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All Posts Tagged Tag: ‘BLM’

ICYMI: The BLM has finally released its 2023 roundup schedule

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’ve got a lot to share with you in this week’s edition of eNews, including the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) recently released 2023 roundup schedule, an inside look at a BLM adoption event in New Hampshire, and an open call to all burro lovers!

Read on to learn more! >>

Bureau of Land Management Releases 2023 Roundup Schedule and On-Range Population Numbers

Photo: Tandin Chapman

It’s officially here. After a several month delay, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) finally released its 2023 roundup schedule for wild horse and burros last week. While the target number is a marked departure from the initial planned number of 20,000, when all is said and done, more than 5,800 wild horses and burros will be added to the already overburdened holding corrals. In addition to the release of this schedule, the BLM is asserting that there is a slight increase in the on-range population, but we have questions. Check out our latest on this development below.

LEARN MORE

Eyewitness Report: BLM Adoption Event in New Hampshire

Photo: Mary Koncel

Last weekend, AWHC program specialist, Mary Koncel, traveled to Vermont to attend and document a BLM wild horse and burro adoption event at the Cheshire Fairgrounds in Swanzey, New Hampshire. This was the first of several adoption/sales events that will be held in the Northeastern States District of the BLM. Click the link below to read more.

READ MORE

Calling All Burro Fans! Submit Your Content to be Featured

Photo: Tara Arrowood/MCR

Wild burros have the same rich history and are just as culturally significant as wild horses, but they receive far less attention. In 2012, AWHC started Burro Awareness Month to promote awareness and appreciation for these amazing and unique residents of the American Southwest. Do you have photos of wild burros that you would like to share? A story about an experience you had on the range? Please submit your content to grace@americanwildhorsecampaign.org to be featured during the month of May on AWHC’s social media!

SUBMIT YOUR CONTENT!

Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our cherished wild horses and burros!

— AWHC Team

[IT’S HERE!] Today is National Help a Horse Day 🐴💞

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

In honor of National Help a Horse Day, we set a goal of raising $30K by midnight tonight to power our fight to defend our nation’s wild herds in 2023. Right now, we’re at $21,548 — within striking distance of our goal — can you help us get across the finish line by pitching in ASAP?

Happy National Help a Horse Day!

Today, and every day, our team is fighting to secure the freedom and safety of wild horses and burros across the West. On Monday, we told you about one avenue of our work — rescues — but today, we want to highlight how we’re helping horses through our legal and legislative efforts.

Already this year, we’ve made great strides for our wild herds both on the Hill and in state capitols throughout the country:

  • In North Dakota, we supported a resolution that passed in the state legislature urging the National Park Service to keep the state’s only wild horse herd in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park. (SCR 4014).
  • In Nevada, we rallied public support and testified for legislation that just passed in the state Senate that would make the wild mustang Nevada’s official state horse. (SB90).
  • In Colorado, we supported legislation that just passed the state Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee that would increase resources to support the work of existing volunteer groups to maintain sustainable wild horse populations through a robust fertility control and stewardship program, minimizing the need for future roundups. (SB23-275).
  • And on Capitol Hill, we’ve won the support of nearly 100 members of Congress who are calling for the diversion of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funds away from costly roundups and toward humane management and other important measures in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill.
POWER OUR WORK →

But that’s not all. We’re stepping up for wild horses in the courtroom as well:

  • Right now, we’re gearing up to take the BLM to court over its proposed plan to zero-out two iconic wild horse herds in Wyoming and eliminate grand swaths of their habitat, a case with the potential to set a precedent for herds throughout the West.
  • We’re also pushing forward in our ongoing legal battle against the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which is sending thousands of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. In our case, we allege that the agency implemented the AIP without any of the analysis and public comment required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Friend, we wouldn’t be able to do any of this critical work without your support. Your generosity allows us to stand up on behalf of wild horses and burros everywhereThat’s why this National Help a Horse Day, we’re asking you to make a contribution of whatever you can afford to help us reach our $30k goal and fuel our fight to defend our precious wild herds in 2023. As of now, we’re only $8,452 away – so if everyone reading this pitches in, we can hit our goal before the deadline at midnight!

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL!

Thank you for standing with our wild herds, and Happy National Help a Horse Day!

AWHC Team

The BLM just announced their 2023 Roundup Plans. Help us fight back >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Last week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unveiled its schedule to continue the unscientific and inhumane helicopter roundups of our nation’s iconic, federally protected wild horse and burro herds.

The BLM announced that it’s planning to round up more than 7,000 wild horses and burros from our public lands beginning in July – permanently removing 5,857.

