The final release of studs into Clan Alpine has occurred. We are still trying to get an official status on numbers and a list of “who, how many and where.”

Throughout this roundup BLM never added any official release numbers for studs to their official public disclosure; there were 3 different releases. BLM only counted two that escaped and only noted 1 on a specific day. We do not have any official accounting of studs.

81 mares treated with two doses of GonaCon in 30 days (if all survive) will be released on December 14. It is important to remember that they were all chosen at the first two traps where a higher than normal rate of cancer was noted and 6 horses captured in the same area were found to have Pigeon Fever on arrival to Palomino Valley Center (PVC) north of Reno.

It is also important to note that to the east there is a big exchange with New Pass/Ravenswood and to the northern wintering ground shared with Augusta. Many of the horses being released were not captured in the area of where they are being released and studs are NOT marked in any way. A roundup begins that will include Augusta (East Pershing) on Dec. 28th and removals will include the “off HMA” horses in the winter grounds between the HMAs. In other words, there will be absolutely no way to tell if a stud released is recaptured.

(More on this soon)

ANSWERS TO THE INBOX

Alpine horses that were removed in Arizona and went to the (populated by kill buyers) auction/shipping yard are NOT the same horses as Clan Alpine (the BLM horses in the section above). 

Clan Alpine is in NV and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The 50 Alpine horses you are hearing about that were sent to  the Bowie kill auction in Texas are from Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. 

Forest Service, although under the parameters of the 1971 Act like BLM, says that the horses in the Alpine Forest are not covered under the Act. (More HERE on the Forest Service website including auction and contractor info)

Center for Biological Diversity and others sued Forest Service and an agreement was reached to remove Alpine horses to protect an endangered mouse. You can read more HERE. These groups that sued said that horses were vacant from this landscape for a long time and therefore not covered under the Act and needed to be removed. Forest Service agreed. (The Salt River in Arizona faced a similar suit and Forest Service fought back on that one, but not at Apache.)

Although there had been an (unofficial) agreement to sell these horses in public (local) auctions led to the placement of 270, this time the Forest Service contractor simply sent 50 (updated numbers say 45) wild horses to Bowie Livestock auction in Texas. Apparently, the contractor doesn’t like advocates that have been placing these horses (or something really bizarre like that). You might be surprised (or not) at how many decisions are made because of rumor, grudges and the like.

Organizations were scrambling this morning and there is a rescue effort underway.

Many of you are expressing confusion because a bill was introduced in Arizona S.B. 1057, sponsored by Senator John Kavanagh, to protect the Alpine wild horse herd. S.B. 1057 would prohibit the killing of Alpine horses and would prohibit them from going to slaughter for human consumption. The bill was prompted by numerous incidents of horses being shot and Forest Service refusal to give them any protections under the 1971 law. (HERE)

We are getting a lot of questions and will update you as we have more info. 

A release of GonaCon treated mares from the Calico roundup is schedule December 4, weather permitting.

The release of 81 mares back to Clan Alpine is scheduled December 14.

The roundup and permanent removal of 2,875 wild horses north of Clan Alpine in the East Pershing Complex is scheduled to begin December 28.

There are numerous oil and gas lease sales throughout the West. We are busy getting comments in. Youy need to click on each state and then find the lease sales. Most often, you have to create your own map to see if the overlap wild horse and burro HMAs. (See HERE)

Comments are open until December 15 for the “Mountain Lion predation study” out of the Ely District in NV that includes the Caliente Complex horses. (See HERE)