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BLM’s Secret Plan to Destroy Wild Horses – Press Release

June 14, 2009 in activism, advocacy, endangered species, politics | No comments

PRESS RELEASE
June 11, 2009 – for immediate release

Documents Reveal BLM Secret Plan to Destroy Wild Horses

Documents obtained from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) via the Freedom of Information Act by a Phoenix-based non-profit, The Conquistador Program, reveal shocking and detailed plans to destroy healthy wild horses in government holding facilities as well as those still remaining in the wild on public lands.

BLM employees as well as a USDA veterinarian held weekly “Implementation Team” meetings beginning in July of 2008 in which they discussed and developed strategies aimed at ridding BLM of thousands of mustangs. In October they completed a 68 page document entitled “Alternative Management Options”. Tactics included in this document are reminiscent of those used to wipe out Native American tribes in the 1800s.

The BLM team created scenarios for killing mustangs using barbiturates, gun shots, or captive bolts. Bodies would be disposed of through rendering, burial or incineration. They discussed killing 1200-2000 wild horses per year. The document states that “the general public would be prohibited from viewing euthanasia.” Additionally, the Team felt that “increased support from public relations and management staff would also be needed to insulate those doing the actual work from the public, media and Congressional scrutiny/criticism.”

“Minutes from these meetings as well as the Draft Plan reveal what amounts to ‘the final solution’ for the American mustang,” states Ginger Kathrens, filmmaker and Volunteer Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation. “Despite a huge outcry from the American public last year regarding BLM plans to kill wild horses in holding, the agency is still pressing forward with a plan to destroy our American mustangs both on and off the range.”

Division Chief of the Wild Horse and Burro Program Don Glenn told The Cloud Foundation that “no decision has been made to move forward on a large scale with this plan, yet.”

BLM meeting minutes speak for themselves. “Security at facilities and at gathers would need to be increased to combat eco-terrorism. Having the people that are willing to put down healthy horses at gather sites could be a problem. Having vets putting down healthy horses at preparation facility[ies] could also be a problem.” Meeting minutes reveal the psychological toll that employees would pay—“have counseling for employees and contractors that have to euthanize the healthy horses because it is very stressful.”

The report created an option in which wild horses of all ages could be sold “without limitation”. In other words, horses could be sold directly to killer buyers in unchecked numbers. The Team admitted that “some wild horses will go to slaughter”.

“Once they are gone, they’re gone” says Karen Sussman, President of the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros. “To lose this incomparable species would be a travesty.”

Team Members formulated ways in which they could circumvent the National Environmental Policy Act, asking “How many (wild horses) could be euthanized during a gather (roundup) without having NEPA?” BLM discussed ways to circumvent the federal carcass disposal law (43 CFR 4730.2). Conversations included how many wild horses could be rendered at the Reno Rendering plant or “disposed of in pits”. The Team concluded that “there will not be large numbers of horses euthanized during gathers or in the field. This is due to state environmental laws.”

Recommendations include the creation of gelding herds, and sterilization of mares to create non-reproductive herds in the wild in place of natural herds. The team recommended changing the sex ratio from the normal 50% males and 50% females to 70% males and 30% females. Then the experimental two-year infertility drug, PZP-22, would be given to all mares that are returned to the wild. Plans call for rounding up the wild horses every two years to re-administer the drug.

“Mares on the drug will cycle monthly and, with the altered sex ratio, the social chaos will be dangerous and on-going,” Kathrens explains. “Any semblance of normal wild horse society will be completely destroyed.”

Kathrens has spent 15 years in the wild documenting mustang behavior for her PBS television documentaries which chronicle the life story of Cloud, the now famous pale palomino stallion she has filmed since birth. “Even Cloud and his little herd in Montana are in serious danger if BLM implements these options,” she continues. “The BLM plans a massive round up in Cloud’s herd beginning August 30, 2009.”

The BLM will not guarantee that Cloud and his family will remain free.

ACTIONS:

Please share this press release with local and national media, friends, and colleagues.
Voice your concerns over our government’s management of wild horses directly to President Obama

Resources and References:

Related Sites:

The BLM documents referred to above and photos of wild horses are available from The Cloud Foundation.

The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
Horse Power
http://www.theamericanwildhorse.com

Testimonials on the the reality of helicopter round-ups - on AWHPC

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Amazon.com Widgets

Last minute Father’s Day Eco-Gifts

June 15, 2008 in Uncategorized, conservation, environmentalism, green gifts | No comments

Looking for a special eco-friendly gift for Dad?

Send him a free E-card from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) There are 19 different cards to choose from, each capturing the beauty of wildlife.

Or in just 2 minutes you can send him one of the best gifts ever from Conservation International:

For $15 you can help protect an acre of tropical forest land in your Dad’s honor. The contribution will support Conservation International’s efforts to protect forests and help end climate change.

Every year, burning & slashing of forests releases as much CO2 as all the cars, trucks, and planes in the world – more than 20% of all the carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global climate change.^[1]

Although the forests may be lost far away, the impact is felt here. (Learn more about the program to save tropical forests – thus far 12,863 acres have been protected.)

You can choose one of their stunning Father’s Day E-cards to announce your gift. You can even track Dad’s acre on CI’s website and view information about the animals & living things that inhabit it.

