UPDATE: Double your impact this weekend and help us save 3,000 wild horses (!)
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Today, AWHC officially launched our new webinar series ‘Wild Horse 101.’
The response was incredible! In fact, so many people RSVP’d and tried to join the webinar that we quickly hit capacity for the maximum number of viewers on the platform.
Many of you reached out to us — that you couldn’t view the webinar as a result or wanted to participate but were busy at the time of the viewing.
That’s why we wanted to make the webinar available to you here to view so you can watch it without any issues and at your leisure.
↓ Watch Today’s Webinar ↓
Thank you for helping make the launch of our webinar a success and we wanted to apologize for any technical issues or confusion for those who tried to join but were not able to.
We appreciate your patience and are thankful to count you among our supporters!
— American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We’ll be the first to say it: It can be difficult to stay up to speed with the complex issues affecting our nation’s wild horses and burros. With so many federal agencies, acronyms and applicable laws, it’s easy to get confused.
That’s why we’re going to break it down for you TOMORROW, April 30, with the launch of our ‘Wild Horses 101’ webinar series. You can RSVP here.
We’ll be discussing the origins of wild horses in the Americas, Wild Horse Annie and the beginning of the movement to save America’s wild horses, some of the major policies and proposals being implemented and considered by the Bureau of Land Management, and so much more!
We want this to be an interactive and engaging experience, so during the webinar, you will have the chance to ask questions and we’d be glad to answer them.
We hope to hear from you and look forward to speaking with you all,
American Wild Horse Campaign
P.S. — If you already registered before the webinar was postponed, you do not need to register again.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
This past weekend, AWHC launched a major initiative, #KeepWyWyld, as part of our national effort to prevent the Bureau of Land Management from moving forward with a plan known as The Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout.
If it moves forward, irreversible damage will be done to Wyoming’s cherished wild horses and half of the state’s wild horse habitat will be gone for good.
That’s why I’m reaching out to you now. Since launching this initiative just last week, the outpouring of support has been incredible. In fact, it’s exceeding all of our expectations.
But if we’re going to succeed and save these horses, then we all need to do our part and we don’t have much time. Which is why we’ve outlined five ways you can get involved and provided an update on how we’re tracking toward our goals ahead of the April 30 deadline for public comments.
April 30 is the deadline to submit public comments in opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout proposal, which would result in more than 3,000 wild horses being rounded up and permanently removed from public lands.
That gives us less than ONE week to PROVE to the BLM that the American people oppose this devastating mustang eradication plan.
Wyoming’s tourism slogan is “Don’t Fence Me In,” and the state’s iconic wild horses symbolize that sentiment. In fact, the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop in the Checkerboard is promoted by the state’s tourism boards as “something you and your family will never forget because Sweetwater County’s cherished wild horses are living examples of a wide-open landscape and untamed frontier spirit.”
Incredibly, the BLM’s plan would eradicate every single wild horse from the viewing loop, fencing these symbols of the wide open West in dismal feedlots!
Write to Wyoming’s tourism boards here and ask them to join our efforts to prevent the destruction of the iconic Wyoming Checkerboard mustangs.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has the power to oppose and potentially change the course of the Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout. In fact, his state is looking to purchase a large chunk of these lands from Occidental Petroleum and could designate the area as a recreational resource in which wild horses are protected.
Take part in AWHC’s national petition drive to demonstrate the immense public pressure in opposition to the eradication of Wyoming’s wild horses.
If we’re going to save these horses, then we need to get everyone involved, including our friends, family, and coworkers.
So many people who love wild horses aren’t aware of what’s at stake in Wyoming — And just a couple minutes of their time can make a difference.
Our legal team has been heavily involved in fighting back against attempts by the BLM and the livestock industry to round up tens of thousands of wild horses, permanently remove them from public lands, and perform dangerous sterilization surgeries on mares. We’ve been fighting the attempt to eradicate the Wyoming Checkerboard horses since 2011.
Not only have we achieved a number of important legal protections but also our legal team has scored victories in fourteen separate lawsuits filed over the last nine years!
We understand that these are difficult times and that not everyone is in a position to donate. But we are relying on donations from supporters like you to power our legal team so they can defend Wyoming, and our country’s, wild horses.
Wild horses don’t have a voice, so we need to be theirs.
Thank you for getting involved and stay safe,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
The future of the Wyoming Checkerboard wild horse herds is in danger. The Bureau of Land Management’s proposed Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout would result in the state losing more than HALF of its wild horse habitat.
