs management. These government run agencies are usually fronts for many commercial interests. They conduct phony feasibility studies, propped up people with very impressive credentials who constantly take money from commercial interests and many times people associated with govrenment agencies wear two hats and have two interests at stake; the interest that wins is usually the most profitable. The BLM needs to be re-vamped and new people brought in to get the job done with a watchful eye from a committee of proven individuals from the many humane societies in existence and individual protestors.

Currently, the BLM is a farce...

Karen N.

1:54PM PDT on Apr 1, 2009

If the BLM removes many more horses, they will have to institute some kind of program to keep range waterholes open--it's the horses that usually do that. In addition, ruminant cows have different diet preferences. During a wild horse roundup, most of the mares will abort and current foals die from exertion. I used to live in central Nevada and the local ranchers used the wild herds to get horses for themselves even though it was illegal. No one ever took the herd stallion or the lead mare, but younger horses, especially colts, were fair game. One of the herds had a black mare with 4 white socks and a big white blaze; the minute I saw her, I wanted her. While getting plans together for a gather, some dumb-dumb shot the entire herd, including her. Most of the horses were gut-shot, meaning a long painful death. The ranchers were really mad.

Denise T.

6:09AM PDT on Apr 1, 2009

How can the BML talk about horses not Being in a particular placeand so they have no right to it now! This is the height of red-tapism and should make everyone aware what is at stake here. There never was a time when horses were NOT on this area of America everyone knows this. America, I live in India, I know this. Wake up and save your horses! There is an evil hand at play that will not stop until all the land has been taken from the horses!

magia c.

12:17AM PDT on Apr 1, 2009

the living always think the money can make them happy.There is no mystery so great as miserry.

Sandra L.

10:32PM PDT on Mar 31, 2009

Because the human want them, means that the human can stole the freedom to them?