And with your gift you’re keeping tons of climate-changing carbon from entering the atmosphere and helping to end the destruction of forests.

[1] – Conservation International’s Projects Page
(http://conservation.org/learn/forests/Pages/projects.aspx)

Send Organic Flowers & Gourmet Gifts - from $29.95

Google to Fund Millions for Development of Hybrid Electric Cars

June 24, 2007 in Climate Change, Uncategorized, alternative energy, conservation, environmentalism, future car, green, sustainable development | No comments

This Tuesday (June 19, 2007) Google announced that it awarded $1 million in grants and will be inviting applicants to apply for $10 million in funds to help develop plug-in type hybrid vehicles that get at least 70-100mpg. The grants are part of the RechargeIT Initiative being run by Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org.

The project aims to impact climate change (one of Google.org’s three primary goals) by aiding the development of hybrid vehicles which would reduce our dependency on oil, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and probably ultimately reduce consumers’ costs.

Google is seeking to accelerate not only the adoption of hybrid cars, but also the development and deployment of vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies, which would help to stabilize the power grid. Basically, as such cars begin to use renewable sources of energy for power generation (such as solar energy), they will be able to sell back to power companies any excess electricity they produce, thus making the grid cleaner. Google is already implementing a solar program for its fleet of hybrids and planning to use it as a demonstration of the efficiency of such technology. Read more…

Two-thirds of global emissions come from energy consumption, therefore addressing the climate crisis requires radical changes in energy production. In the future, through V2G technology, fossil fuel consumption by vehicles and power plants may be significantly reduced or eliminated altogether. Such technology may solve the “problem” of, or significantly reduce the costs involved in, converting power plants to greener technologies. Read more…

Google will make a formal request for proposals (RFP) on their website later this summer for the $10 million worth of awards “for investment opportunities in companies and projects accelerating the commercialization of alternative transportation that reduces vehicle fossil fuel use and climate emissions”.

To see a list of recipients of the $1 million dollars in grants, go to http://www.google.org/recharge/partners.html.

Galápagos Islands Suffering Environmental Crisis – Ecuadorian president calls for habitat to be added to UNESCO’s Endangered List

June 24, 2007 in Galápagos, Uncategorized, United Nations, advocacy, alternative energy, biodiversity, conservation, endangered habitats, endangered species, environment, environmentalism, green, nature, politics, sustainable development | No comments

The president of Ecuador, Rafeal Correa, declared yesterday (June 22, 2007) that the Galápagos are at high risk and should be considered a national conservation priority. He claims that the islands are suffering an environmental crisis and is seeking restrictions on tourism. He has also asked that the habitat be added to UNESCO’s Endangered List – a request which will be considered at a week-long meeting of the UN agency’s World Heritage Committee being held in New Zealand beginning this Saturday.

The Galápagos lie in the Pacific Ocean some 600 miles west of Ecuador at the confluence of several ocean currents and are comprised of some 19 islands. The isolation of these striking volcanic isles has produced one of the highest concentrations of endemic species in the world, and the archipelago is considered “a natural museum of geological, ecological and evolutionary processes”. The seismic and volcanic activities that formed the islands are still going on today.

The habitat’s unusual animals, including the land iguana and giant tortoises, helped to inspire Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. (He visited the islands in 1835 on the HMS Beagle.) 30% of the marine life in the surrounding seas are endemic, as are roughly 1/3 of the island’s vascular land plants, all of the reptiles with the exception of two species of marine turtle, and almost half of its bird species. Among its unique species is the marine iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus – the only sea-going iguana in the world.

As a place of “outstanding universal value”, the Galápagos Islands were added to UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) list of Protected Areas and World Heritage Sites in 1978 and designated as a Biosphere Reserve in 1984.

This extraordinary archipelago of unrivaled beauty is an “almost pristine” treasure trove of biodiversity, but is being threatened today by large-scale tourism and unsustainable fishing practices by mainland fishermen whose activities are financed by foreign companies. Visitation by tourists has increased three-fold in the past 15 years with an annual growth rate of about 14% for the tourism economy. The consequences of this growth include threats to endemic species by introduction of non-native invasive species, pollution, over-harvesting, and greater pressure on valuable marine resources. Partially as a result of these changes, 24% of the endemic plant species and 50% of the vertebrate species are considered endangered.

Click here for an image of the Galápagos Penguins on Bartolomé Island.

The islands are subject to the 1998 Special Law for Galápagos but have been neglected by previous management, and the rapid economic growth of the islands, coupled with increased immigration, has taxed the capacity of the Galápagos’ management authorities. The president’s solutions will focus on the proper implementation of this special law and will include strengthening Galápagos management authorities, ensuring the development of sustainable businesses, strengthening the work of the Galápagos National Park Service and CDF (Charles Darwin Foundation) to manage endangered species and control invasives, and educational reform.

The declaration of the Ecuadorian president addresses concerns that have been held for many years regarding the future of this fragile ecosystem.

For more detailed information on the Galápagos, visit UNEP’s (United Nations Environment Programme) World Conservation Monitoring Centre page at http://www.unep-wcmc.org/sites/wh/galapago.html
or the Charles Darwin Foundation at http://www.darwinfoundation.org