Nearly 40% of the state’s wild horse population would be roundup and removed from the wild — all to allow the livestock industry and private ranchers to replace them with cattle and sheep after targeting the state’s wild horses for elimination for years.
That’s why on this Earth Day, we’ve set the 24-hour goal of raising $10,000 toward the AWHC Wyoming Legal Defense Fund.
We know this is a difficult time and many of you are not in a position to donate right now.
But at a time when the BLM is threatening to round up as many as 20,000 wild horses per year and proposing the eradication of Wyoming’s Checkerboard horses, your support is what allows us to: continue spreading the word about this cruel and costly plan, organize throughout the country in support of America’s wild horses, fight back in the courts through our legal team, operate the world’s largest humane fertility control program for wild horses, and so much more.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
P.S. — We’ve gone to court three times to defend the Wyoming Checkerboard horses — and each time we’ve won. Now we’re gearing up for a fourth legal battle … and this one is literally the last stand for these iconic mustangs. Please help if you can.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
At the beginning of this week, we reached out to you about a devastating plan being proposed that represents an existential threat to Wyoming’s wild horses.
The stakes have never been higher for Wyoming’s Checkerboard wild horse herd: Over 3,000 of them could be rounded up and removed from public lands while nearly 2.5 MILLION acres of wild horse habitat could be permanently eliminated.
That’s why AWHC launched an official action center and is kicking off a weekend of action so we can do everything in our power to save these horses!
Here Are 5 Ways You Can #KeepWyomingWyld This Weekend
April 30 is the deadline to submit public comments in opposition to the Bureau of Land Management’s Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout proposal.
That gives us less than two weeks to PROVE to the BLM that the American people oppose this devastating mustang eradication plan.
Wyoming’s tourism slogan is “Don’t Fence Me In,” and the state’s iconic wild horses symbolize that sentiment. In fact, the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop in the Checkerboard is promoted by the state’s tourism boards as “something you and your family will never forget because Sweetwater County’s cherished wild horses are living examples of a wide-open landscape and untamed frontier spirit.”
Incredibly, the BLM’s plan would eradicate every single wild horse from the viewing loop, fencing these symbols of the wide open West in dismal feedlots!
Write to Wyoming’s tourism boards here and ask them to join our efforts to prevent the destruction of the iconic Wyoming Checkerboard mustangs.
Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon has the power to oppose and potentially change the course of the Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout. In fact, his state is looking to purchase a large chunk of these lands from Occidental Petroleum and could designate the area as a recreational resource in which wild horses are protected.
Take part in AWHC’s national petition drive to demonstrate the immense public pressure in opposition to the eradication of Wyoming’s wild horses.
If we’re going to save these horses, then we need to get everyone involved, including our friends, family, and coworkers.
So many people who love wild horses aren’t aware of what’s at stake in Wyoming — And just a couple minutes of their time can make a difference.
Our legal team has been heavily involved in fighting back against attempts by the BLM and the livestock industry to round up tens of thousands of wild horses, permanently remove them from public lands, and perform dangerous sterilization surgeries on mares. We’ve been fighting the attempt to eradicate the Wyoming Checkerboard horses since 2011.
Not only have we achieved a number of important legal protections but also our legal team has scored victories in fourteen separate lawsuits filed over the last nine years!
We understand that these are difficult times and that not everyone is in a position to donate. But we are relying on donations from supporters like you to power our legal team so they can defend Wyoming, and our country’s, wild horses.
Wild horses don’t have a voice, so we need to be theirs.
Thank you for getting involved and stay safe,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
40% of Wyoming’s wild horses are at risk of being rounded up and removed from public lands.
We have two weeks to gather public comments OPPOSING this cruel and unprecedented assault on Wyoming’s cherished horses.
ACTION ALERT: Add your name here to help us STOP the Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout and help save the Checkerboard wild horses!
For nearly a decade, the Checkerboard wild horse population has been a top target of the powerful Rock Springs Grazing Association and the livestock industry. Now, the Bureau of Land Management is preparing to bend to their demands and deal a devastating, irreversible blow to Wyoming’s wild horses.
The scope of the proposed plan is unprecedented, and will result in the destruction of the magnificent wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard. If we fail to generate a massive show of force, these horses will be lost forever.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Today is a major milestone for us. One year ago, we signed an agreement with the State of Nevada to launch a PZP fertility control program for the famed Virginia Range wild horse herd in Nevada. It’s now the largest humane wild horse fertility control program in the world.
