This morning, I received yet another email from American Wild Horse (formerly 'Preservation') Campaign, asking for a donation. These requests come once or twice every week, and I tend to glance through and file them away. This one was slightly different, in that the 'worthy cause' mentioned, happens to be both of my local herds: Triple B Complex and Antelope Complex, which encompass miles and miles of open territory in eastern Nevada. (This is NOT in 'southeastern Nevada', as the letter describes.)
I have never responded to the weekly plea before, but this one got me bristled ... I hit Reply and typed quickly:
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| Triple B Roundup - Butte Valley, 2011 |
SHOW ME the action. THEN I will consider donating. The roundup is underway NOW. They have already taken nearly 500 from Triple B. Hundreds have been shipped to PVC ... your timing ... could have been a lot better."
I am sick to bloody death of self-professed wild horse advocacy organizations perpetually mining the public for donations, while accomplishing virtually nothing. I have been a member of AWHC for many years. NOTHING has changed on the range, except the verbiage, which now touts the advantages of contraception programs for on-range population control. The roundups continue unabated and the perpetual threat of mass extermination looms ever larger.
- I am not opposed to those programs in areas where there are relatively small herds in very contained areas. It's not the same here; as any of the few people who have actually visited these enormous and remote HMA's will attest.)
- Personally, I favor Citizens Against Equine Slaughter over most others. At least I don't have any doubts as to the sincerity of their efforts - but lately I have found the formerly small and passionate Oregon-based organization falling into some of the same old patterns as their bigger rivals -- Yes. Rivals. Advocacy is a highly competitive field with numerous very large organizations vying for donation dollars. I have been disappointed by ALL of them.
At length, I chose to support the Western Watersheds Project, because
FROM AWHC:- WWP is very dynamic, and noticeably effective in taking on BLM grazing policies. Besides the incessant legal wrangling necessary, Western Watersheds conducts on-the-ground research.
- WWP acknowledges wild horses as a (noninvasive) Native Species, and works with a variety of advocacy groups.
- WWP is dedicated to the preservation and protection of OUR Public Lands, which are currently under assault more aggressive than has been seen since the 1930's.
- WWP is a GuideStar gold star rated nonprofit that has never (to the best of my knowledge) been the subject of scandal or questions about misappropriation of funds.
I want to thank everyone who has kindly contributed to this organization on my behalf! My heart has been buoyed up by your tremendous generosity of spirit, in support of our western rangelands!
"Breaking: We're suing the BLM" -
*Arla -- big news.* We just filed in the U.S. District Court in Nevada challenging the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM's) cruel ten-year plan to round up and remove over 9,000 federally-protected wild horses in southeastern Nevada. *That's right: We're suing the BLM -- again!*
If we win, it will set another important precedent for wild horses -- but we need more resources to make that happen. *Can you make an emergency donation for our efforts today?*
*Donate now to support our lawsuit against the BLM and all our efforts to fight for wild horses.* [ http://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6931/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15691 ]
Arla, the plan the BLM has rolled out for the wild horses in the Antelope and Triple B Complexes in eastern Nevada is terrible. It's the same broken approach that the National Academy of Sciences called "expensive and unproductive for the BLM and the public it serves." *The agency wants to reduce the breeding population of wild horses in these areas by 90 percent to the low appropriate management level of 899 horses on 2.8 "million acres" - or one horse per 3,115 acres!*
The helicopter roundups will chase thousands of frightened, helpless horses into cramped, confined pens. At past roundups, we've witnessed traumatized horses struggling desperately to escape -- even breaking limbs trying to get free.
Phase 1 of the roundup is underway right now with 900 horses targeted for removal. We can't stop that, but we can impact the roundups that will take 8,000 more horses from their homes on the range... and stop the BLM from implementing harmful practices -- including castrating wild stallions on the range -- that will take the wild out of these wild horses by destroying their natural behaviors.
We can't let the BLM implement this massive, wide-ranging roundup and sterilization plan. We're going to force the BLM back to the drawing board to come up with a better plan for the beautiful wild horses of this area. But we need your help to get the job done in federal court.
*Please donate today and stand up for wild horses.* [
Way to go, Arla, and thanks for telling it like it is. I have belonged to WWP many years , and Jon Marvel even made BLM return wild horses that were chased off of Greenfire some years ago.
ReplyDeleteAnother organization I have found that puts their money where it does some good is Friends of Animals.It recently won a case for wild horses.
Thank you, Barbara.
DeleteMy experience with FOA has been less than convivial. I am not a big proponent of contraceptive programs, which may be applicable in some instances, though
not in most. Ms. Feral's absolute refusal to consider PZP or similar contraceptive programs is counter-productive, in my opinion, since this seems to be our ONLY bargaining chip, at this moment (Thanks to HSUS, et al.) FOA has won a suit or two
over PZP programs, which may have POSTPONED a roundup, but not one horse has been saved by this action. If BLM is prevented from utilizing this resource, MORE will die. Feral has no experience of the range, or the wild horses that reside here.
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ReplyDeleteDear "Unknown" - This post is not about bashing any WH organization. Nor is it about promoting one.
DeleteI have had personal dealings with Ms. Leigh over the past decade. Her tactics are highly questionable and utterly lacking integrity. She has attacked me and my associates, and erected barriers to our achievements. I will NEVER support WHE in any instance.