Don’t forget to also call the White House and your Congressional representatives.

SOURCE:  Wildhoofbeats.com

by Carol Walker

Today is the last day to comment on the BLM’s disastrous plan to sterilize wild mares in the White Mountain Herd Management Area in Wyoming. Despite the herd numbering only 268 wild horses, which is within the AML of 209- 300 wild horses in the area, the BLM plans to team up with USGS and conduct a study, first rounding up the herd using helicopters, removing horses until there are 209 left, and putting radio collars on the mares and tail tags on the stallions to study behavior for 1 year. They plan to put radio collars on the mares, and the last time the BLM did this in 1991 many horses died. This is just not safe.  Then they plan to round them up again using helicopters, and then spaying 30-50 wild mares in the field, which is an incredibly dangerous procedure, certainly fatal to many of the mares. The sterilization of this and other herds targeted for research by the BLM and USGS spells the beginning of the end of wild horses on our public lands.

Please comment today by 4pm Mountain Time. Your own words will be the most powerful and effective for having an impact on the BLM and their plans.

You can read more here in my blog:

http://www.wildhoofbeats.com/blog/wild-horses-please-comment-on-blms-disastrous-plans-to-study-and-spay-white-mountain-mares

You can use the Cloud Foundation’s excellent talking points here:

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=b16d80346618d3ce64e8e9877&id=010bafe18c&e=936756a5da

Or if you have just enough time to write a few sentences, please be sure to cover the following points:

1. Do not round up and remove horses from White Mountain Herd Management Area. The horses are within AML. If you must round them up, use bait trapping at known water sources not a helicopter roundup.

2. Do not put radio collars and tail tags on the stallions. This is unsafe and potentially fatal for the horses. Use observation of people int he field, interns or staff, to obtain information. The horses are easily identifiable and most are easy to approach – this invasive and dangerous method is not necessary.

3. Do not spay wild mares. This is cruel, inhumane, potentially fatal for many of the mares. It is completely unnecessary. If you must use birth control on this herd, use the proven, safe, humane and reversible native PZP or PZP-22 that can be given using bait trapping and/or field darting.

Send your comments to:

BLM_WY_whitemtn_littleco_hma@blm.gov

Put “White Mountain and Little Colorado EA” in the subject line of your email.

These need to be in by 4 pm Mountain Time on today, Thursday the 14th of January. Please pass this along.