Our mission was to prove that there is an effective and cost-efficient way to humanely manage wild horse populations without expensive roundups, crowded holding corrals, or dangerous sterilization surgeries.
We’re proud to announce that this program hasn’t just been a success, it has exceeded all expectations. And we wanted to give you an inside look at this historic program as we expand on this work in the months ahead.
↓ Watch The Video ↓
In our program, volunteer darters deliver the safe and effective fertility control vaccine PZP remotely to wild mares on the range. The vaccine is 97% effective in preventing pregnancy and is an excellent tool to keep wild horses in balance with their environment.
And, unlike the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) $81 million-a-year roundup program, our program is cost-effective and most importantly, keeps wild horses where they belong: in the wild.
From the get-go, there were skeptics: “How do you expect to deliver fertility control in such a large wild horse population in such a vast habitat area?”
But we didn’t back down from the challenge. Our team — including our incredible volunteers — worked hard, day-in and day-out. And tens of thousands of you supported this work along the way.
Over the course of this past year, our mostly volunteer team delivered over 1,700 fertility control treatments (primers and boosters) to more than 950 mares in the 300,000-acre Virginia Range. That number represents nearly 80% of the reproductive-age mares in this roughly 3,000-horse mustang population.
The Stunning News? Our team actually OUTPERFORMED the BLM’s own program to administer fertility control!
We didn’t do this alone. This successful effort would not be possible without our village of partners and supporters — the Nevada Department of Agriculture, political and business leaders, including Governor Steve Sisolak, Assemblyman Jim Wheeler, tech company Blockchains LLC and real estate developer Lance Gilman, to local wild horse organizations, our amazing team of dedicated volunteers, and generous supporters like you.
I hope that you feel as proud as I do of this work, our team in Nevada, and what we have all achieved together.
Even as we celebrate these accomplishments, we know that this work is far from over. The BLM and the livestock industry continue to push for a multi-billion dollar plan to round up and remove more than 100,000 wild horses from public lands in the next ten years.
We’ll continue to fight back using every resource at our disposal. And, even during these difficult times for our country, we’ll work to expand our operations in Nevada — home to more than half of the nation’s remaining wild horses — to continue to show that wild horses can be managed humanely and to ensure that America’s mustangs stay wild and free.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Many of us have more time on our hands these days and we wanted to give you some important news and provide some interactive materials about wild horses that you and your family can utilize while staying at home.
Back in 2018, AWHC joined forces with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and California local advocate Carla Bowers to file a lawsuit to stop the U.S. Forest Service from selling California wild horses for slaughter. The horses in question were captured in fall 2018 from the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory in northeast California’s Modoc National Forest.
We’re pleased to report that this litigation blocked the Forest Service from selling the Devil’s Garden wild horses for slaughter, giving Congress time to act.
In December, after U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, 66 members of Congress, and 22 members of the California State Legislature joined the public in opposing the slaughter plan, Congress passed legislation to prohibit the Forest Service from destroying healthy horses and selling them without limitation on slaughter.
This is the same prohibition that Congress has long imposed on the Bureau of Land Management. We’re grateful to all the AWHC supporters who donated to support our litigation, which played a critical role in securing this prohibition on slaughter of wild horses and burros under U.S. Forest Service jurisdiction.
In fall of 2019, the Forest Service rounded up and removed 499 more wild horses from the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory. The majority of the horses have been adopted or sold, some, disturbingly, for $1 a piece. Approximately 100 wild horses — including older horses, pregnant mares and foals — remain in corrals in the Modoc National Forest.
Unlike the BLM, which has halted sales and adoptions of horses and burros during the COVID-19 crisis, the Forest Service continues to dispose of these federally-protected animals for $1 a piece. Worse, a single buyer can purchase 24 horses at a time, and the government will transport them for free, including to states as far away as Arkansas and Florida!
The Forest Service has no adequate system for vetting potential buyers or following up after horses are purchased to ensure their welfare.
By selling horses in bulk for $1 a piece and shipping them for free across the country with no safeguards to protect them from abuse and slaughter, the Forest Service is creating an avenue to sidestep Congress’ slaughter ban.
We’ll be the first to say it: It can be difficult to stay up to speed with the complex issues affecting our nation’s wild horses and burros. With so many federal agencies, acronyms and applicable laws, it’s easy to get confused.
