Roundup Update (Squeezing in Fish Creek During Health Crisis)

By Laura Leigh on December 20, 2020

Confusion HMA, Utah

Recent Roundup Recap:

Confusion, Utah: 304 captured, 5 deaths. Concluded December 9.

Caliente (Meadow Valley and Delamar Mountains): 459 captured, 22 deaths. Update as of December 17.

Blue Wing (Burros, Selenite): 219 captured 3 deaths. Concluded December 2.

You can access the BLM schedule updated December 17 HERE

Next up, Fish Creek:

The BLM has updated the roundup schedule to squeeze in Fish Creek to start December 27. The roundup at Fish Creek in 2019 resulted in a TV crew from overseas creating a documentary that demonstrates how this issue appears to the rest of the world. You can watch it HERE.

Fish Creek comprises over 250,000 acres. BLM plans to capture 195 and release 30 mares (treated with PZP, again) and 30 studs. When the operation is complete, BLM will leave about 105 wild horses in Fish Creek.

Fish Creek was the only operation BLM cancelled in 2020 “due to covid fears.” Yesterday, BLM sent notification that it is back on the schedule. Unless the cancellation was due to actual cases of covid in contractors or staff, and not just a concern, the new date appears to be another “contradiction” from management.

At this time, of the new scheduling for Fish Creek to begin, an American is dying every 33 seconds. That statistic is confirmed. People in the state of Nevada are now receiving treatment for covid in a parking garage at Renown, as hospital bed space is overwhelmed.

Wanting to complete the operation before the end of the roundup season (Feb 28) is likely the reason the operation was squeezed in during the holiday. January and February the schedule is full.

If you are planning to attend you should note that the state of Nevada hit the largest number of hospitalized patients per capita last week following the Thanksgiving holiday. The Fish Creek roundup will be right in the middle of end of year holiday travel.

At roundups all year many contractors (and many BLM staff) have not worn masks when in town, or at any time other than “morning briefings.” If they are not wearing masks, hand sanitizing is also highly unlikely. BLM has confirmed that they have passed responsibility over to the contractor to address any issues of their own employees and public safety.

If you travel anywhere this holiday season, please take precautions to protect yourself and those you come in contact with.

In 2015 a plan was supposed to begin at Fish Creek to address, finally, the creation of a data rich management plan, an HMAP.

This plan began with a bit over 400 wild horses, the number that (even the agency admitted at that time) was closer to an actual AML. Instead of the protocol that would have started addressing long standing flaws such as boundary lines, water, stocking level of wild horses, along with a fertility control component, the plan has instead been damaged beyond repair.

At the last roundup BLM actually made it clear (by the way they treated us, compared to other orgs, and statements made by Public Affairs) that they were not interested in any “partner” (yes, they used that word) that wanted to fix things. They wanted people who would help keep the everything else at status quo, and kept insisting that the film crew interview people from that other org. The crew could see, with their own eyes what was happening, and did not interview anyone from the other org. We wish US media was that observant. (We will do an in-depth piece on what that means as the roundup nears.)

We will provide you with background on the Fish Creek roundup over the next week. Fish Creek is a saga of backdoor deals, betrayals and more.

Fish Creek 2019

The last leg of the 2021 winter schedule is full. Eagle begins January 6, where over 1000 wild horses are targeted for removal. Silver King begins on Valentines Day, with close to 300 targeted.

Helicopter season ends the last day of February and begins again in July. The fall schedule will fill up as the budget debate adds more funding. At this time BLM has only approved the Owyhee Complex again, targeting close to 1000, for September 2021.

We will update as we know more.

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