This is the forum for news pertaining directly to Trona, Death Valley, Panamint Valley, Saline Valley, Owens Valley, Inyo County, San Bernardino County, and areas immediatelly adjacent to these localities.
NOT QUITE BLACK AND WHITE: Wild horse debate more complicated than ever It's a struggle between "ranchers who make a living off the land and the animal rights advocates who will stop at nothing to protect Nevada’s wild horse population."
Allan Shepard, the man tasked by the BLM to manage the Wild Horse and Burro program in Nevada, is caught in the middle. His agency is embattled and he knows it. He can’t win with either side — he is constantly criticized for not acting fast enough, not taking enough of the horses, inhumane round-ups and inhumane care of the horses. “The statistics presented by the Nevada Cattleman’s Association are accurate. The over-population of horses or populations above the management level will lead to resource damage. The BLM and the horses are in the middle on a lot of fronts. We have to balance our management with multiple uses,” he said. “We are always looking for new innovative ways to manage horses.” Shepard said new methods of housing horses on private land will hopefully ease overcrowding and appeal to both sides of the debate.
Law would deprive wild horses of water Law to deny wild horses of water? This lady claims that the wild horses are being terrorized! I think she might be sensationalizing things just a little!
Last edited by Anonymizer on Mon May 14, 2012 12:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Madelaine Pickens has set free the first wild horses on her eco-preserve in Nevada. The animals wandered out of a pen made from hay bales to begin their life on the massive ranch that is to be their lifelong home. Pickens, the wife of oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens, spoke with emotion of the sight of the horses heading on to the sanctuary, called Mustang Monument.
Cattle Objection Interesting letter to the editor regarding the grazing of livestock on public lands. Here's a sample of what was written. For the entire letter click the link below!
Contrary to common thought western public lands do not supply a significant amount of U.S. beef. With regard to the 48 contiguous states, forage on western public lands accounts for only 2% of the total feed consumed by beef cattle, while beef cattle producers with federal permits represent only about 3% of the U.S. total. Even as a contribution to the economies of the eleven western states, public lands ranching is insignificant: providing only 0.06% of the jobs, and 0.04% of the income.” And since the rule of the range is that cattle may gaze anywhere that is not fenced off, who knows how must destruction is wrought by future hamburgers without any compensation at all to taxpayer and citizens. Similarly, land allegedly preserved in a natural state through DWP ownership is routinely leased for grazing. Some of the rarest and most fantastic locations in the Alabama Hills are desecrated by beef, and the ‘restored’ lower Owens River area has been increasingly trampled since the reluctant return of some water by DWP.
Shrug. Perhaps the government figures the best way to get people used to living in concentration camps again is to start with something simple like wild horses and see how it goes from there. I don't know why people allow them. We should all be outraged.
wildrose wrote:Cattle Objection Interesting letter to the editor regarding the grazing of livestock on public lands. Here's a sample of what was written. For the entire letter click the link below!
Contrary to common thought western public lands do not supply a significant amount of U.S. beef. With regard to the 48 contiguous states, forage on western public lands accounts for only 2% of the total feed consumed by beef cattle, while beef cattle producers with federal permits represent only about 3% of the U.S. total. Even as a contribution to the economies of the eleven western states, public lands ranching is insignificant: providing only 0.06% of the jobs, and 0.04% of the income.” And since the rule of the range is that cattle may gaze anywhere that is not fenced off, who knows how must destruction is wrought by future hamburgers without any compensation at all to taxpayer and citizens. Similarly, land allegedly preserved in a natural state through DWP ownership is routinely leased for grazing. Some of the rarest and most fantastic locations in the Alabama Hills are desecrated by beef, and the ‘restored’ lower Owens River area has been increasingly trampled since the reluctant return of some water by DWP.
I've seen a lot of land messed up by cattle. I think the ranchers have it way to easy. They should not be allowed to graze cattle on public lands. I really don't care if they have pre-existing rights dating back to the 1800s. We live in another time. This is one of those areas where I'm in favor of private enterprise and as far as I'm concerned all cattle grazing should happen only on private land! And even then they should be subject to environmental regulations that ensure that they don't pollute adjacent land and waterways!
Hawaii's Wild Donkeys to Be Airlifted to California Damn donkeys causing trouble again!!!
Hawaii is a state known for its sandy, sun-kissed beaches, lush tropical forests, and aquatic biodiversity -- but it's unlikely sort of species that's been the focus of attention recently. The Big Island is home to some 600 wild donkeys, and for the last year, conservation officers have been working to curb their numbers in as humane a way as possible, spurred by a drought which has driven the animals into populated regions. So far, hundreds of donkeys have been castrated or administered birth control medication, but now officials are hoping to solve Hawaii's donkey problem once and for all -- by shipping them to California on chartered flights.
BLM rounding up wild horses This article mentions the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act a couple times. Interesting...
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management will round up 800 to 1,000 wild horses from the Pancake complex, 80 miles east of Tonopah, beginning in January. The BLM will implement a pilot project involving a phased-in management approach to reach the appropriate management level. This new way of managing large herd management area HMA complexes involves conducting three to four gathers over a six to 10 year period, smaller removals.
Destiny of Beatty burros debated According to this the park service actually shoots burros that enter the national park, whereas the BLM captures them and puts them up for adoption. I suppose shooting them would be a lot cheaper, but it does seem a little cruel.
Tom Seley, Bureau of Land Management Tonopah Field Office Manager, explained that the BLM is charged by law with the responsibility of managing wild horse and burro populations. They are required to keep the populations at a level that is sustainable by the available vegetation and water supply. Seley also said that burros from the area are starting to spill over into Death Valley National Park and onto the Nevada National Security Site. As for those in Death Valley, he pointed out that, while his agency captures burros and puts them up for adoption, the Park Service shoots them.
Citizen concern for wild mustangs Sounds like something that the public should be kept informed about.
As federal agencies planned to set up a meeting regarding the Montgomery Pass wild mustang herd in the new year, informed sources claimed to Sierra Wave that the local Department of Fish and Game might consider elimination, by paid hunters, of 30 to 40 wild mustangs in the area.
Agencies met to talk over wild mustang herd This puts an end to the idea that the mustangs might be shot! It would be nice to know more about how this herd will be managed and what is being done to keep them safe!
Upham said that there is no truth to the earlier rumor that the horses would be shot. Upham said, “This is not how over-populated herds are dealt with and has never been discussed or considered in any way for the Montgomery Pass herd.”