That’s why we’re going to break it down for you on Thursday, April 16, with the launch of our ‘Wild Horses 101’ webinar series.
We want this to be an interactive experience! Which is why we’re encouraging you to submit questions so we can address them as we tackle some of the most important topics.
Our first segment will go over the history of wild horses and how we arrived at the place we are now. We hope you’ll tune in.
We know that many of you are juggling a number of responsibilities at home, and for those with young kids, we’re offering a way to keep them entertained!
We took a bit of inspiration from Velma Johnston, aka “Wild Horse Annie,” who was the influential wild horse advocate responsible for some of the most important wild horse protections on the books. As part of her campaign to save America’s mustangs, she organized a wildly successful children’s writing brigade that generated national support for mustangs and led to the passage of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
AWHC hopes to harness that spirit again by getting kids involved in the fight to save our mustangs. A great place to start is with our official children’s activity book: it’s available completely for free and includes coloring pages, a word search, and writing prompts!
That’s our news for the week… our best wishes to you and your loved ones during this difficult time.
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We hope that this email finds you well and safe during these difficult times for our nation and our world.
We need to let you know that, despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19 on day-to-day life, our work to protect wild horses and burros continues.
In fact, Congress is working now on appropriations legislation to fund the government for the upcoming fiscal year (which begins on October 1). This presents both dangers that we must remain alert to, and the opportunity to make progress against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) mass roundup and sterilization plan.
We’re pleased to report that several wild horse champions in Congress are stepping up to protect wild horses.
House Natural Resources Chair Raúl Grijalva (Arizona), Congresswomen Deb Haaland (New Mexico) and Dina Titus (Nevada), and Congressman Steve Cohen (Tennessee) are officially requesting that language be added to any appropriations measures that would:
If adopted, this would represent a HUGE step forward toward actual reform of the BLM’s broken wild horse and burro roundup program, as well as a HUGE victory in our fight to protect these iconic animals across the West.
From the safety of your homes, and utilizing but a minute of your time, you can make a difference in ensuring that Appropriations Committee members include this critical language to protect our treasured horses and burros in Fiscal Year 2021 spending legislation.
Take Action: Contact your members of Congress and your Senators this weekend.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
My name is Deb Walker and I’m AWHC’s Field Representative here in Nevada. I coordinate our amazing team of volunteers on the Virginia Range implementing the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses.
AWHC reached out on Monday asking for donations of $30 to cover the costs of the cornerstone of this program — the $30 fertility control vaccine known as PZP. We’ve had an incredible response and outpouring of support since then.
As a result, we can cover the costs of 321 (!) annual vaccines for wild mares. Our team of volunteers is working hard and I want to let them know we have the supplies we need to not only maintain this program but to expand it!
The one year anniversary of this program is next week. I understand if you are unable to, but if you can, I’d greatly appreciate if you could be one of the 179 generous supporters we need to chip in $30 to reach our 500 PZP vaccine goal before the end of the week.
Thank you so much,
Deb Walker
Nevada Field Representative
American Wild Horse Campaign
Read Our Previous Message Below:
We know that this is a difficult time for the country and for many of you. If you are not in a position to financially support our work, we completely understand. But for those of you who can, give us a moment to explain why we’re asking for $30.
In Nevada’s Virginia Range, AWHC operates the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses. Next week marks the one year anniversary of the establishment of this historic initiative to prove to the world that there is a humane way to manage wild horse populations that doesn’t require mass roundups, crowded holding corrals, dangerous sterilization surgeries or slaughter.
The cornerstone of this highly successful program is the remote darting of wild mares with the scientifically proven fertility vaccine known as ‘PZP’. Our work on the Virginia Range continues uninterrupted despite the COVID-19 pandemic and our volunteers are working hard, day-in and day-out, to vaccinate these mares.
The price of a single mare’s annual PZP vaccine is just $30.
Compare that to the tens of thousands of dollars the Bureau of Land Management spends on the roundup and long-term holding involved in the removal of a single horse.
Let alone the $5 BILLION figure the Acting Director of the BLM is citing as the cost of a plan to round up over 100,000 horses from public lands over the next decade, with the goal of rounding up as many as 20,000 in 2020 alone.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We know that this is a difficult time for the country and for many of you. If you are not in a position to financially support our work, we completely understand. But for those of you who can, give us a moment to explain why we’re asking for $30.
