SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO CLIPS
Bea Wade of the BLM gave a presentation on BLM’s work to identify areas and reasons for all herds zeroed out. The powerpoint was unreadable so the public was provided with the following copies- I hope they are readable in this PDF format: ReasonsforZEROINGoutHerds_DRAFT_p1 and ReasonsForZeroingOut_p2
Lili Thomas answering questions
Post Lunch Notes:
NEW BUSINESS- started at 1pm
Moderated by Mike Motisse of Oregon BLM – going over the topics of the workshop and what was discussed yesterday and board members individual views.
REMOVALS:
Winter 2010 – 7,811 gathered; 6,308 removed
Summer/Fall 2010 – 7,097 targeted for gather
in the high 5,000s scheduled for removal this summer fall…. Bringing the total to almost 12,000 removed.
TREASURED HERDS
Larry Johnson: if treasuring some herds means that others aren’t managed so much than he’s opposed to it. They’re all herds to be managed. And they should never be managed as the priority species in an area.
Wayne Burkhart: unless it contributes in some fashion than he doesn’t support
driving issue is too damn many horses at a rate that we can’t get rid of the excess”
Janet Jankura: public doesn’t like designation of treasured herds, all herds are treasured but don’t lose the partnership in the ecotourism and public awareness
Renee: Champion herd areas but no special designation, agrees with Janet on not wanting designation.
Robin Lohnes: what about heritage herds like coyote canyon horses that need to be protected. Doesn’t the secretary already have the authority to designate special herds (I think she means horse ranges like the little bookcliffs, pryors etc.)
Is the goal of treasured herds to make sustainable herds? Mother nature normally does a much better job than us when it comes to survival of the fittest. (Mike adds that yesterday we herd to
Co-managing treasured herds with different tribes— BLM will always be most responsible, that is her concern. Concludes that all herds are treasured.
Gary Zakota: doesn’t want some herds treasured over others.
(couldn’t hear man to left of Vern)
Vern Dooly: Opposed to special designation for special herds. doesn’t prevent BLM from showcasing herds. We don’t want to limit management of any herds. Treasured herds would actually have to be more tightly managed, that designation.
SUSTAINABLE HERDS
2nd from left: doesn’t support purchase of private lands for horses
Vern Dooly: preserves necessary for long term if we plan on bringing wild populations down to AML. Partnerships with third parties than we could convert those to Horse Management – payment would be important
Robin Lohnes: a preserve is not a non-reproducing pasture of horses- a preserve is a reproducing
Wayne Burkhart: have to not have reproducing herds – the Salazar Plan would be temp. holding. and these facilities would not be permanent (crowd wonders why the lands would be purchased then)
(Mike talks about how these would be more productive lands and people could go and look at the horses on good grasslands. Doesn’t believe that Sec Salazar just wants another name for long term holding)
Larry Johnson gave 5 minute talk on moving wild horses to productive grasslands because NV never had wild horses (not true: Bones of a horse dating back 15 million years, found in northern Nevada in July 2006. The bones can be viewed in their permanent display at the Sierra College Natural History Museum- article here: http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/features/109-fossils.shtml) – video clip:
Robin Lohnes: sustainable herds
Renee: this didn’t seem like a multiple use. Some of these topics are not even sustainable.
Wayne Burkhart—have to get to a balance
Larry Johnson: sex ratio skewing, infertility control etc these are only remotely possible if we reach AML. We can’t catch enough horses, we can’t treat enough horses, we can’t alter enough horses.
— PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD —
National Wildlife Federation Colorado representative spoke against wild horses and stated that they are not wild but feral animals – no place on public lands according to this speaker. Is this NWF’s opinion?
Julianne French spoke about removing lobbyists from public boards
Valerie Stanley speaking on zeroing out herds, Dr. Bruce Nook’s report on stress to horses.
Linda Hanick spoke about finding solutions– lots of smart people in this room, and more positve energy
Craig Downer: BLM not following true-tenants of the WH&B act and not looking on a macro scale but is instead magnifying the wild horses as a problem. Speaking about Reserve Design for protection of ecosystems including wild horses and burros.
Elyse Gardner: she is available and able to help BLM with their transparency! Suggests video cameras as viable means of increasing public trust. Public barred from Broken Arrow. Turn older stallions from Calico back.
