Tag Archives: Sheryl Crow

TUSCARORA WILD HORSE ROUNDUP

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Story is from The Cloud Foundation

Calico Colt Photo by Carol Walker
Calico Colt Photo by Carol Walker

Help Us Stop the Tuscarora Roundup
Young foals will be run in high heat over rugged, rocky ground without public oversight

Please read the following press release and share with your local news station and any major news outlet you’d like to cover this story- this is yet another example of the cruel mismanagement of the BLM and it is unacceptable. Call on your Senators to pass your concerns onto Senators Reid and Ensign of Nevada. Thank you.

BLM Helicopter Roundup To Begin Despite Presence of Vulnerable Young Foals

BLM violates protocol designed to protect wild horse babies
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Elko, NV (July 8, 2010)— Over 1,400 federally-protected wild mustangs are to be rounded up beginning tomorrow, July 9, in the Tuscarora area of Elko County Nevada during the hottest month of the year. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is violating their own set-protocol for waiting six weeks after the main foaling season, defined as March 1-June 30, so that young foals can escape the inherent danger of a high-heat summer roundup. BLM will dispatch privately contracted choppers to run the Tuscarora mustangs over miles of rugged terrain in a taxpayer-funded roundup expected to last three weeks and result in the removal of some 1,100 mustangs. Only last month, Oregon BLM wild horse managers postponed a planned roundup that would have started the day after foaling season—opting to begin instead in mid-August for the horses’ safety.

“If allowed to go forward this will be a massacre,” states Anne-Marie Pinter who rode the Pony Express Race through the area on her Spanish Mustang and saw small foals. “It is covered with razor-sharp, volcanic rock that will rip up the feet of these poor foals. Before riding the area, our event veterinarian strongly recommended that we put thick rubber boots over the metal shoes of our horses—the rocks are that treacherous. We experienced triple digit temperatures and had to constantly work at keeping our horses hydrated. I can’t even imagine the toll on terrified small foals and even the adult animals at the hottest time of the year. This amounts to horrible animal cruelty and no one will know what is going on because BLM has closed the area, even the roads.”

Last winter, during the deadliest BLM roundup in memory in the Calico Mountains of Northwestern Nevada, at least two 6-9 month foals suffered a horrible death. Their hooves literally separated from their leg bones after running over similar terrain. Yet, BLM justified the dead-of-winter roundup by stating in their Environment Assessment: “Fall and winter time-frames are much less stressful to foals than summer gathers. Not only are young foals in summer months more prone to dehydration and complications from heat stress, the handling, sorting and transport is a stress to the young animals and increases the chance for them to be rejected by their mothers. By gathering wild horses during the winter, stress associated with summer gathers can be avoided.”

BLM photo of Calico Roundup by Kurt Golgart
BLM photo of Calico Roundup by Kurt Golgart

“Let’s be honest. What is driving these roundups has very little to do with concern for vulnerable foals and everything to do with contractor availability and using up taxpayer money before the end of fiscal year 2010,” states Cloud Foundation Director, Ginger Kathrens, who has spent over 16 years documenting the lives of wild horse families. “With only two helicopter contractors available to round up the horses, scheduling becomes tricky, especially when the goal is the removal of 6,000 wild horses before the end of September. So, the rush to rid the land of mustangs trumps humane treatment. Disgusting.”

The Cloud Foundation is asking that humane observers and the public be allowed to document the roundup and any injuries and deaths which occur. Currently BLM has arranged for a near total lockdown of roundup activities, including a widespread closure of public roads around the area. Access will be extremely limited despite promises made by top BLM officials to the contrary.

“Having a ‘media day’ during the operation is certainly not the same as having humane observers on site at all times during the operation,” says Elyse Gardner, who has documented the Pryor and Calico roundups. “A sanitized version of BLM activities is not transparency in dealing with the public’s horses. If anything, rather than transparency, BLM is closing the door on public observation because of what our cameras have already revealed about these roundups.”