In Nevada’s Virginia Range, AWHC operates the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses. Next week marks the one year anniversary of the establishment of this historic initiative to prove to the world that there is a humane way to manage wild horse populations that doesn’t require mass roundups, crowded holding corrals, dangerous sterilization surgeries or slaughter.
The cornerstone of this highly successful program is the remote darting of wild mares with the scientifically proven fertility vaccine known as ‘PZP’. Our work on the Virginia Range continues uninterrupted despite the COVID-19 pandemic and our volunteers are working hard, day-in and day-out, to vaccinate these mares.
The price of a single mare’s annual PZP vaccine is just $30.
Compare that to the tens of thousands of dollars the Bureau of Land Management spends on the roundup and long-term holding involved in the removal of a single horse.
Let alone the $5 BILLION figure the Acting Director of the BLM is citing as the cost of a plan to round up over 100,000 horses from public lands over the next decade, with the goal of rounding up as many as 20,000 in 2020 alone.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
After years of fighting back in the courts and mounting public opposition, the Bureau of Land Management will not conduct cruel sterilization experiments on Oregon’s Warm Springs wild horses.
One of the most inhumane and cruel ways the Bureau of Land Management outlined as a way for “management” of wild horses is the ovariectomy via colpotomy procedure.
This procedure involves manually severing and removing a wild mare’s ovaries in an invasive and outdated surgical procedure that has been called “barbaric” by veterinarians and deemed by the National Academy of Sciences to be too dangerous for use in wild horses.
Not surprisingly, nearly 8 in 10 Americans oppose this procedure — and we’ve sued twice and successfully blocked the BLM from subjecting innocent wild mares to this cruel and risky surgery.
In each case, we built a coalition, marshalled resources and did what it took to stop these horrific experiments, which veterinarians confirmed would cause extreme pain, bleeding, infection, miscarriage and would interfere with the mares’ ability to nurse and care for their dependent foals.
But that doesn’t mean the BLM will stop trying to surgically sterilize mares. In fact, the agency right now is preparing a management plan for the Swasey HMA in Utah that includes ovariectomy via colpotomy as a management tool.
We must stay vigilant and ready to jump to action to continue to defend wild mares from this brutality. Our victories in Oregon prove that when we work together and fight back hard, we win.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
P.S. — If you are not in a position to donate but would still like to support our work, please use AmazonSmile when you shop online and a portion of your purchase will go toward AWHC. Shop using AmazonSmile here.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Online shopping is increasing in response to the COVID-19 crisis, and we wanted to remind you that you can continue to support our work while ordering supplies from Amazon and staying safe in the comfort of your home.
With a single click, you can keep powering the fight to save wild horses and burros.
And speaking of smiles (which everyone can use more of right now), we wanted to share this cute video of a foal that brought a smile to our faces. We hope it brings you as much joy as it did to us.
Thank you and take care – we will overcome this national crisis by staying strong and standing together.
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We hope that you and your loved ones are staying safe and well during this difficult time.
Like you, we are doing our best to stay up to date on the evolving COVID-19 pandemic and also wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a number of developments about our continued work during this time as we take necessary precautions in advocating for our nation’s wild horses and burros.
This past weekend, we reached out to you about the legislation introduced by AZ Rep. Kelly Townsend. HR 2858 threatened to block lifesaving humane management of the famed Salt River wild horses and was widely opposed not just in Arizona, but also by tens of thousands of Americans all across the country.
Due to concerns over COVID-19, the public was discouraged from attending committee hearings or providing public testimony on legislation. Townsend had publicly stated that her legislation was on hold, only to schedule the unpopular and controversial bill at the last minute for a Monday hearing when the public couldn’t attend.
More than 8,000 of you messaged Townsend and members of the committee to cancel this hearing in a tremendous, last-minute show of force in defense of the Salt River wild horses.
And … good news! The state legislature will only be addressing essential legislation before adjourning at the end of the week, meaning that this dangerous and controversial bill is effectively dead (but we will be carefully monitoring this until the session is officially over to be certain).
As the country faces both a financial and public health crisis, imaginably, this past week was one of the most consequential in Washington, DC in many years.
Most federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, have moved all but the most essential personnel to telework and Congress is doing the same.
This doesn’t, however, put a stop to the legislative work happening in Congress nor will it delay consideration for millions of dollars in additional funding to ramp up the roundup, removal, and potential sterilization of tens of thousands of wild horses in the West.
