USFS 2021 photo from Sept 17
Devils Garden roundup of 600 wild horses from the Wild Horse Territory (WHT) managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) began Thursday, Sept 16.
As of Oct 3: total of 298 captured; 129 are studs, 130 mares and 39 foals. Forest Service has an abysmal record of clearly reporting to the public and making it hard to find reported deaths and injures (that they do not include in the cumulative daily totals).
USFS is reducing the population of California’s last large wild horse herd to an “Appropriate Management Level” of 206-402 wild horses. (note: The California BLM manages Twin Peaks and the Surprise Complex. However, a large portion of Twin Peaks and all of Surprise physically exist in the state of Nevada. Nevada has more wild horses than all other states combined.)
In 2020, 506 wild horses at Devil’s Garden were captured. In 2019, 499 wild horses captured. In 2018, 932 wild horses captured. Many of these horses were sold, not adopted with a wait period for a title, a placed immediately into danger of the slaughter pipeline. Yes, it is illegal to transport horses for the purpose of slaughter in the state of California. However, even after the law changed, there is still no designated funding for compliance checks.
2020 WHE file photo, Devils Garden
USFS is only permitting 2 observers. Our team member tried to get a spot but was told the “advocate spot” was filled by another organization. They said they are leaving that spot open for someone from a different “stakeholder group” or an adopter.
We do not see this as “public access” and the selective criteria is not acceptable. More on this soon.
Our team has doubled up at Jackson Mountain where we have been the only observers for the last 3 days. You can follow Jackson HERE.
We will try to circle back to Devils Garden during the “sale/adoption” phase again this year.
To help protect all horses, wild and domestic, from the slaughter pipeline take action to pass the SAFE Act.
Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act: This bill prohibits the transporting, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation by a person of an equine (e.g., horse) that the person has reason to believe will be slaughtered for human consumption.
In the House the bill number is H.R. 3355. Your Congressperson may already co-sponsor this legislation. You can see if your legislator already co-sponsors SAFE here. If they do not, you can call and ask that they add their name. (find your Congressional Representative HERE)
U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) reintroduced the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act in the Senate. The bill number S. 2732. (text here). You can simply find your Senator HERE and call and ask that they support the SAFE Act and end the transport and sale of American horses for slaughter.
September Roundups
Barren Valley Roundup Reports (ongoing)
Devils Garden (coming soon)
Bait trap updates (coming soon)
Help keep us in the field and in the courts.
Thank you.
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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