There are already over 60,000 wild horses and burros languishing in overburdened BLM holding centers as a result of the agency’s aggressive 2022 removal schedule. If the BLM follows through with its recently released plan, thousands more of these innocent animals will be subjected to brutal helicopter roundups and crammed into crowded facilities where they are in danger of deadly disease outbreaks and where many could be funneled into the slaughter pipeline via the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP).

That’s why it’s critical we prepare NOW to ensure we’re ready to fight back for our wild herds – whether it’s in the field through our efforts to implement in-the-wild humane management across the West, in courts through our legal team, or on the Hill through our government relations work. With just one day left, we are nearly halfway to our $30,000 National Help a Horse Day goal. Will you make a contribution today to help us reach our goal before the deadline tomorrow and bolster our efforts to defend wild horses and burros in 2023?

DONATE NOW →

In December, Congress included an important bipartisan provision in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 appropriations bill requiring the BLM to utilize up to $11 million for reversible fertility control to sustainably manage wild horses and burros – marking the second year we’ve managed to secure this critical pro-horse and burro language into the omnibus package, and the third year our work has led to Congress recognizing the importance of the expansion of humane fertility control programs. 

Despite this, the BLM plans to implement fertility control on just 1,575 wild horses and burros. This is nowhere near enough. The BLM must meaningfully shift course away from inhumane roundups and towards on-range conservation through the use of proven fertility control as a far more safe and cost-effective way of managing the West’s populations.

We’re using every resource at our disposal to ensure wild horses and burros stay where they are safest — in the wild, with their families. But we can’t do it without your support. Your contributions fuel our fight to protect our wild herds from the BLM’s inefficient “management strategy.” Before the deadline tomorrow night, can you make a donation to help us reach our $30,000 National Help a Horse Day goal and power our work as we prepare for the 2023 roundup season?

FUEL OUR FIGHT →

Thank you,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

IT’S EARTH DAY!! 🌎 3 ways to take action for wild horses and burros today…

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Happy Earth Day!

Admittedly, every day is Earth Day for our team at the American Wild Horse Campaign, BUT that doesn’t mean we won’t take the opportunity to celebrate a little extra on this day

Today, we invite you to join us in focusing on the protection of our beautiful planet and all of the amazing creatures who inhabit it — and we can think of no better way than doubling down on our commitment to our cherished wild horses and burros. 

Here are 3 ways you can take action for our herds today:

  1. Over 60,000 mustangs and burros are stuck in government holding facilities.Recent welfare assessments at some of these facilities show widespread and concerning violations including facility maintenance, vaccine protocols, and inadequate access to food and water. Even more concerning, as more mustangs and burros are funneled into this overburdened system, disease outbreaks are becoming all the more common. Take action now to protect these captive animals!
TAKE ACTION →
  1. When people hear about what’s happening to wild horses, they care.We need you to help educate your friends and family about what is happening to our wild horses and burros right now! Take a second to share this video to your social media pages and get started!
SHARE THE VIDEO →
  1. We’re fighting to keep wild horses and burros wild, and every purchase you make with us helps fund that fight.Go wild this Earth Day with our apparel and partnerships!
SHOP FOR WILD HORSES →

Every single day, our team sees firsthand the threats that wild horses and burros face — the dangerous Adoption Incentive Program, crowded and unsafe holding pens, and inhumane government management practices driven by private interests – not conservation experts.

The Bureau of Land Management’s current strategy for wild horses and burros is not a path forward, friend, it’s a path toward ecological destruction. And we can’t stand by and let it happen — please take action for those who don’t have a voice this Earth Day.

Onaqui Herd Mare and Foal Photo: Kimerlee Curyl

Thank you for standing with our wild herds. Happy Earth Day!

– AWHC Team

YOUR advocacy is making wins like this possible

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Thanks in large part to your advocacy on behalf of America’s cherished wild herds, your member of Congress just took huge steps to ensure wild horses and burros are protected in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations bill.

First, we want to say thank you. Your continued action gives wild horses and burros a voice so that we can ensure their freedom and livelihood is always protected. Thanks to your work, Representative Joe Neguse just signed on to an important letter urging members of the House Interior Appropriations subcommittee to pass legislation in the FY24 Appropriations bill that would:

  • Implement a substantial humane reversible immunocontraceptive fertility control vaccine program to manage wild horse and burro populations in the wild, including $11 million for these reversible fertility control vaccines.
  • Prioritize partnerships with non-profit organizations, including working with military veterans and wild horse organizations.
  • Evaluate relocating wild horses and burros to other Herd Management Areas (HMAs) to keep these animals on the range and out of off-range holding facilities.
  • Consider humane alternatives to the use of helicopters.
  • Maintain the ban that is intended to protect wild horses and burros from slaughter.
  • Defund the cash incentive in the BLM’s “Adoption Incentive Program” and replace it with veterinary vouchers to help the BLM achieve its goal of increasing adoption rates, while also ensuring more humane outcomes for these animals.

