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Happy Valentine’s Day!!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: On this day of love and admiration, we wanted to share a tale of devotion straight from the wild. Meet Cobra and Misty, two beautiful mustangs roaming the Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) in Utah. These two chose each other and only each other. They have been together ever since, a testament to the strong bonds our wild mustangs share. Photo by Tandin Chapman This Valentine's Day, let us not only celebrate love's warmth but also recognize the struggles our wild horses and burros are facing due to government mismanagement. Let us stand together in advocating for their protection and the conservation of their habitat. So here's to Cobra and Misty, the epitome of true love in its purest form. May their love continue to inspire us all, reminding us that sometimes, all we need is someone to share our journey with. Happy Valentine’s Day! AWHC Team ...
TAKE ACTION: Urge your representative in Congress to support this critical wild-horse legislation
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: The American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) has boots on the ground at Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roundups to educate the public and Congress about what happens to our wild horses and burros during these operations. This winter, we sent our trained observers to the recently-concluded East Pershing Complex roundup – the largest roundup planned for Fiscal Year 2024. Sadly, what they saw at the roundup underscores the desperate need for reforming the way our federal government manages wild horse and burro populations. TAKE ACTION The roundup began on December 28th and aimed to capture 2,875 wild horses from their homes on the 2.2 million acre Complex. The federal government contracted with Sampson Livestock for the roundup, which resulted in 2,692 wild horses being captured, including 1,082 stallions, 1,245 mares, and 365 foals. In addition, 26 wild horses were either euthanized or killed – including a young foal who was euthanized at the capture site for an injury he suffered while being chased and roped by BLM wranglers. That’s not all. In another shocking incident, our humane observers captured footage showing a wild mare being roped, hogtied, and left alone on the range before being dragged onto a trailer. These tragedies are not just distressing; they are a clear sign of the need for immediate reform. That’s why our team is working around the clock to support legislation that will implement reforms for wild horse and burro management, including the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023 introduced by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV). This bill would finally prohibit the cruel use of helicopters during wild horse and burro roundups. Will you help us pass this monumental bill by urging your member of Congress to sign on as a cosponsor today? TAKE ACTION In addition to the danger they pose to these innocent animals, helicopter roundups are a grossly inefficient use of taxpayer dollars. Since 2017, the BLM has spent more than $25 million in taxpayer dollars for helicopter roundups. According to the agency itself, the cost to round up a horse from the range and warehouse the animal for life is up to $50,000. There’s a better way. Please support Rep. Dina Titus’ efforts to END cruel helicopter roundups by urging your representative to support the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023! TAKE ACTION Thanks for stepping up for our wild herds, Team ...
The money fueling wild horse and burro roundups
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: there is a LOT of money behind wild horse and burro roundups. AWHC’s analysis of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contracts filed over the past ten years shows that private livestock companies are making millions via their roundup contracts with the BLM. HELP US FIGHT BACK → According to our findings, as of 2022, livestock operators have received 89% of the BLM contract funds filed under “Wildhorse/Burro Control Services.” Contractors earn at least $800 per horse or burro per helicopter roundup – and from 2006-2022, they’ve made a total of $53.2 million from inhumane helicopter roundup and bait-trapping operations. But that’s not all: they’ve made an additional $87 million for short-term holding corrals from 2010-2022, and a staggering $333 million for long-term holding pastures from 2004-2022. And on top of profiting off these federal contracts, the livestock industry continues to lobby Congress to increase the cruel roundup and stockpile of America’s wild horses and burros so more of their livestock can graze at below-market rates — thanks to federal subsidies paid for by your hard-earned tax dollars. We’re up against very powerful interests with vast resources behind them. Your support is critical to helping us continue our work in the field, in court, and on Capitol Hill to secure the freedom of our wild herds. It’s going to take all of us standing up together to bring about the change these iconic animals desperately need. Can you make a contribution to power our work for wild horses and burros? DONATE → Thank you, Team AWHC ...
This week’s eNews: an opportunity for you to take action to protect the McCullough Peaks wild horses >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: We have a lot to share with you in this edition of eNews! Read on to learn about congressional action taken to protect wild horses, revealing insights on off-range holding facilities, and a direct action you can take to protect the McCullough Peaks wild horses. Read on to learn more! Rep. Dina Titus Speaks Out for Wild Horses Last month, Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) and Congressman Steve Cohen (D-TN) sent a letter to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) calling on the agency to reevaluate its mass roundup and removal plans for Fiscal Year 2024. The letter urges the agency to use humane in-the-wild conservation tools, including fertility control vaccines to keep wild horses in the wild, where they belong. Read the letter here. READ THE LETTER Records Reveal Impact of Off-Range Holding Facilities AWHC recently obtained documents through the Freedom of Information Act that illuminate the impacts of the BLM’s off-range holding facilities. The records focus on the new Winnemucca Off-Range Corral, which has a capacity of 4,000 horses housed on 100 acres, and reveal that 23 horses died of botulism in 24 days. Read on to learn more. READ MORE McCullough Peaks Action Alert During the BLM’s McCullough Peaks capture operation, a beloved filly named Kat Ballou died after being trapped by the BLM. AWHC has sent a legal letter to the BLM demanding a halt to this operation and we need your help. Please take action and call for a halt to the BLM’s McCullough Peaks bait trap removal. TAKE ACTION Thanks for reading. And thank you for continuing to stand up for our cherished wild horses and burros! — Team AWHC ...
Fighting for our wild herds in the courtroom
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign: As the nation’s leading wild horse and burro conservation organization, some of the most important work we do for our wild herds is in the courtroom. When evaluating potential litigation, there are many factors our expert legal teams consider, including the viability of legal action and the ramifications of winning or losing. We engage in litigation that protects the freedom and wellbeing of wild horses for years to come. As you’re reading this, we're engaged in two significant lawsuits that challenge some of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s most harmful policies affecting wild horses and burros. One is over the alleged illegal implementation of the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) and and the other is fighting to protect Wyoming's cherished wild herds from unwarranted removal – lawsuits that could shape the future of widespread wild horse management in the United States. The stakes could not be higher. These iconic animals cannot defend themselves in our legal system. It’s up to us to be their voice in the court of law. Can you chip in to AWHC’s Legal Fund to support these critical litigation efforts? DONATE In Wyoming, we're in the midst of a decade-long struggle against the demands of the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) to remove wild horses from over 2 million acres in the southwestern area of the state. We’re up against very powerful interests who view wild horses as competitors to their private livestock on our public lands. Recently, our legal team filed the opening merits brief in this lawsuit. This filing is a major step forward in the battle to protect Wyoming’s herds from being eradicated from their home range and to secure the protection that they are entitled to by Congressional law. “Because BLM has completely disregarded Congress’s unambiguous limitations on the agency’s public land removal authority, that alone is fatal to BLM’s decision to eradicate these wild horse herds, adjust their AMLs, and remove more than a thousand horses from the range.” – Opening Merits Brief The outcome of this case will not only affect the herds in Wyoming but could also set precedent that impacts wild horse populations across the West. We're at a pivotal moment, and your support has never been more important. Please make a contribution to our Legal Fund and help power our fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros in the courtroom. Together, we ...