In fact, Congress’ biggest legislative vehicles, the Fiscal Year 2021 appropriation bills which fund federal agencies and their programs, are currently being drafted with the goal of concluding in the next four to five weeks. We’ve previously highlighted the President’s FY 2021 budget, which asks Congress to throw even more money at the BLM’s broken and inhumane wild horse and burro program (you can read more about it below).
Our fear is that the current appropriations bills will become “must-pass” legislation tied to addressing COVID-19 and the financial crisis, meaning that language and funding that threatens wild horses may slip through as the public focuses on other issues.
That’s why our team was on Capitol Hill last week meeting with Congressional staff in order to have early and influential input on this process in defense of wild horses and burros. Now that Congressional staff, as well as many of our own staff, are working remotely, we’re utilizing every technology available to stay in contact throughout the appropriations process.
Just as our work in Congress continues, so too, does our work throughout the court system.
Last week, the government filed a motion in our lawsuit against the BLM to stop its proposed ovariectomy via colpotomy experiments on wild mares. Oral arguments are set for March 20th in Portland, Oregon, which has declared a state of emergency.
As a result we will be attending the hearing and providing oral arguments via telephone. This suit is critically important — We partnered with The Cloud Foundation and The Animal Welfare Institute on this suit which is responsible for the BLM decision to abandon its plans to conduct cruel sterilization experiments.
Five days later, on March 25th, our legal team was expected to appear in San Francisco for oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in our lawsuit challenging the BLM’s plan to castrate wild-free roaming stallions in Nevada’s Triple B Complex.
We recently got word that the Courts will be canceling oral arguments for that week meaning that we will either have our hearing rescheduled or the case will be decided on the written briefs submitted previously.
Late last week, AWHC Government Relations and Policy Counsel filed a lawsuit over the BLM’s failure to respond to multiple requests under the Freedom of Information Act, seeking information on various aspects of BLM wild horse and burro policy.
We are seeking records related to a number of secretive meetings between Interior secretaries and BLM officials with livestock special interest groups that may have influenced federal wild horse and burro policy. By failing to provide these records, the BLM and Interior Department have violated the law — So we’re taking action.
The great outdoors is, fortunately, one of the safest places to be during this pandemic. That means that our team’s incredible work running the world’s largest wild horse fertility control program on the Virginia Range in Nevada continues on.
Last year, with far fewer resources and staff, our volunteer team of darters outperformed the BLM in providing the birth control vaccine PZP to wild mares — shattering expectations and proving the naysayers wrong.
Each day, we’re proving that there is a better, humane, and far more cost effective way to manage wild horse populations. And each vaccine costs just $30.
Our work continues and we’re so grateful to have your support along the way. Please stay healthy, stay strong, stay safe and stay tuned. We’re all in this together!
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Time is not on our side. AZ State Rep. Kelly Townsend is moving forward with a bill, HR 2858, that WILL block lifesaving humane management, leading to harm, suffering, death and ultimately, could lead to the removal of Salt River wild horses that are beloved by Arizonans and people all over the world.
Last month, and each time the horses have been in danger, the public — this includes you — has stood up for these horses, by writing, packing hearing rooms, turning out by the hundreds to rallies, etc.
Tens of thousands of Arizonans signed petitions, contacted their representatives, and packed every single public hearing in a demonstration of overwhelming opposition to these dangerous bills.
But now that public gatherings are being restricted and the public is being discouraged from attending these hearings, Townsend is moving forward with her dangerous and incredibly unpopular bill with a legislative hearing scheduled for TOMORROW!
That means we cannot be there to oppose it and we need you to stand up for these beloved animals one more time. We don’t have much time to mobilize.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Two populations of iconic wild horses in Arizona need you to speak up for them today!
In 2015, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) announced its intent to round up and remove all of the Salt River wild horses from the Tonto National Forest near Phoenix. The announcement was met with sustained public outcry and led to passage of a state law protecting these beloved wild horses in their historic habitat along the lower Salt River in the Tonto National Forest.
Now the horses are threatened again by a planning process and proposed management plans that could result in the removal of 350 Salt River horses from the lands they have occupied since the late 1800’s — before the Tonto National Forest even existed!
