August 22, 2008

Dear Friends of Cloud and his herd;

Despite BLM’s claim that they lack funds to feed the wild horses currently in holding facilities and their proposal to kill the animals, the planned removal of Pryor Mountain wild horses may go forward.

The Billings BLM Field office is holding a helicopter hearing on Tuesday, August 26th at the Best Western Inn on Southgate Drive in Billings, Montana. We hope that any of you who are able to come will show up to voice your opinions. The meeting begins at 6:30pm. If you know of anyone who can attend, please let them know. We need people there to support Cloud’s herd. 

Billings Field Manager, Jim Sparks has stated, perhaps to calm our fears, that “the Bureau has never had a problem finding homes for Pryor horses”. While the Pryor horses make wonderful adoption candidates, Mr. Sparks’ statement is false. In 2006 the Cloud Foundation arranged for the adoption of seven Pryor horses, five of which were bound for long-term holding in Kansas.

The accuracy of Billings Field Office statements was also called into question in a report read at the BLM National Advisory Board Meeting on June 30, 2008 in Reno.  In that report they begin by stating that: “The health of wild horses and rangeland resources is being compromised across the PMWHR. . . Since March of 2008 wild horse body condition began to decline. . .Body condition is worse now than at the end of winter.” 

The inaccuracy of this statement is staggering. We have been on the mountain every month this year (including two days ago) and the horses are in remarkable condition—fat and happy.

The Billing Field Office statement, however, helps to support their goal of removing horses this year from the Pryor range. It is also consistent with the BLM’s overall goal of managing wild horses to extinction. Step one of the destruction of the Pryor herd is the planned removal of 38 horses this fall using a helicopter, we assume to drive horses from the Custer National Forest into the designated range where a bait trap will await them. The removal of 38 horses will take the population under the threshold for genetic viability with an adult population of only 132 remaining on the range.

This is so sad considering that there is an obvious alternative to this destructive plan:
Legally expand the range to include areas used for centuries by the herd. If BLM would sit down with the Custer National Forest Service to discuss how to achieve expansion, BLM would not have an excuse to remove any horses from their home.

Please contact your Congressional Representatives and Senators, urging them to step in to protect the herd. We urge you to contact the BLM in Washington, DC and in Billings to voice your opinions (visit the contact directory for details). Write a letter to the editor of your local or regional papers. Contact your radio or TV stations. Do whatever you can as quickly as you can. Thanks for caring and never give up!!

We are headed up to the mountain now with the hope that the horses’ peaceful summer will not end in tragedy.

Happy Trails,
Ginger Kathrens
Volunteer Executive Director
The Cloud Foundation, Inc.