We want to make sure more wins on Capitol Hill like this are possible, so will you also join us in thanking your member of Congress for standing up for the wellbeing of wild horses and burros?

SEND A THANK YOU NOTE!

Thanks for your help. We know with advocates like you by our side, more legislative wins for wild mustangs and burros are possible in 2024.

— AWHC Team

URGENT: BLM plans to roundup Montana’s last wild herd!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The wild horses who call Montana’s Pryor Mountain homedesperately need our help.

The Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range is home to a herd of about 200 mustangs, and they’re the only herd of federally protected wild horses left in all of Montana. Now, the BLM is asking the public for input on a proposal that would reduce the size of this herd by more than half, destroy beloved family bands, and would threaten the genetic health of the entire herd.

The BLM is currently accepting public comments on this proposal – so we need everyone to speak out against this inhumane and ill-advised plan ASAP. Please use your voice on behalf of the Pryor Mountain wild horses and tell the BLM you oppose this dangerous proposal!

ACT NOW →

The BLM is proposing a series of roundups that would reduce this strong herd of 200 down to just 90 horses, well below the genetic viability standard of 150 animals needed to maintain diversity. The consequences would be dire. In addition to breaking up the herd’s important familial structure, the horses’ unique Spanish colonial genetics would be lost forever.

SPEAK UP →

If this proposed action gets implemented, it would be a disaster for the Pryor Mountain wild horses. Not only is this herd already managed by a fertility control program, but it’s located on one of only four designated wild horse and burro ranges in the country — land that is managed principally for wild horses and burros. 

We know that when we band together and raise our voices as one, we can make an impact for our wild herds. Please help us stand up for Montana’s last herd of wild horses by submitting comments to the BLM opposing this disastrous plan!

ACT NOW →

Thank you so much for your support,

AWHC Team

Making history on Nevada’s Virginia Range

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Yesterday marked four years since the start of our fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range. To each and every one of you who donates to help fuel our continued efforts in Nevada and other Western states, volunteers to keep this program operating, or takes action in the emails we send to keep these horses safe — I want to say thank you. 

Since we restarted our work on the Virginia Range in 2019, it’s become a landmark program — the largest of its kind for wild horses anywhere in the world. We’re proving there IS a better way that is humane, cost-effective, and doesn’t rely on brutally rounding up and removing thousands of wild horses and burros from their homes. Our experience on the Virginia Range has helped to educate the media and Congress about the alternatives to the costly and cruel mass roundup and stockpile cycle.

And it’s working. The results of our fertility control program have helped us to secure language in the federal spending bill for three years in a row that reallocates Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding away from helicopter roundups and toward humane alternatives. And now, we have the opportunity to expand our programs to other herds across the West — helping to keep even more innocent wild horses safe and free from a future of captivity. 

Friends, this program would not be a success without the dozens of volunteers who brave all kinds of weather and give their time to keep these iconic wild horses wild. And, it would not be possible without the generosity of our supporters, who provide us with the resources necessary to power this work.

I’m so proud of every AWHC staff member, volunteer, and supporter for making a program like this possible!

Our team is truly leading the charge to end the cruel and harmful practice of helicopter roundups and move the BLM toward humane protection for our wild horse and burro populations on public lands. Will you consider making a contribution today to fuel our work on the Virgina Range and across the country as we fight to protect wild horses and burros?

Thank you for all that you do to support our cause,


Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

We’ve got an exciting update on our latest burro rescue!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We’ve got amazing news about our most recent rescue. 

As you may recall, we recently helped rescue seven Bureau of Land Management (BLM) burros just days before they were supposed to be shipped to slaughter. As soon as we found out these poor animals were in grave danger, we quickly paid their bail and worked with our partners at Auction Horses Rescue (AHR) to rescue them from a horrible fate.

When our partners found them, they still had BLM tags around their necks.

FUEL OUR RESCUE FUND

But our friends at AHR just got in touch with us to share an exciting update: we actually rescued eight burros, not seven! They alerted us that one more BLM burro was dropped off at the lot – and no burro is getting left behind on our watch. Soon, he will be loaded up on the trailer with the other seven, and they will all be heading to Mustang Camp to be trained and adopted out to their new homes!

This rescue would not have been possible without your support. Thanks to you, we’ve been able to prevent countless wild horses and burros from being shipped off to their brutal deaths in foreign slaughterhouses. But right now, it’s more important than ever that we keep our Rescue Fund fueled. Oftentimes, our team has to leap into action at a moments notice to save the lives of mustangs and burros, but we can’t do that unless we have the resources to do so. Can you make a donation to power our Rescue Fund today?

