Roundup Updates (Discretion must end)

By Laura Leigh on August 23, 2024

Tiny baby before Marietta roundup

This summer we have seen clearly why the BLM Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) simply does not work. We saw clearly how “discretion” is abused at Blue Wing earlier this year when operations were pushed over 100 degrees, in bad air quality from wildfire smoke and no guidelines on chaotic ropings throughout the operation led to a wild horse being “kicked in the face” and dragged by a rope.

The latest example of abuse of discretion is occurring right now. Burros captured at Marietta in Nevada are being sorted and shipped 9 hours to the Axtell facility in Utah. Palomino Valley Center (PVC) is a 3 hour drive.

In 3 short days BLM completed the Marietta Roundup. Team reports HERE.

PVC was set to take in the wild horses captured at Marietta and “compromised” burros that should not travel 9 hours after being captured and given a shorter drive and a place to decompress. Compromised means last trimester, very young with nursing moms, elderly, etc. Instead, at the “discretion” of the onsite BLM Incident Commander (IC), everything was packed into semi trucks and shipped 9 hours to Axtell.

Instead, at the “discretion” of the onsite BLM Incident Commander (IC), Jennies and new foals were packed into semi trucks in the first load and shipped 9 hours to Axtell in Utah. The “off-limits to the public facility” that, even during the one annual tour, does not allow any access to see burros.

The contract for the Axtell facility is currently being negotiated for renewal. We hope the high death rate of burros after capture, specific nutritional needs of burros and access issues are addressed in the new contract.

Did someone just fail to type “tours of wild horses AND burros” when they did the old contract?

Burros are not horses. Simple statement. The gestation (time of pregnancy) is different, how often they breed is different, nutritional needs are different, etc. However, BLM has still not adjusted their protocols on range, during capture or in holding to adequately address the specific needs of burros.

At PVC, right now, there are burros from bait traps earlier this year near Marietta and up at Denio (Sheldon). Would you call this pair “compromised?” Absolutely. This pair should be given the shortest drive time and a chance to decompress.

We contacted BLM onsite at Marietta yesterday. to find out why none of the babies, elderly and pregnant jennies have been sent to PVC. The response was curt and simply an emphasis on the word “compromised” was provided in response. They did not seem to think young burros that need to nurse at least once every 1 to 2 hours was a situation where a shorter drive time was needed to justify shipping 9 hours to Axtell.

We hope that BLM onsite at Marietta takes time to sort off the ones captured yesterday that due to welfare concerns, not just shuffling inventory in the most convenient way, becomes an actual priority for the agency tasked with humane management by Congress.

And, as usual, no access is given to view any handling of burros at all. Not at trap, not at temporary holding and no at the facility.

We must gain clear and concise welfare standards. Concise standards will not only stop things like the “kick in the head” at Blue Wing, roundups in heat and intense smoke, electric shock use to speed loading, etc., it will also give us a chance to get things like “drive time” from range to facility into the rules. No more “at the discretion of…”, but a clear standard that comes with penalty for breaking it.

Please make a call. If you have made the call, make another. Our wild ones desperately need an enforceable welfare policy that is crafted with transparency, public participation and complies with current welfare standards for equines.

The phone number for Congress is: (202) 224-3121.

Call the number, tell the operator who your representative is (or where you live if you do not know) and you will be connected to an aide in the office. Ask to register your concerns and request.

Ask that an amendment to the funding bill for the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program be crafted to simply create a line item for funding for “Rulemaking to create an enforceable welfare policy.”

The phrase “rulemaking” is vitally important as it is the name of the process that opens a welfare policy to public comment and finalizes with enforceability.

We won an amazing victory earlier this year where the courts recognize removal is NOT management. We have three additional cases in the system now. We need your help to keep our teams in the field and expand our litigation to push desperately needed legal precedents to protect our wild ones