For Immediate Release:

Mustangs Fenced Out of Water- NV Roundup Death Toll Rises to 12

Independent Investigation requested to uncover cause of wild horse deaths and inability to access water

Reno, NV (July 15, 2010)—Mustangs in the Tuscarora/Owyhee Complex of Elko County, Nevada are now the focus of a BLM “emergency” because the agency claims the horses don’t have enough water. The real issue is the BLM has been preventing the wild horses' access to water. These treasured Tuscarora mustangs are forced to navigate a maze of livestock fences and closed gates in order to find water. Miles of fencing prevent their free-roaming rights and ability to access water sites they’ve used for decades—if not centuries. Already 12 Tuscarora wild horses have died after BLM contractors used a helicopter, in the desert heat, to roundup 228 horses in less than 150 minutes on July 10.  Prior to the roundup, members of the public, mustang advocates and experts filed thousands of public comments against the Elko roundup often citing concerns involving summer heat and stress to the young especially. BLM informed advocates that they were confident this was a reasonable time to remove horses and maintain heir good condition despite the presence of very young foals and the heat. After the first day proved to be fatal and the roundup was placed on hold, BLM spin began to refer to the horses’ situation on the range as an "emergency". BLM's new position states that “an escalating drought” necessitates an emergency “gather.” Obviously during the hottest month of the year, rain doesn't fall in the desert. The Cloud Foundation is alarmed to learn water sources have been fenced off from the horses and points to this as the real cause of their so called “emergency.”

“Why didn’t BLM know about the water situation before going in and running 228 horses—at least 5% of them to subsequent death? The public deserves answers, not excuses,” explains Cloud Foundation Director Ginger Kathrens, hailed as the Jane Goodall for the American wild horse. “Mustangs regularly travel distances farther than ten miles if allowed their free-roaming behavior. Distance or standard drought levels are not the issue, the real question is what is preventing these mustangs from using traditional perennial water sources?”

BLM has ‘pasturized’ the Tuscarora horses into cattle allotments to facilitate grazing for 4,000 head of cattle in an area they say can support only 400 wild horses. The public has no way of knowing which gates are open and which are closed, and nor do the horses. For individual gain, BLM allows private interest to prevent the wild horses from accessing the water—rivers, creeks, reservoirs and water holes—present in this herd complex. Carving up herd management areas with fences is unacceptable and prevents wild horse movement within their ranges set forth by the Free-Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Act of 1971.

“BLM has reduced our wild horses to a labyrinth of cattle pastures and has no regard for their needs,” explains Kathrens.

The Cloud Foundation’s Herd-Watch Program Coordinator Laura Leigh filed a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to halt the Tuscarora Roundup on July 12 and United States District Judge Larry R. Hicks yesterday granted the injunction despite BLM's sudden change in plan given by Bob Abbey  to roundup the wild horses the morning before the case was to be heard. Until further order of the court, BLM is prevented  from continuing their removal operation. The hearing for Laura Leigh v. Ken Salazar (3:10-cv-00417-LRH-VPC) will be held Thursday, July 15 at the US District Court, 400 S. Virginia Street in Reno, beginning at 2:30 p.m. Leigh’s legal efforts are being funded by GrassRootsHorse.com, a collection of independent grassroots wild horse advocates.

The Cloud Foundation calls for an immediate independent investigation into the current situation in the Owyhee Complex. Bringing in BLM to analyze how their agency has failed yet more wild horses is not the answer—there needs to be several advocates for the wild horses participating in the current review of the Tuscarora disaster. It is essential that these people understand the needs and nature of wild horses.

“Has the BLM allowed pre-roundup hazing of the horses to position them closer to trap sites and farther away from where they would typically be?” questions author/advocate R.T. Fitch.

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Links of interest:

‘Herd-Watch: Public Eyes for Public Horses’ http://bit.ly/9Wvh58

Court Order Granting Injunction http://bit.ly/doc10LeighvSalazar

Restraining order sought - AP article http://bit.ly/TROsought

Grass Roots Horse http://www.grassrootshorse.com/

Roundup Schedule- updated July 12, 2010  http://bit.ly/roundupschedule

The Mustang Conspiracy: Sex, Drugs, Corruption, and BP – investigative report http://www.abovetopsecret.com/mustangconspiracy/

Wild Horse and Burro Act http://bit.ly/a7hOeS

Tuscarora/Owyhee Complex Roundup Information from BLM http://bit.ly/Tuscarora

 

Disappointment Valley... A Modern Day Western Trailer- excellent sample of interviews regarding the issues http://bit.ly/awFbwm

PR Firm Hired for the Destruction of America’s Wild Horse and Burro Herds http://bit.ly/czf3HB

Fact Sheet on Wild Herds & The Salazar Plan http://bit.ly/bfdX1y

Link to this press release online http://bit.ly/Livestockfences

 

Past Cloud Foundation press releases http://bit.ly/TCFpress

 

Photos, video and interviews available from:

The Cloud Foundation

news@thecloudfoundation.org

The Cloud Foundation is a non-profit dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Western public lands with a focus on protecting Cloud's herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.

107 S. 7th St. - Colorado Springs, CO 80905 - 719-633-3842 www.thecloudfoundation.org