DONATE NOW →

In addition to funding the rescue of animals in danger of being shipped to slaughter, your support also enables us to help our partners sustain their rescue programs. With the increased cost of hay, the effects of the ongoing drought, and the general increase in the costs of running a horse rescue, AWHC has stepped up to provide them with grants for hay, fencing, farm maintenance, and other necessities.

These grants help empower local rescues to build up their facilities and increase their ability to provide sanctuary to more animals in need – but we can’t keep these grants going without your support. So please, help us continue supporting the rescue of hundreds of wild horses and burros by donating to our Rescue Fund today!

FUEL OUR RESCUE FUND

Thank you,

AWHC Team

SPEAK UP: Give Nevada’s wild mustangs the recognition they deserve >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

On Tuesday afternoon, the Nevada Senate Committee on Natural Resources heard SB90, a bill to recognize the wild mustang as the official state horse. Like the original wild horse and burro movement in the 1960s, the effort was supported by Nevada’s schoolchildren with over 100 kids showing up to attend the hearing! The students eloquently expressed their support for the wild mustangs who call Nevada home and we are so grateful for their passion.

Unfortunately, the opposition also came out in full force. Nevada ranchers who graze their privately-owned cattle and sheep on public lands used their testimony time to blame horses for range degradation. Each rancher who spoke made the hearing about wild horse management and not about the naming of the state horse. The hearing ended with no vote, as committee members discuss next steps.

We need people from all over the country to speak up about the mustang’s historic importance and the tourism resource they are for the state. Smithsonian Magazine even named Nevada the number one place in North America to see wild horses! As a potential visitor to Nevada, your voice matters, but it will only be heard if you act now!

Call each of the five committee members and ask them to support SB90.

All you need to say is: “Hi, my name is [NAME] and as a tourist who visits Nevada for its wild mustangs, I am calling to ask that Senator [NAME] support SB90 to recognize the wild mustang as Nevada’s state horse. Thank you.

  • State Senator Julie Pazina: (775) 684-1462
  • State Senator Melanie Scheible: (775) 684-1421
  • State Senator Edgar Flores: (775) 684-1431
  • State Senator Pete Goicoechea: (775) 684-1447
  • State Senator Ira Hansen: (775) 684-1480

Thank you so much for your help. Over the next couple of weeks we will have further actions for you to take. We hope we can count on you!

– AWHC Team

TAKE ACTION: Protect North Dakota’s only wild horse herd >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We have a timely opportunity for you to speak up for the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses of North Dakota! 

We just received word that this Friday, March 10, the North Dakota House Agriculture Committee will meet to hear SCR 4014, a state resolution that urges the Secretary of the Interior and the Director of the National Park Service (NPS) to preserve this cherished wild horse herd.

As you likely already know, the NPS is currently considering a management plan that would result in the severe reduction or total eradication of these mustangs and the Longhorn cattle that call the Park home. The Governor has already spoken out against this plan and the legislature is now following suit!

You can provide written and/or in-person testimony that will be considered for the record. (Please note that SCR 4014 does mention livestock grazing, this refers to both the mustangs and the Longhorns — NPS designates them both as livestock). Here’s how you can help:

  1. Open a Word document and draft your comments/testimony (see our talking points linked below).
  2. Click here to access the submission form.
  3. Scroll down to Agenda Items and find 9:00 AM | SCR 4014.
  4. Click, +Add Testimony.
  5. For Testimony Provided, select “In support of.”
  6. Select your preferred option for how you will submit your testimony.
  7. Finally, select Browse files to upload your Word document or PDF with your comments.

Here are some talking points to get your started, but personalizing your letter is going to be most important. Try answering the question honestly: Why do you want the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses to stay protected in the Park?

Thank you for taking action for North Dakota’s only wild horse herd, Meredith. We’ll keep you posted on the results.

– AWHC Team

Why I hike 5-10 miles a day for wild horses

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Allow me to introduce myself — I’m Tandin, AWHC’s Utah Conservation Operations Manager. For the last nine months, I have spent most of my time living on public lands in my travel-trailer, tracking and documenting a remote herd of wild horses that needed our help in Utah’s Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA). 

This is a very special population of wild horses that was subjected to a large helicopter roundup last year. They live in an area where water availability has been an issue and the horses are very wild, difficult to find amongst mountainous terrain, and unaccustomed to human presence.

© Tandin Chapman

DONATE NOW TO KEEP OUR FIELD PROGRAMS RUNNING!

Prior to the roundup, I had come to know many of the bands that make up this beautiful herd, and it was heartbreaking to watch so many of them lose their freedom. However, it fueled my commitment to work toward a better way to protect the horses who remained on the range. And so, when the capture operation was over, I returned to the field.

AWHC is committed to the boots-on-the-ground work necessary to shift wild horse management from reactive solutions (like roundups) to proactive solutions that keep wild horses wild. Will you continue powering their work with a donation today? As the group that operates the world’s largest fertility control program for wild horses in Nevada, we know firsthand how important fieldwork is to successful conservation programs.

Each time I go out, I hike between 5-10 miles to locate horses to identify and enter into our database. So far, I have documented and identified approximately 500 individuals. (Post-roundup, about 390 wild horses remain in the HMA.)

  • I’ve documented 65 bands with an average of 5.98 in each. The largest band I’ve found has 13 members.
  • Bachelor stallions make up 16.3% of the population.
  • 30.3% of the horses are Pintos, 15.5% are Buckskins, and 14.2% are Bays — making this one of the most colorful herds in the West.

I have also identified every water source in the HMA and have been working with stakeholders in the area to come up with solutions to ensure water continues to flow.

This job is very personal to me. It’s been an opportunity of a lifetime to get to know and spend time with these amazing horses — watch the bands tend to their young, the bachelors spar, and the lead mares tell everyone what to do.

© Tandin Chapman

DONATE NOW TO KEEP OUR FIELD PROGRAMS RUNNING!

All of AWHC efforts in the field — from assessing the condition of wild herds and their habitat, to documenting any violations during roundup and capture operations, to implementing humane fertility control programs — helps us further our work to end the traumatic roundup and warehousing of wild horses and burros in holding facilities. 

I’m proud to be part of AWHC’s work to shift wild horse and burro management in a humane and sustainable direction that keeps these animals in the wild with their families where they belong. Will you make a donation today to continue AWHC’s field work in our fight to keep wild horses and burros wild and free?

With your support, we can ensure these magnificent mustangs that I have come to know and love remain wild. 

Thank you.

Tandin Chapman
Utah Conservation Operations Manager
American Wild Horse Campaign

TAKE ACTION: 3 steps you can take NOW to help wild horses and burros in 2023

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

In an unprecedented move, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) still has not announced any new roundups for Fiscal Year 2023. This is good news! At the same time, that doesn’t mean wild horses and burros are out of harm’s way — helicopter roundups still may be scheduled for this summer, and many of the animals who have already been removed are in danger.

Once these animals are captured, they become part of a government holding system where more than 60,000 wild horses and burros are confined — a system that’s at its breaking point. In 2022, the BLM conducted assessments of some of its facilities, and  the results were shocking. These assessments showed widespread animal welfare violations, including inadequate access to food and water, lack of basic care, and poorly maintained facilities that put animals at a higher risk for injury and disease.

AWHC is taking action to address this crisis and proactively ensure that wild horses and burros are treated humanely, both in holding and in the wild. But we cannot do it alone! Here are three actions you can take NOW to help support the safety and freedom of our cherished wild horses and burros in 2023.

  1. Urge Congress to Support Wild Horse and Burro Protection
    Contact your member of Congress today and urge them to support humane, common-sense, and fiscally responsible reforms that would stop the endless cycle of removals and keep our magnificent mustangs and burros in the wild where they belong.
TAKE ACTION
  1. Call on Congress to Mandate Camera Installations at Wild Horse and Burro Capture Operations
    In order to ensure transparency and accountability during wild horse and burro roundups, we must urge legislators to mandate cameras on helicopters and at trap sites. Ensuring cameras are installed at roundup operations to record and document potential violations will provide a record of activities most Americans never see.
TAKE ACTION
  1. Tell DOI and BLM to Address Holding Facility Conditions
    The BLM’s holding system cannot safely hold the thousands of additional wild horses that the agency intends to capture over the next few years. We must demand change today. Please contact Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning and ask them to ensure the humane care of wild horses and burros in these facilities.
TAKE ACTION

Thanks for taking action, team.

— AWHC Team

Behind the Scenes: How supporters like you power our lifesaving programs →

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The donations supporters like you make to our organization power the important work that we are doing day in and day out. We often tell you in these emails that we’re working in the field, in court, and on the Hill to protect wild horses and burros. And we are. Every dollar you donate to the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) is critical to powering our work in each of these areas. 

So today, we wanted to share a little insight with you about just how critical every single dollar donated really is to each of our lifesaving programs. For every $1 dollar donated to AWHC, 80 cents goes directly to powering the programs we operate to preserve the freedom of America’s wild herds:

  • In-the-Wild Management: Not only do we currently operate the world’s largest fertility control program for wild horses, but this year we are on track to jumpstart several other programs for at-risk herds across the West.
  • Government Relations: Your contributions fuel lobbying for the passage of the SAFE Act to stop slaughter, securing funding for humane management to divert funds away from brutal roundups, and working with members of Congress to introduce legislation to secure meaningful protections for wild horses and burros.
  • Investigations: Thanks to you, we have been able to bring to light the atrocities occurring as a result of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and dive into our investigation into holding facility conditions.
  • Advocacy: We are bringing the issue of wild horse and burro protection into the mainstream by launching awareness campaigns through billboards, television and digital media, our celebrity ambassador program, and traditional media.
  • Rescue: Your generosity allows us to grant funding to rescue organizations in need of support to get mustangs and burros out of kill pens, transport animals to safety, and cover costs of care and treatment.
  • And so much more. 

