An area of water haul

(Reno,NV) Today Wild Horse Education President Laura Leigh filed a legal brief in federal court pro se to dismiss the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO) suit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to remove and destroy wild horses across the state. Leigh was granted Intervenor status after filing her initial brief in January of 2014.

The brief filed today supports motions already filed to dismiss the suit made by the BLM and other Interveners in the case. In her earlier motion Leigh states that the challenge made in the courts by NACO are not valid as Congressional mandate under Appropriations disallows the killing of healthy wild horses and the challenge itself is made in an “across the board” fashion that is not allowable. In this brief she restates those claims. In addition she adds sight specific information to show why an across the board ruling would simply be impractical.

Her brief states “Over the last four years, Ms. Leigh has travelled extensively to specific areas in the state of Nevada where both wild horses and domestic livestock are permitted to graze. In 2014 alone, she has observed instances of trespassing livestock on the range within the state of Nevada, as well as livestock grazing permit holders in non-compliance with their permits, allowing livestock to graze outside permitted use areas.”

Non-permitted livestock use and salt block in prohibited area

“For NACO to make claims that the range across the state is being destroyed by wild horses is simply not a statement of fact,” said Leigh “Wild horses are caught in a program that has not based livestock grazing decisions on practical equations but instead has operated on historic use. Never have we seen historic use of livestock, and the damage it does to public resource, as a factor until recently. This entire suit is retaliation for grazing restrictions. Restrictions that in some cases are not being adhered to. I hope the public and the courts can see this suit for exactly what it is; a bully trying to hit the little guy, the wild horse.”

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Wild Horse Education is devoted to gaining protection for wild horses and burros from abuse, slaughter and extinction. http://wildhorseeducation.org