Tuscarora horses including young foals, photo by Craig Downer, June 2010
Tuscarora horses including young foals, photo by Craig Downer, June 2010

If allowed to proceed, the Tuscarora roundup will decimate three herds, Owyhee, Little Humboldt and Rock Creek, living in a vast 455,000-acre area about 90 miles northwest of Elko, Nevada. Over 4,000 cattle are allowed to graze on the Tuscarora designated wild horse herd management area while only 337-561 mustangs are welcome. In 1990 the Government Accountability Office (GAO) Report underscored that wild horse removals did not significantly improve range conditions and pointed to cattle as the culprit for public lands damage. Despite GAO noting the lack of data provided by BLM back 20 years ago, the public has seen no improvement in the piecemeal management of an agency that favors welfare cattle over legally protected mustangs and burros. Herd areas containing 10 to 30 times more livestock than horses are the norm rather than the exception.

“Damage to livestock fences is cited as a reason to remove the horses in Tuscarora. Give me a break,” states Craig Downer, wildlife ecologist, former BLM employee, and 3rd generation Nevadan. “How about removing the fences, reducing the number of cattle and starting to manage wild horses as principal members of their ecosystems, as well as celebrated symbols of the American West? BLM’s habit of operating behind a veil of enforced secrecy is completely unacceptable.”

The Cloud Foundation opposes the further manipulation of the Tuscarora mustangs through the use of experimental infertility drugs in combination with skewed sex ratios. The result will be increased turmoil among the highly social wild horse family bands. Given the disastrous management and the lack of accurate range censuses and the presence of over 37,000 wild horses in government holding at enormous taxpayer expense, advocates continue to call for an immediate freeze on the costly roundups. Congressional hearings are needed to discuss the shortcomings of an out-of-control program that threaten the future existence of wild horses and burros on lands set aside for their use.

“BLM has responded with its classic bunker mentality, abandoning any transparency efforts and placing at risk the lives of these small foals that have never even had a chance at life with their families,” states Kathrens. “We pray that BLM will show some compassion and ground the helicopters. With all the uncontrollable disasters in the world, why is BLM determined to create one in Tuscarora?”

Click here for The Cloud Foundation’s Press Release for this story

The Cloud Foundation’s Official Website

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Join Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson “Shout out for Wild Horses – Take Action!”

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Helicopter roundup
Helicopter roundup

The following information is from The Cloud Foundation Website and an email I received from The Cloud Foundation

“Read the new People Magazine Article & then call for immediate Congressional hearings on BLM”

“Dear Supporters, the excellent People Magazine article by Helin Jung starts out: Willie Nelson wants to know: “Why are there more horses asses than there are horses?” The country legend’s gripe comes from his concern for the American West’s wild horses and burros, which are being rounded up by the thousands and placed into holding corrals by the federal government’s Bureau of Land Management. The capture of 2,500 horses started in the Calico Mountains of Nevada last month, but the agency expects to round up a total of 12,000 of the estimated 37,000 horses on BLM land by the end of this year…”

“Read the whole article here on the People Magazine website, and then take action!
Protests continue: join the New York City protest on Sunday, the Reno protest on Monday and/or the Sacramento protest on Thursday the 21st! Click here for details.”

Ruby Pipeline: The Real Reason Behind BLM’s Push to Remove Wild Horses?
by Makendra Silverman
Makendra@TheCloudFoundation.org
Tel: 719-351-8187

“The Real Reason Behind BLM’s Push to Remove Wild Horses: Is Ruby Pipeline the Smoking Gun?