Please Weigh in by March 12 for the Salt River Horses
The Heber wild horses reside in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest near Heber-Overgaard, Arizona. These horses have been under siege over the past several years, with more than two dozen shot to death, including 15 — two entire families — who were gunned down this year alone. Pressure for the removal from the forest is coming from livestock operators who graze cattle on the public lands where the wild horses roam. Now the USFS is developing a Territory Management plan that could result in the removal of 300 or more wild horses from this National Forest.
Please Demand a Fair and Humane Management Plan for the Heber Wild Horses.
Thank you for standing up for Arizona wild horses. Your voice makes a difference everyday for our cherished wild horses and burros of the American West.
– The AWHC Team
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
We are forever grateful for the historic contributions and lifetime of advocacy of Velma B. Johnston. But many of you probably know her better as “Wild Horse Annie.”
During the 1950’s in Nevada, Wild Horse Annie witnessed firsthand the ruthless and indiscriminate manner in which wild horses were being rounded up from public lands. America’s wild horse population was in rapid decline with ranchers, hunters, and “mustangers” capturing them for commercial slaughter.
From that moment onward, Annie began organizing a grassroots campaign to stop the mistreatment, abuse, and eradication of wild horses, driving national attention to this issue. Her efforts were successful and resulted in the passage of the Wild Horse Annie Act of 1959.
The Wild Horse Annie Act, which prohibited the use of motorized vehicles to hunt wild horses and burros on all public lands, did not include her recommendations for federal protection and management of the wild horse population (meaning that the vast majority of wild horses in the West were still vulnerable and lacked basic protections).
So Annie and the tens of thousands of Americans she inspired continued to push for legislation that would establish those protections. She mobilized so many citizens, especially school children, that wild horse protection was the second most popular issue that constituents wrote to Congress about in 1971.
As a result, Congress unanimously passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the most significant and influential piece of legislation affecting wild horses in the U.S..
On International Women’s Day, we wanted to express our deep gratitude to Wild Horse Annie and share with you the hard working and dedicated women who lead and work behind the scenes with the American Wild Horse Campaign.
And most importantly, we want to acknowledge all the women who make our work possible — the volunteers who brave all kinds of weather to dart and document horses in our fertility control program, the donors who fuel our efforts and the supporters who use their voices to speak up for wild horses and burros in their communities, states and on Capitol Hill. You are the backbone of our movement and the key to our success!
We wouldn’t be where we are without Annie and we couldn’t do what we do without the tireless contributions of the women who follow in her footsteps and spend each and every day working to keep America’s wild horses and burros free!
Through each and every one of us, the legacy of Wild Horse Annie lives on.
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Yesterday was World Wildlife Day, a day for celebrating the diverse and incredible animals that inhabit our planet.
But unfortunately, World Wildlife Day also serves as a solemn reminder of the growing threats facing America’s wildlife: particularly our beloved wild horse and burro population.
In fact, they’re up against the greatest threat in generations as Congress considers funding the President’s budget that could result in the removal of as many as 20,000 wild horses and burros from public lands each year. Many of them will spend a lifetime of captivity in crowded holding corrals or sex-segregated pastures, while others could enter the sold-for-slaughter pipeline as bad faith buyers purchase these animals from the BLM and flip them for sale to kill buyers.
Generous supporters like you are the reason we can advocate on their behalf in the Courts (our legal team has a 90% record of success!), document roundups across the West, organize rescues for captured horses, implement the world’s largest humane fertility control management program for wild horses in the Virginia Range in Nevada, and SO much more!
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Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
While February may be the shortest month of the year, we made the most of each and every day, organizing a handful of national efforts to protect America’s wild horses and burros.
The numbers speak for themselves:
A Show Of Force In Support Of Arizona’s Famed Salt River Horses
Five years ago, AWHC joined up with our local coalition partner the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group to prevent the mass roundup, removal, and slaughter of the famed Salt River wild horses in Arizona.
The year after, our groups worked successfully for the passage of a state law to protect these horses in their historic habitat. But now, the future of the Salt River wild horses is in jeopardy once more.
A new state bill, HB 2858, seeks to amend the Salt River horse protection bill. As currently written, the bill would block lifesaving interventions that are necessary to save horses and safeguard the herd.
The legislation is currently in the House Rules Committee after passing in the Land & Agriculture Committee. State legislators, such as the Land & Agriculture Committee chair Rep. Timothy Dunn, have acknowledged that the bill’s language must be updated to address our concerns before bringing it for a full vote. This week, the bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Jay Lawrence, withdrew his support for HB 2858 after sponsor Rep. Kelly Townsend refused to amend it to ensure that humane management will continue to be allowed.
