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Mato Ska and Encore, two of Cloud’s offspring at risk of removal
Despite recently receiving comments on a plan to manage the Pryor Mountain Wild Horses using the proven methods of PZP birth control, the BLM has suddenly announced plans to remove 30 wild horses from the range with only 10 days for the public to comment on this plan.
Please read the detailed action points below and send a letter in your own words to help Cloud’s herd.
Action Alert: from The Cloud Foundation
Speak Up to Keep Young Pryor Wild Horses on the Range!
Comments on the BLM Pryor Wild Horse removal are due April 24.
The BLM proposes to remove 30 Pryor Mountain wild horses aged 1, 2 and 3 using bait trapping this year.
Background:
The BLM is to be commended for its excellent PZP program, however, the current plan has not been in place long enough to achieve the desired result of balancing reproduction with natural mortality, thereby making removals unnecessary.
If 30 horses ages 1-3 are targeted, most of Cloud’s young offspring (Encore, Mato Ska and Ohanzee) could be removed from the mountain as well as many other unique, irreplaceable young horses, including Navigator, the only living offspring of the long- time band stallion, Custer who is 19 this year. We encourage you to politely speak out, urging the BLM to analyze alternatives to such a large removal.
Recommended areas of analysis for BLM to include in their forthcoming Environmental Assessment:
- Analyze incrementally removing 6-10 young horses in the 1-2 year old age groups for the next three years. (Removing only a limited number of young horses yearly will give them a greater chance of being adopted to quality homes.)
- Analyze whether darting all mares with two offspring on the mountain would balance reproduction and mortality in a more timely manner.
Pursue ALL alternatives to mitigate genetic damage resulting from the removal of horses:
- Removal of 30 horses exceeds the number that could be removed per the current PZP decision record which requires at least one offspring per mare, one year or older will be left on the range. There are not 30 young horses that could be removed without violating this requirement.
- Removal of 30 horses further threatens genetic viability.
- Analyze bait trapping in winter months when genetically over-represented bands are more easily accessible.
Re-examine Rangeland Expansion/Improvements to ensure adequate forage for a genetically viable herd:
- Negotiate for rangeland expansion with sister agencies, USFS and National Park Service (Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area).
- Immediately open Administrative Pastures and take down fences using adaptive management as justification. Use volunteers as needed.
- Remove all exclosures not being used for range monitoring to maximize forage available for herd. Use volunteers as needed.
- Carry out aerial re-seeding per the 2009 HMAP.
Request that the forthcoming EA include:
- All current range monitoring data.
- All PZP darting records.
- An updated census that includes all horses that have died since the fall 2014.
- All yearly death rate data since 2009 to substantiate the average loss of 6-12 horses year.
Evaluate Natural Management Alternatives:
- Coordinate with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to reduce mountain lion hunting in the PMWHR.
Please submit your written comments to:
Jim Sparks, Field Manager
BLM-Billings Field Office
5001 Southgate Drive
Billings, MT 59101
Or email directly by April 24th to:
Jared Bybee, Wild Horse Specialist
jbybee@blm.gov
LINKS:
Genetic Analysis of Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Herd, August 2013
23 Comments
Haven’t You People Done Enough Damage To These Horses And Their Families??? LEAVE THEM FREE!!!
Please keep cloud and his young free and wild as there meant to be,there so beautiful, I love the wild horses thank you, god bless you
Please don’t remove the horses I have kept track of the herd and would like to see those horses happy with there herd. I would love for my kids to keep watching and reading all about there herd. Please my family loves to see these guys happy. If you take 30 young horses out of there home and away. It would mean that it will babe harder on the older horses.
never sign a petition endorsing pzp we are not supporting a fertility so called drug not proven..pzp a pesticied. advocacy groups are against it and for it it is bad a blm lie of overpopulation when in fact they are going to genocide. ..and to the other commenter oly the three of us are seeing this. the govt doesnt simply answer to comments here that is why it says to take action. k? take action but if u cannot take the pzp part out dont sign it blindly..this is real tricky stuff going on right now. u should become involved. we are having worldwide rallies for our horses and burros stolen from our/their land. yes ranchers blm fws sell for money claim they must control pop. and they destroy the range. no you are correct Kathy, cattle sheep..poor things too should be in the pens or on the ranch,..300 horses on a mil acres is not pop underpopulation not in need of pzp but a moritorium. they steal them when we go to court too..very probaematic. they take them through our open borders no. and so. its is a nightmare.
Thanks for disregarding my comment.I didn’t expect anyone to read it. All this government wants to do is destroy this country. All you are interested is range for cattle and money.
who is disregarding is this the petition? or is it personal comments they wont see??
the govt needs to stop interfering with the normal things in nature
so please work with us it is up to we the people. save things like this to yr timeline if u dont have time to take action now on all of the above actions. while there u will see many comments (hopefully) from advocates. just remember for the love of god pzp doesnt stop roundups. at all. ty
by the way go below and like wildhoofbeats i havent heard of them yet, but all my new known horse advocates are there like anne novak and priscilla feral..of friends of animals who brought the blm to court and fed judge said blm is breaking the law. left unenforced, they are out for revenge and have ramped up the gathers. Please get involved be informed they are truly trying to make them extinct here and austrailia we need you..btw the first time these gals flew acrosss the country to save our horses, they were kicked out whe saying blm lies, horses die, threatened with arrest kicked out of hotel…well they and we are still fighting. pls like horse pgs and sign and comment below where that action is.ty
THE BLM IS destroying our wild mustangs……Fund Black Hills Wild Mustang Santuary in Black Hills , South Dakota. Mr Hyde has spent his lifetime and his money to save all that he can…….Please SUPPORT THEM.
I’m from Pa. , a long way to get to see any wild horses. It sickens me how the B.L.M. has taken the rights away from these horses to run free. Then to go and send them to slaughter houses, I’m an ashamed American!
I’m from Pa. , a long way to get to see any wild horses. It sickens me how the B.L.M. has taken the rights away from these horses to run free. Then to go and send them to slaughter houses, I’m an ashamed American!
please allow these young horses to remain free with their herds
Thank you everyone who has commented here. Please make sure you send your comments to the BLM at the email address in the post, they will not receive them if you only post them here.
Thanks!
My disgust and hatred for the BLM grows by the day….They are destroying , killing, running wild mustangs down with helicopters.STAND UP AND DEMAND THEIR STOP AND DO THE JOB THEY WERE FORMED TO DO!
Thank you everyone who has commented here. Please make sure you send your comments to the BLM at the email address in the post, they will not receive them if you only post them here.
Thanks!
Please leave the horses alone you have interfered enough .Let nature be she can take care of herself.
Thank you everyone who has commented here. Please make sure you send your comments to the BLM at the email address in the post, they will not receive them if you only post them here.
Thanks!
Please keep these horses free and living where they were born. Send the cattle ranchers off of our public lands. Your job is to protect these animals.
Thank you everyone who has commented here. Please make sure you send your comments to the BLM at the email address in the post, they will not receive them if you only post them here.
Thanks!
Please make sure you send your comments to the BLM at the email address in the post, they will not receive them if you only post them here.
Thanks!
Stop interfering in nature. Let these beautiful creatures alone. Please leave them alone.
Please let wild horses be wild!!! Cloud and the other Pryor horses deserve to remain the American icons that they are, beautiful and free:-)