Laura Leigh: (project manager for herd-management) we’re dealing with crises rather than solutions. Multiple use on our public lands is not caring for the publics land as it should be.
Deniz Bolbol: 3-4 months roundup and removing 5000+ horses this fiscal year. Show some good faith, take solutions from the public. Public is not given equal access to advisory board members’ binders. Public comments should be posted online and BLM’s responses posted.
====Several people whose names I couldn’t catch have spoken– my apologies and please refer to livestream video which will be reposted online soon====
recommendations of board being discussed…
Robin Lohnes, chair of the board stands up for our wild herds (video below soon)
June 15, 2010 at 8:49 pm |
I don’t understand “treasured herds” either. How do you choose one herd instead of another? and why? Isn’t the goal to better manage the horses, not to pick and choose?
June 15, 2010 at 10:14 pm |
These horses belong to the people, WE THE PEOPLE pay the BLM big bucks to manage the horses, not to kill them. Do any of the people on the board know anything about horses? Stop killing off the wolves and mountain lions and these herds will manage themselves quite nicely. Man is the worst predator.
June 15, 2010 at 11:45 pm |
Thank you for bringing us this meeting. Thanks for all the notes and all the Facebook “Cloud the Stallion” updates.
June 16, 2010 at 12:10 am |
Boy, that was an interesting meeting! Thanks for bringing it to us, TCF! The blog that was concurrent with the meeting took a very passionate tone, and many topics were discussed—one of the topics was the membership of the Advisory Board and the terms of service. I’m posting the link to the membership again here. Robin Lohnes seemed to be the hero of the day.
http://www.saveourwildhorses.org/blm-board.htm
June 16, 2010 at 12:32 am |
Concensus of those online…remove larry anyway you can-by train boat automoble or predator drone..his comments were outrageous insulting to the public and precludes having a dialogue..we are asking for a petiton to be put up for him to be removed immediately and replaced by Makendra..our fierce warrior-ess!
June 16, 2010 at 12:41 am |
I cannot watch or listen to Larry 1 more time..please don’t make me
June 16, 2010 at 11:30 am
Listening to ole Larry once last Fall was enough for me. Where is that petition to send him packing? Of course Larry has some “big Money” backing from the big game hunters. We need to follow the money.
June 16, 2010 at 12:42 am |
He was scary! As someone posted, does he not realize how he projects himself??
June 16, 2010 at 12:37 am |
many of us would like transcipts of the 2 days where and how can we get those. Altho i never moved from the computer for 2 days, and stuck in a sitting poistion with depends on..i could not make out much of what was said today and would like to review statements.
June 16, 2010 at 1:06 am |
Thanks to everyone at the meeting. And to all the onliners. We had some great exchanges.
I’d like to know how wild horses moved everywhere else across the West and managed to miss Nevada before maps and GPS.
June 16, 2010 at 1:34 am |
All these horses are “treasured”. It all comes back to the R.O.A.M act and Senator Burns’ amendment. The BLM is using this loop hole to destroy all of the wild horse herds and giving the land to special interest groups. This is the real agenda. The BLM, cattlemen and the rest of the special interest groups. They will not stop until the horses are gone. The Calico herd is gone. Other herds have been zeroed out. It’s as clear as the nose on our faces that these horses stand in the way of greed and corruption. Too many horses have been rounded up. Many colts, if not all, gelded, foals left to die, mares miscarriage of foals. 7500 more horses scheduled for roundup. The wild horse has moved across America for close to 400 years and the BLM has moved them to extinction in a fraction of the time. We are dealing with people who care nothing for these horses and will not stop until they get there way.
June 16, 2010 at 3:34 am |
DIDN’T GET TO WATCH, BUT FROM WHAT I HEAR–THE PROTESTS ARE BACK ON.
June 16, 2010 at 4:46 am |
Makendra gave an awesome comment-the best of the bunch and it was right on. It seemed so much headway was made yesterday, and this afternoon, I felt us sliding back down that slippery slope to “BLM speak.” My first thought as I sat there and listened to some of the board members, ie. Larry, “aren’t there term limits?” 10 years is far too long to be on a board. New blood means new fresh ideas and they can throw away the stale ideas. Yes, Larry needs to go, as do some others. I had some cautiously optimistic thoughts after yesterday’s meeting. Going home today, I had lost that optimism. I will get back on the horse tomorrow!