“Wild horse advocates rally in Denver to stop roundups, ask Senator Udall for help in BLM investigation”

“Denver, CO (January 7, 2010)—The Cloud Foundation asks the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reveal the truth behind removing healthy wild horses from the Calico Complex of northwestern Nevada. It does not appear to be coincidental that the multi-billion dollar corporate project, the Ruby Pipeline, would run through the Calico Complex—site of the controversial roundup of more than 2,500 mustangs and the Buckhorn Wild Horse Herd Management Area. BLM removed over 200 wild horses at Buckhorn in December 2009 without public notice” read more

Call for Hearings on the BLM & For An Immediate Moratorium on Roundups

Take a moment for Wild Ones! We are making a difference
“Write your Senators and Congress people, ask that they call for hearings on the Bureau of Land Management’s Wild Horse and Burro program, immediately.”

Access the Cloud Foundation’s website
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UPDATE January 20, 2009

Eagle Roundup of 550 Nevada Mustangs
“The BLM plans to leave only 100 wild horses on 670,000 acres of public land in Nevada that Congress set-aside principally for their use. They are now proposing to roundup and remove 550 “excess” wild horses in yet another inhumane winter roundup planned to begin February 7th.”

Sacramento Protest: A protest is scheduled for the California State Capitol following large protests in San Francisco and Los Angeles. This is another locally organized rally supported by The Cloud Foundation, In Defense of Animals, Return to Freedom all the other American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign member organizations.
When: Thursday January 21st

Where: Capitol Mall, at 10th and L Streets (map)

Time:11:00am -1:00pm

Tucson Protest: Tucson is joining the national movement of Wild Horse enthusiasts along with the Cloud Foundation and local horse rescue Equine Voices.
When: Friday January 22, 2010


Where: Senator John McCain’s Downtown Tucson Office
 
407 West Congress Street Suite 103, Tucson Arizona 85701


Time: 10am – 12PM

Phoenix Protest:
If you are interested in helping further plan this protest, please contact info@thecloudfoundation.org


When: Saturday, January 30th
Where: BLM Phoenix Office, One N. Central Avenue Suite 800

Time: 
TBA

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Sheryl Crow Joins Fight for Wild Horses & Burros

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Sheryl Crows horse COLORADO
Sheryl Crow's horse "COLORADO"
photo Mail Chimp

Sheryl Crow Asks President Obama & Secretary Salazar to Stop the Assault on America’s Wild Horses and Burros

Actors Ed Harris, Wendie Malick, and Over 100 Organizations Demand Roundup Moratorium, Protesting Nevada’s Calico Complex Roundup to begin December 1

COLORADO SPRINGS, Co. (November 20, 2009)—Sheryl Crow speaks out for the wild horses and burros on America’s public lands in the west. The multi-GRAMMY®-winning singer-songwriter and mustang owner joins The Cloud Foundation, over 130 organizations, scientists, authors and celebrity supporters calling on President Obama, Members of Congress and the Department of Interior to place an immediate moratorium on all wild horse and burro roundups until a long-term and humane policy to manage the animals is developed.

“With one voice we are insisting that our government stop managing these beautiful and important animals to extinction” —Sheryl Crow

The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) removal plan for Nevada’s Calico Complex wild mustangs is fueling outrage across the country and internationally. In a unified sign-on letter (full text below), wild horse supporters outline their opposition to the Obama Administration’s October 7, 2009 announcement [read news release here ] regarding the management of wild horses and burros. Groups oppose moving 26,000 wild horses to purchased lands in the east and the current government practice of removing entire wild horse and burros herds from public lands specifically designated for the animals by Congress in 1971.

“We ask that President Obama or Secretary Salazar cease all BLM roundups as of this date to prevent further suffering. We request that the government and BLM begin to work in good faith with wild horse advocates for a sustainable solution. The Calico Roundup, scheduled to begin in December and continue through the dead of winter, is inhumane and must be stopped!” —Sheryl Crow read more from The Cloud Foundation website, sign the petition, access photos and more…

Access the LasVegasBuffetClub’s Coupon page

A Bill to Amend the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971

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Living Free On The Wild Open Range!