And the other 20 cents? That money is invested in the operations that allow us to continue these very programs. Check it out:

Being this transparent doesn’t scare us – it’s exactly why we have a 100% rating from Charity Navigator, are a 5-star Top Nonprofit by Great Nonprofits, and have received the Guidestar Gold Transparency rating. We’re proud of our status as a strong, vibrant, and effective non-profit.

None of this would be possible without our staff, our volunteers, our advocates, and without supporters like you. You make this work possible and we’re proud to fight alongside you to keep our wild horses and burros wild. 

Every time you donate, you help our team prove to the BLM, Congress, and the American public that there is a better way to manage our wild horses and burros – whether it be in the field, in court, or on the Hill.

Thank you so much for your support,

 

 

 

 

 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

An update on Colorado’s horse slaughter bill

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Yesterday, the Colorado Senate Agriculture Committee narrowly passed an amended version of Senate Bill 23-038-007 concerning the Unlawful Transportation of Equines for Human Consumption. 

Bill 23-038, led by Colorado Voters for Animals, was originallydrafted to Prohibit Equine Slaughter for Human Consumption but was weakened to meet the approval of the Senate Agriculture Committee and is now limited to addressing conditions of transportation to slaughter for human consumption. The bill title was also narrowed and constrained to the topic of transport. Unfortunately, once the scope of a bill title has been narrowed, it cannot be widened and amendments must comport with the bill title.

Next, the bill moves to the full Senate for a vote. If it passes, it will move to the House for a committee hearing, most likely in the House Transportation Committee. We will continue to monitor the bill as further amendments are introduced.

You can read the full text of SB23-038-007 here.

Thank you for caring about wild horses,

The AWHC Team

Kicking off 2023 on the heels of some major wild horse and burro wins in Washington >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

At the American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), we’re committed to securing the safety and freedom of wild horses and burros every way possible – working in the field, in federal court, and on Capitol Hill.

As our team is gearing up for 2023, we wanted to share with you some of the major legislative victories we achieved in 2022! Last year, our government relations team worked tirelessly with U.S. House Natural Resources Committee staff to craft the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022, which was introduced in October. This historic piece of bipartisan legislation would restore protections for wild horses and burros that have been eroded over the past few decades.

This bill would enact sweeping changes to the way the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) manage our wild herds. This includes putting an end to the disastrous cash incentives that are driving adopted wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline, prioritizing humane methods of population management like fertility control vaccine programs as an alternative to cruel helicopter roundups, and much more.

The introduction of this historic bill was a huge victory – but now, our team is working to get it re-introduced in the new session of Congress. Can you make a donation today to help ensure we have the resources we need to keep our staff on the Hill and continue our legislative efforts to protect wild horses and burros?

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In addition to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act, we achieved another huge victory on Capitol Hill by securing language in the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations bill dedicating up to $11 million in funding specifically for humane fertility control as an alternative to inhumane helicopter roundups. 

This proven and safe method of population management allows wild horses to stay in the wild where they belong. Our own PZP fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range has reduced foaling rates by 62%. And hard-hitting data like this has helped us demonstrate to the public, Congress, and the BLM that there is a better way to manage our wild herds. 

We wouldn’t have gotten these wins in Congress without your support, but we have to keep up the momentum. Can you make a donation today to help power our Government Relations team’s continued work on Capitol Hill to protect wild horses and burros in 2023?

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Thank you!

AWHC Team

BREAKING: Our FY23 WIN for Wild Horses and Burros

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Breaking news:

Congress just passed its Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations omnibus spending bill — and it once again includes funding for humane fertility control and requires other reforms to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program!

Our government relations team has been advocating for these provisions over the course of the past year. And, we want to say thank you to all the wild horse advocates and AWHC supporters like you who fought alongside for these required reforms. 

This is another important step in the right direction in our fight to preserve the freedom of America’s wild horses and burros. 

The legislation ensures that up to $11 million of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) budget must be used to implement humane immunocontraceptive fertility control treatment and research, effectively diverting funds away from brutal and deadly helicopter roundups.

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Other measures in the final bill include: 

  • Evaluating options for relocating wild horses and burros to different Herd Management Areas (HMAs) as an alternative to removals.
  • Reviewing the agency’s controversial Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) for any program weaknesses that jeopardize the welfare of the mustangs and burros placed into private care.
  • Pursuing partnerships with veterans and wild horse organizations to aid in humane fertility control management.
  • Emphasizing the importance of screening adopters and purchasers to ensure the welfare and safe outcomes for the horses and burros adopted and sold by the U.S. Forest Service.

