Nevada wild stallion at ground zero of a raging battle over resources

Wild Horse Education was the first organization on file against the NACO claim in federal district court in 2014. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was also defending against this claim made by Nevada Counties. The back story on this case is long, as is all of them, but the back story on what happened as this case sat at the Ninth Circuit is the one that creates today’s dangers.

The original case was filed in 2014 and is an indicator, or the agenda, and the beginning strategy by the opposition. The strategy was flawed. The strategy changed. Today’s dangers are greater than ever. We will have more for you soon.

Please do not see this case being upheld as a “war won.” When cases go up the ladder from district court to a higher court they simply carry the existing record. Any ruling is to the original content, not what follows. Just like our win in the Ninth on First Amendment (many of you remember that). That case was remanded back to district and that is where we were able to update the original with information before it went back up to the Ninth. We know it gets confusing. We do not want you to believe this is a defeat of the current agenda, it upholds the defeat of the old one.
Nevada Counties Lose in Ninth Circuit on Wild Horses, but are winning the ground war

(RENO) Today the Ninth Circuit court of Appeals held up a district court opinion against the Nevada Association of Counties and the Farm Bureau (NACO), that wanted wild horses removed broad scale and even destroyed in the state of Nevada. The programmatic challenge made by NACO is not allowed as a matter of law and the lower court ruling was expected to hold.

“If people believe that this victory is an indication that wild horses are winning some type of protection against the agenda of counties in the West they are sadly misinformed,” said Laura Leigh, President of Nevada based Wild Horse Education, “I know when you sit in another state behind a keyboard it really is easy to believe what you see on the internet. As that legal case sat in a court awaiting a ruling those agendas have run full force in the West and are greater than
ever.”

Multiple avenues were engaged by the Nevada Association of Counties and the Farm Bureau (NACO). The political and procedural engagement included multiple maneuvers in land use planning and testimony to Congress in June of 2016, that was incredibly damaging to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wild horse program. The agenda contained in the NACO suit has run as part of a larger political campaign under the “Grass March” or “State’s Rights” label that includes a resumption of horse slaughter, domestic and wild, as a mainline item. A legislative landslide that threatens our wild horses and public land has resulted.

“We all saw the BLM briefs and the defense against any programmatic challenge was solid. We are happy that it was defeated and expected it,” Leigh continued “But if the opposition is moving troops on the ground and you ignore them, or aid them knowingly or unknowingly, we lose the war.”

Last week, before leaving Nevada to join the new political team being assembled in DC, Nevada State Director John Ruhs addressed the State Legislature. He discussed a “pilot program.” The pilot program essentially creates an avenue for take over of management of wild horses by ranchers. The program includes trapping, shipping and adoptions; a one stop, tax payer pays for all, gift.

“If we take the federal governments record on access and transparency into account, we have one helluva battle on the new horizon.” Leigh stated “This suit became no more than window dressing on a house of cards. The battle to protect our wild horses, to keep them public and safe from slaughter, rages on.”
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other reading on the “NACO” case: https://wildhorseeducation.org/?s=naco

On Wednesday we are running a webinar that will cover some of the legislative (and other) threats. You can go here to register: https://wildhorseeducation.org/2017/04/02/hr-1668-not-a-good-thing-for-wild-horses/

In addition we are including information on the BLM Tri-RAC (Resource Advisory Council) that will be meeting this week. During the webinar we will make our “public comment” to the RAC and BLM, public. Join us for the webinar.