June 17, 2010 at 9:26 pm |
Think about what impression would be left if the workshop had taken place AFTER the Board Meeting.
Either everyone’s demeanor would have become war-like and lines would be drawn “in the sand” or workshopers might have overly optimistic view of things.
Why doesn’t the Board of Directors listen to the people in the room. I heard too much of what they think. They are holding all the cards.
June 16, 2010 at 11:51 am |
HOW MANY PERMITS ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR THE USE OF THAT FRAGILE LAND AND IT’S WATER?
June 16, 2010 at 8:37 pm |
One of the things pointed out was that there was no discussion, facts or evidence brought forward from the other “users” involved in multiple purpose use..how can you discuss whether the horses are causing the problem until you present those facts and put it into perspective..and then have a discussion..or vote for that matter
June 16, 2010 at 8:42 pm |
There was so much going on and so much information given and not given or pending- that without reading the transcripts it would be difficult to form the basis for a good legal argument…I see it takes the WH&B board a YEAR to publish the minutes..that is not acceptable
June 16, 2010 at 9:12 pm |
It appears to me BLM is already implementing suggestions from last years..”secrect’ alternative management options-stallions being gelded and returned to the hMA in stinking water-burns oregon, as well as the lopsided stallion to mare ratios, also utilized there..there will only be about 14 mares released from a full gather and it would not surprise me if they pzpd them all…that is the only solution they seemed to concurr on was 0 growth of the herds by making non reproducing herds in the wild and in long term holding..The point was made(probably by Larry) that we don’t need permanent longterm holding facilities..we just have to wait for these current horses to die off..I suggested our new slogan should be Crematoriums not Moritoriums
June 17, 2010 at 2:57 am |
I don’t watch “slaughter videos” or “Larry Johnson” videos.
For obvious reasons.
June 17, 2010 at 5:59 am |
Craig Downer’s talk and his papers should be published for all of us(wild horse activitists) to read and take wihus when talking to senators etc-if they even listen. Lets all make friends with the only woman on the Board who is horse friendly.Robin Lohens.
What incentive do any of these Board members have to leave? Is there a term limit? Legally this is an important fact to know. Otherwise he gets to have his way paid to nice meeting places,his ego rechaged, meals and board paid for and folks we pick up his tab(the US Taxpayer) and he laughs at us all the way to the bank where he deposits his per diem check-tax free!
June 17, 2010 at 3:44 pm |
Here is a link to the charter for the WH&B Advisory Board. Although the members are appointed to “3 year terms”, they apparently serve at the “pleasure of the Secretary of the Interior or Secretary of Agriculture”. The need for limits on terms is under discussion, but until legislation makes it mandatory, it probably isn’t going to happen.
http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/Planning_and_Renewable_Resources/wild_horses_and_burros/advisory_board.Par.24081.File.dat/Adv%20Brd%20Charter_Jul2008.pdf
June 17, 2010 at 3:49 pm
That wording “serve at the pleasure of. . .” seems to be just inviting corruption!
Of course, this is just my opinion.
June 17, 2010 at 3:52 pm
At best it seems an archaic use of the English language…
June 17, 2010 at 4:14 pm
I was reading the Charter just before your comment arrived. It’s up for renewal July 22, and, according to the last Minutes posted (September 2009, I think), was slated to be discussed at the next meeting (December?). Does anyone know if this happened, or what changes may have been made?
June 17, 2010 at 3:56 pm |
Yes, Honor, someone online during the meeting the other day suggested that we thank Robin Lohnes for her actual “advocacy” for the horses. The membership link I posted at 12:10 A.M. on June 16 has contact information for her.
June 17, 2010 at 4:09 pm
Amen! I felt Robin spoke up well during their comments on the subject before them.
June 17, 2010 at 8:43 pm |
I want to see larrys bar tab…he certainly came back from lunch..like a cadaver from the dead…on my tax dollar
June 20, 2010 at 5:36 am |
i read on meeting notes that two board members are going to expire – when does good ole larry expire??
June 20, 2010 at 11:51 am |
They expire, but there are no term limits. They go right back on, I’m sorry to say.