Of note, Congress appropriated less funding for the Wild Horse and Burro Program than the amount requested by the Biden Administration.

We believe that by limiting funding, triaging removals, and directing the BLM to utilize fertility control, Congress is signaling a new direction for wild horse management that will ultimately stabilize populations in the wild for the benefit of the agency, the taxpayer, and wild horses alike.

While some parts of this spending bill are concerning, the bill does also include long-standing anti-slaughter provisions that effectively prevent horse slaughter plants from operating in the U.S. and prohibit the slaughter of federally protected wild horses and burros for the remainder of the fiscal year.

So, Meredith: This is a strong step in the right direction, and we must acknowledge the progress we are making. Our fight to preserve the freedom of America’s wild horses and burros will not happen overnight. This battle is a marathon, not a sprint.

We will continue our work and research in the field to prove that humane management works and keeps wild horses in the wild where they belong. We will take this work and the full force of our strong advocate base to Congress to back up our calls for action. And when the federal government violates the law protecting wild horses and burros, we will go to court and fight on behalf of these cherished animals.

Thank you for standing with us,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

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Celebrating National Day of the Horse and our fight to keep them free >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Happy National Day of the Horse!

This very special day was designated by Congress in 2004 as a day to commemorate the contribution horses have made to the economy, history, and character of the United States. And here at the American Wild Horse Campaign, we’re celebrating the only way we know how: continuing our fight in the field, in courts, and on the Hill to keep America’s iconic wild horses and burros free. 

Generous supporters like you are the reason we can fight so hard for these cherished animals. That’s why as part of today’s celebration, we’ve set an ambitious goal to raise $150,000 before December 31st to fuel our fight to protect wild horses and burros in 2023.

From our fertility control program to taking legal action against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), our work to keep wild horses and burros wild is fueled by the dedicated wild horse advocates that make up our AWHC herd. Here are some of the ways your support has powered our fight to keep these animals free:

  • In-The-Wild Fertility Control Programs — For almost 4 years, AWHC staff and volunteers have operated the world’s largest wild horse fertility control program on Nevada’s Virginia Range — proving that the most efficient, cost-effective, and humane way to manage wild horses is with fertility control vaccines, not often-deadly helicopter roundups. The success of this program has helped us secure wins with Congress and the BLM in our fight to keep wild horses wild. The program is a model for humane management, and next year we’ll be working to expand fertility control projects to other key herd areas across the West.

  • Annual Appropriations Language — The success of our fertility control programs helped us secure major wins in the Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) spending bill that reallocated $11 million in BLM funding away from helicopter roundups and instead towards humane management! Now, our Government Relations team is fighting to secure the same language in the final FY23 bill and working to pass other wild horse-friendly legislation like the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022 — a bill that would drastically reform the BLM’s management operations.

  • Litigation — AWHC’s legal team continues to build a firewall of legal protections around wild horses and burros. We evaluate every BLM proposal and strategically take legal action in order to enact the most change for wild horses. We’ve filed suit against the BLM’s implementation of its controversial Adoption Incentive Program and are gearing up for a legal battle like no other for the lives of Wyoming’s wild horses.

  • Public Awareness Campaign — This year we launched a nationwide awareness campaign to inform the public about the devastating reality our cherished wild horses and burros face. Our campaign has already added thousands of new supporters to our cause because one thing is certain: When people hear about the tragedies these innocent animals face, they are angry and ready to take action!

THIS is the critical work that supporters like you power. And that’s why it’s so critical that we hit our $150,000 End-of-Year goal.

Thanks to a generous donor — all donations made up to $100,000 will be MATCHED! So as we continue our work into the year ahead, your gift will go twice as far in our fight to keep family bands together, mustangs roaming free, and innocent foals alongside their mothers on the public lands they call home. Will you make a 2X MATCHED donation today to help us get a head start on our goal and DOUBLE your impact for wild horses and burros in 2023?

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Thank you.

American Wild Horse Campaign

Help us unlock our biggest Giving Tuesday goal EVER

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Giving Tuesday is just around the corner — and I’m excited to announce that this year, we’ve set our biggest fundraising goal ever. This Giving Tuesday, we’re aiming to raise $100,000 to have the necessary resources to fuel our work in the field, in courts, and in Congress in 2023. 

As one of our most loyal supporters, you know that Giving Tuesday is our most critical fundraising day of the entire year. And, this year is even more significant because a generous donor has offered to matchevery single donation that comes in towards our $100,000 Giving Tuesday goal bringing our total possible Giving Tuesday impact to $200,000!!

But, there’s a catch → in order to unlock this very special double match, we need to kickstart our Giving Tuesday fundraising and raise $35,000 before this Sunday at midnight! Will you make a donation right now to help us unlock this critical match and DOUBLE our impact this Giving Tuesday?

