A Fish Creek Stallion slated for return to the range makes one last attempt at freedom before being loaded to await his fate at a BLM holding facility awaiting ruling by the IBLA
note from Wild Horse Education: Today the last of the wild horses slated to return to the range were shipped to BLM holding facilities awaiting outcome of an IBLA Appeal filed by Eureka County and local ranchers. Trespass rancher Kevin Borba sat in his truck watching the last of the stallions load and leave, Two more horses were euthanized today. These two were slated to be returned. One had an eye injury as a likely result of roundup activities. The other, a black stallion, had arthritis and was lame. The onsite vet made the call that shipping in the semi trucks would not be “humane.” Instead of freedom this delay has cost them their lives. We are fighting to get these horses returned as planned. We will update you as we receive information.
Eureka County, Nevada (February 23, 2015)… Wild horse advocates today blasted a group of Nevada “welfare ranchers” for blocking the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) planned release of nearly 200 wild horses back to the range in the Fish Creek Herd Management Area (HMA). The BLM rounded up the horses last week, treated them with the PZP birth control vaccine and was prepared to return them to the public lands when a small group of ranchers filed a last-minute legal appeal. Although not legally required to do so, the agency postponed the release until the appeal is heard. Instead of returning the horses to the wild this weekend, the BLM – at taxpayer expense — shipped the horses to holding facilities near Reno, Nevada.The last of the horses were trucked from the range today.
Leading the charge against the horses’ release is Kevin Borba, who holds a BLM permit to graze livestock on the public lands in the Fish Creek HMA. Earlier this year, the BLM fined Borba nearly $30,000 for violating the terms of the permit by grazing cattle on public lands where and when they were not authorized.
“I’ve personally documented these ranchers abusing their privilege to graze private livestock on public lands,” said Laura Leigh founder of Wild Horse Education. “This is the welfare ranchers’ latest attempt to dictate public lands policy and stop the BLM from bringing an antiquated public land program into modern times. The ranchers would rather see these federally-protected wild horses rounded up and sent to slaughter so they can continue to monopolize our public lands.”
In addition to receiving subsidies for below-market grazing fees – estimated to have cost taxpayers $1 billion over the past decade – the ranchers fighting the wild horse release regularly benefit from taxpayer-funded programs that kill predators and remove wild horses. The ranchers’ appeal has delayed the release of the Fish Creek wild horses and cost taxpayers tens of thousands of more dollars in transport and holding fees.
Borba’s appeal of the BLM’s Fish Creek Wild Horse Management Plan was filed last Thursday with the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA). The appeal was filed nearly two months after the plan was first released to the public and the day after the roundup — in which 424 wild horses were captured and 238 were permanently removed from the range – was completed.
Wild Horse Education (WHE) educates the public about the plight of wild horses and burros and works to end the inhumane treatment of these heritage animals through a scientifically based management strategy in the wild.
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Wild Horse Education remains onsite. We will update you as things develop. At this time we are unclear if adoption event will still be February 28th.
Keep tabs at our regular website http://WildHorseEducation.org
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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