Wild Horses - Discovery Magazine
Wild Horses - Discovery Magazine

This is a headline from OpEdNews.Com – November 16, 2008: “BLM Planning to Execute 30,000 wild horses”. Things might be changing…
The following is a copy of an E-mail I received from the Cloud Foundation regarding the treatment of American wild horses and burros:

March 6, 2009 – 11:53 PM
“Dear Wild Horse friends;”
“I apologize for not being in touch with you sooner, but we wanted to have a clearer idea of what is really happening with the new Administration, BLM, and the wild horse program before reporting to you.”

“A Bill to Amend the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971:
Perhaps the single most important development so far this year is the recent introduction of HR 1018 by Congressmen Rahall (D-WV) and Grijalva (D-AZ). This legislation would amend the Wild Horse and Burro Act in numerous ways. You can read the bill by clicking here. The intent of the Bill is to strengthen protections for both wild horses on the range and in captivity. You can read my comments to the Congressmen here.”

“HR 1018 would allow for the expansion of wild horse habitat. We hope that this would support our arguments regarding the legal expansion of Cloud’s herd on the Pryor Mountains. Range expansion would eliminate BLM’s stated reason (lack of forage in the designated range) for reducing the herd to genetically non-viable levels, thereby destroying this genetically unique herd of Spanish mustangs.”

“The BLM Herd Management Plan, which has not yet been adopted, calls for a herd of only 90-120 animals in the Pryors. Legally expanding the range to areas which wild horses historically used and are using at the present time would also prevent the scheduled round up of 60 wild horses in August. This round up would represent the largest round up in the history of the Pryor Wild Horse Range. Please click here to contact the Billings BLM office so you can automatically receive information from them on their management plans for Cloud’s herd.”

“I would encourage you to get involved by thanking the Congressmen for their efforts with HR 1018 and encouraging them to specifically support the Pryor Wild Horses by preventing the planned destruction of the herd in August. Click here to contact them.”

“Range Expansion: Please communicate directly with the new Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack [AgSec@usda.gov] and the new Supervisor of the Gallatin and Custer National Forests, Mary Erickson requesting that that the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range be expanded to reflect the historic and current use areas of the rare Pryor wild horses.”

“BLM Advisory Board Meeting: We CANNOT allow the herd to be destroyed and we CANNOT allow Cloud and his family and the other wonderful families of wild horses on this spectacular mountain to be ripped apart. I delivered this message to the BLM Advisory Board at their meeting this Monday in Reno. Thanks to Sally Summers and Horse Power in Reno, you can view that meeting by clicking here . The bias of this Advisory Board boggles the imagination. It is stacked with vested special interest members, but there is hope. Three new positions will be opening up. I was nominated but have less than no chance of being appointed as I am too outspoken on behalf of the horses. But, we hope at least one new member speak on behalf of the public and our wishes to always have wild horses on our wide western landscapes. You can read my comment letter to the Board here.”

“Planned Trip: On a lighter note, we plan on visiting the Pryors in two weeks to see how everyone is doing. We know that Cloud is doing well but will report back to you, hopefully with photos if we can reach the bands. Winter is always a difficult time but we will do our best to access them. I will send them your regards. On some level, I know they feel your love for them.”

“Thanks so much for your continued support. You are so great. If you can donate for the cause, please do so by going online at www.thecloudfoundation.org or sending us something via mail. Please help if you can.”

Happy Trails!
Ginger

“P.S. Both the air date (now November 2009) and name (now Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions ) of the new Cloud program have changed. My new book, Cloud: Challenge of the Stallions, will be out in June and we’ll let you know when it is available. If you do not have the first two Cloud programs and books, you can order them on our website and be up to speed when the new story is published and aired. There is more story in the books than the DVDs, of course, and lots of photographs. I can autograph them however you like.”

Cloud Foundation
The Cloud Foundation

Wife of Texas billionaire T. Boone Pickens has plans to save wild horses – View a previous LVBC post…

Madeleine Pickens
Madeleine Pickens

Madeleine Pickens’ Official Website…

Sheryl Crow’s “I Don’t Wanna Know” featured in “Saving the American Wild Horse” Documentary.

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