UNLOCK THE MATCH →

So much is at stake in 2023. As I write this, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) holding facilities are reaching their breaking point. More wild horses and burros are confined in these facilities than ever before. Worse, the BLM’s own reports show widespread animal welfare violations at even the newest holding corrals, leading to disease outbreaks, overcrowding, and worse. Meanwhile, the cost to taxpayers for this program continues to skyrocket as the threat of slaughter for these innocent animals increases

While these circumstances are dire, the backlash against the BLM’s cruel and costly practices is growing. Mounting public and Congressional opposition is creating a mandate for change and the opportunity to make it happen. We know there is a better way to protect wild horses and burros and keep them in the wild where they belong. We’re proving it with our highly successful fertility control program in Nevada and by building key stakeholder partnerships for humane management of other western herds. 

But timing is of the essence — we must act now.

That is why this goal is so important. Will you make a donation right now to help unlock our Giving Tuesday 2X Match so that we can DOUBLE our impact in 2023 and keep our cherished wild horses and burros wild and free?

UNLOCK THE MATCH →

Thanks for your help, 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

Imagine a wild horse in the courtroom

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Suzanne here — I wanted to give you an update about the important work of AWHC’s legal team right now and the looming legal battles ahead to protect wild horses and burros.

From a legal perspective, the situation surrounding wild horses and burros is very unique. These equines are legally protected as living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West and as an integral part of public lands they inhabit. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the agency tasked with managing most of these beloved animals, but sadly as you and I both know, Meredith, wild horses and burros are threatened by the outdated and unscientific management practices the agency implements.

For years, our legal team has worked to build a strong firewall of protection around wild horses and burros, but we’re not done yet. We have a few key upcoming legal battles that will decide the fate of thousands of wild horses and burros.

We are:

  • Continuing our litigation against the implementation of the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) that’s sending hundreds — if not thousands — of wild horses into the slaughter pipeline;
  • Taking legal action to hold the agency accountable when it fails to release critical records we request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA);
  • Tracking the BLM’s rulemaking process to “clarify its authorities” under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act and pursuing a rulemaking petition to strengthen the agency’s Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program Guidelines and make them enforceable.

As we take on these fights in the courts, we are gearing up for the final legal showdown in our decade-long battle to stop the BLM from removing two million acres of federally protected habitat and eradicating the beloved wild horses who live in the Checkerboard region of Wyoming. The final decision has been made by the BLM and its release is imminent, but with your help, we will be ready to go to court to defend Wyoming’s iconic Checkerboard herds. 

These legal battles could not be more important — the fate of thousands of wild horses and burros are on the line. So today, I’m here to ask if you’ll make a donation to help build up our Legal Fund as we fight to protect wild horses and burros across the West. Will you make a donation today to support this important work, Meredith?

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Thank you for helping us to be a voice in the courtroom for these innocent animals.

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign

ICYMI: Groundbreaking legislation to protect wild horses was just introduced in Congress >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Last Friday, our wild horse champions in Congress introduced MAJOR legislation to reform the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) Wild Horse and Burro Programs.

The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Protection Act of 2022 will enact sweeping changes to the way the BLM and USFS manage our wild herds. This includes putting an end to the disastrous cash incentives fueling the Adoption Incentive Program’s (AIP) slaughter pipeline, prioritizing humane methods of population management like fertility control vaccine programs as an alternative to cruel helicopter roundups, and much more.

This legislation is a huge step forward in protecting wild horses and burros from federal mismanagement, but it would not have been possible without the support of people like you, Meredith. Your contributions are what fuels our legislative team’s work to partner with our allies in Congress and craft critical bills like this one, secure historic funding in the yearly appropriations bill to reallocate spending away from helicopter roundups and towards humane management, and work towards holding the BLM accountable through Congressional action.

We are so grateful for all you’ve done in the fight to save our wild herds, but there is still a lot more work to be done to power wild horse-friendly bills like this one to become law. Can you make a donation today to help us have the resources to keep our staff on the Hill and continue our legislative efforts to protect wild horses and burros?

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The introduction of this bill is certainly a huge victory, but we don’t have time to waste celebrating. The BLM is preparing for its Fiscal Year 2023 roundups as we speak, and if we don’t pass this legislation ASAP, even more wild horses and burros will be subjected to deadly helicopter chases and lose their freedom as they are packed into dangerously overcrowded holding facilities.

We know there is a long road ahead to get this bill signed into law, and it starts with getting it passed through the House. Our government relations team is already at work to try and make that happen, but they need your support to see it through. Will you make a donation today to power our continued fight on Capitol Hill?

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Thank you,

Holly Gann Bice
Director of Government Relations
American Wild Horse Campaign

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