Gathers are planned in Idaho starting Oct 6-13th. The herds concerned are the Sand's Basin and Four Mile herds. They will be removing approximately 206 horses. Once they have done that they will be returning only horses to meet with the AMLs. Sand's Basin only allows for 37-60 and Four Mile allows 33-64. As we all know this is not nearly enough for genetic viability. No public attended the meting on the use of helicopters, so this is the method being used. They have limited the appeals to 30 days after the decision which is dated 9-11-2009, meaning any appeals must be filed no later than Oct. 11th.
The decision can be viewed at http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/id/nepa/owyhee_fo/four_mile_and_sands.Par.87893.File.dat/ID-130-2009-EA-3686_Four-Mile_Sands_Basin_Gather_DR.pdf
The BLM plans on gathering horses on the Tobin Range, which included the Sonoma Herd Area, starting October 22, 2009. They will be gathering 450 horses, releasing 10 and removing 440. Unfortunately, the comment period ended Friday. The EA can be seen at http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/nv/field_offices/winnemucca_field_office/nepa/wild_horse_and_burros/tobin.Par.28897.File.dat/Tobin%20Prelim%20EA.pdf No "official" record of decision is available yet. Total AML for the range is 22-42, well below genetic viability. There are cattle on this range.
The BLM is accepting comments until Oct 13, 2009 on the Paisley HMA. If approved this would be a 10 year plan, meaning they would be able to continue with their plans for 10 years without public input. The plan calls for an AML of 60 and only returning 6-10 year olds. The BLM is considering two options. Option one would administer PZP. The plan would return 30 studs and 30 mares, with 15-30 mares treated with PZP. Option two would adjust sex ratio and geld. This plan would return 20 studs, 20 geldings and 20 mares. ALL plans put the horses below genetic viability and would decimate the herds eventually. Basically they are making it a non-breeding herd. Public comments are desperately needed!!
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/lakeview/plans/files/PaisleyDesert_EA_FONSI.pdf
You may also want to read the decision of record for Beauty Buttes. It is virtually the same and included the above plan. The last date to challenge this decision is October 2, 2009. Notice that they are now limiting appeals!
The Bureau of Land Management’s Wyoming State Office will host the annual statewide hearing on the use of motorized vehicles in wild horse management operations on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 - 8 p.m.
The hearing will be held at BLM's Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone, Cheyenne, Wyo. Comments made during the formal public hearing will be recorded.
Various types of motorized vehicles (trucks, helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft) are used routinely in conducting wild horse management for population inventories, habitat & population monitoring, removal operations, and transporting horses to adoptions and holding facilities. BLM plans to use helicopters to help gather wild, free roaming horses from the public lands in the Cody, Worland, and Lander Field Office jurisdictions in 2009.
Last year no public attended this hearing!
The Wyoming office of the BLM is accepting comments for the Red Desert Complex (Lost Creek, Stewart Creek, Green Mountain, Crook Mountain and Antelope Hills) to remove 468 horses + 225 foals (only about 10% foals will be returned). The plan also included the use of PZP. The comment period ends Oct 1, 2009.
Under the EA they will be taking several herds below genetic viability including Lost Creek Antelope Hills and Crooks Mountain with AMLs set at around 60 horses. Stewart Creek will be taken down to 125 horses, which is also below genetic viability, but it is not as grossly low as the others. Only Green Mountain would remain above viability levels at 170. While the numbers of horses at Lost Creek, Antelope Hills and Crooks Mountain are below viability the BLM states that these herds can interact which would allow them to maintain viability, but fencing questions should be addressed which limit their interactions and would affect their viability. Horses over the age of 10 would be removed and since there is no adoption market for these horses they would go to long-term holding according to the EA, but it doesn't mention the Sale Authority or the new euthanasia policy. Combined together this basically is the same as signing their death warrant. The do mention that some horses may be subject to immediate euthanasia if they are "un-thrifty", below a 2 on the Heineke scale or injured.
Each mare released back onto the range would receive PZP. They will be using helicopters to do the roundup as trapping has been eliminated from consideration. Several springs have recently been fenced to prevent use by horses and those that have not been are not reliable. Most other water sources available for the horses are only during the summer months. One well, Eagle's Nest, has been outfitted with solar panels and provides water during the summer. This was completed 2 years ago and the horses don't seem to favor that supply. Elk and moose are on the range year round and compete with the horses. The elk population is noted to benefit from hunting.
The EA seems to be setting it up for a reduction in AML based on pending EISs being developed for energy projects. These projects include oil and gas, uranium and wind and the "difficulty of reclamation".
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wy/information/NEPA/rfodocs/red-desert.Par.80870.File.dat/ea.pdf
If you would like to be a part of the team that helps gather this info to get out to the public please fill out our survey and be sure to say yes on the form to volunteering. We need help monitoring these gathers and proposed changes to the range including EAs and grazing changes. Until now it has been up to each individual group to keep up with these things and too many times one or more fall through the cracks, but together we can ensure that each herd is monitored and none of them fall through the cracks again.
its does not matter what the people say.the blm is going to do what they want to do.
ReplyDeleteThat may be true, but if we do nothing and no comments are submitted they get bolder and do more. We need to let them know we are watching and are even more observant now. Plus, if comments aren't submitted we cannot file suits against them. Going the legal route takes time, but we can win. The recent decision about the West Douglas herd area sets a precedence that we can use in court. Once we begin really winning they will have to listen and Congress will listen when we can show them that the BLM is mis-managing the herds. We MUST comment or it will be our fault the herds disappear.
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