At the same time, momentum is building behind the petition launched by the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group and AWHC to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in support of a wildlife overpass, which would help ensure the safety and well-being of the Salt River horses: It’s already exceeded our goal of gathering 20,000 signatures!
Joining Forces To Prevent A Dangerous New Precedent In Utah
Photo by Rob Hammer.
This month, the BLM outlined a ten-year plan that would dramatically reduce the wild horse population in the Swasey HMA in Utah, down to as few as 60 horses.
The scary part is, the BLM is hoping to use this plan to establish a new precedent for wild horse population management for years and Administrations to come: One that relies on cruel roundups as well as dangerous surgical sterilization procedures.
Some of these procedures have not even been developed yet, let alone safety tested. Others — such as the cruel ovariectomy via colpotomy procedure that the BLM has been pushing for years — have been criticized by the National Academy of Sciences and veterinarians as too dangerous to perform in wild horses.
The BLM is not considering reductions to the number of privately-owned livestock in the area, further demonstrating that the BLM is more invested in defending the interests of the livestock industry than those of our wild horses and burros.
AWHC joined forces with the Animal Welfare Institute and The Cloud Foundation to submit 33-pages of public comments opposing this plan, including 13,800 of your signatures in a major show of force.
Nearly 70% Of Wild Horses Removed From Nevada’s Eagle Complex
Beginning in mid-January, the BLM began a massive roundup in Nevada’s 743,000-acre Eagle Complex.
When the roundup concluded in late February, 1,716 of the Complex’s 2,484 wild horses were forcibly removed; including 24 reported fatalities. Of those, over 1,600, or roughly 70% of the wild horses in the Eagle Complex, were permanently removed.
The BLM has set the Appropriate Management Level (AML) for the Eagle Complex at 139-265 wild horses, a number not supported by science, as the BLM continues its practice of imposing absurdly low population limits for wild horses in order to continue to allocate the vast majority of forage in wild horse habitat to subsidized livestock.
Roundup Slashes Size of Reveille Wild Horse Herd In Half
Another roundup in Nevada concluded this month — The Reveille Roundup resulted in the removal of 113 wild horses from public lands, equating to more than half of the wild horse population in the Reveille HMA.
Often times, our field representatives are the only members of the public onsite to view the roundup operation and ensure the BLM is in compliance with federal law and abiding by animal welfare guidelines. Without them present, it would be incredibly difficult, if not downright impossible, to hold the BLM accountable and report wrongdoing.
As in other areas, the BLM is continually rounding up wild horses in the Reveille HMA so that the public lands there can be primarily used for commercial livestock grazing. In fact, the annual equivalent of 2,000 cow/calf pairs graze a 650,000-acre livestock allotment that overlaps a portion of this HMA, while horse numbers are held at just 82-138.
There is good news out of this HMA, however. The BLM Battle Mountain District has been utilizing fertility control periodically in this herd, and it appears to have reduced the population’s growth rate, which will, in turn, reduce the number of wild horses removed in the future.
Start The Weekend On A Positive Note
Operation Fish Springs Rescue is complete! Over 140,000 of you signed a petition to the BLM to bring Samson and his family home, after the agency trapped and removed them over Thanksgiving weekend last year. Subsequent to launching the petition, advocates learned that the BLM had taken three other bands of beloved Fish Springs horses – those belonging to the stallions Rusty and Rocky and one recently acquired by the famous blue roan stallion Shadow.
Unfortunately, the BLM would not return these horses to their home on our public lands in Nevada, but thanks to a team effort, all of these horses have found a safe landing where they will stay together in their bands.
AWHC was pleased to play a key role in the rescue by taking responsibility for Rocky’s band (Rocky, Copper, Elisa, Luna and Luna’s son Jimmy) and Rusty’s band (Amber, Cinnamon, Belle and Belle’s son Luke) and Shadow, whom BLM would only adopt to a sanctuary after he was deemed “dangerous” following a fight with Rocky in the holding pen.
We are so grateful to AWHC board member Alicia Goetz whose Freedom Reigns Equine Sanctuary is providing a lifetime home for these horses, and to our Board President Ellie Price, whose team at Montgomery Creek Ranch, her mustang refuge, purchased Rocky’s band in the BLM online auction. Ensuring that 11 horses were secured in the BLM’s auction was no easy feat, but working together we got the job done!
Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign