Saturday, September 05, 2009

Famous Mustangs Torn From Their Home


More Legends of the West Being Lost to A Rogue Government Agency


"Bureau of Land Management "Overkill"
In the searing 90-plus degree heat the first five mustangs, of less than 200 remaining in Montana’s only wild horse herd, are driven into corrals by a helicopter, forcibly removed from the rangeland they have occupied for hundreds of years. The Pryor wild horses and one palomino stallion in particular, Cloud, have been made world famous by the PBS Nature documentaries, the third of which will air this fall.

Despite public outcry over their reasons for this action, and clear failures in NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) compliance, BLM is moving forward with the controversial helicopter roundup expected to last 4-10 days. "This unique little herd is being destroyed starting now," says Ginger Kathrens, Volunteer Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation. "70 horses and some foals are to be removed from their spectacular home in the wild and this will leave us with a non-viable herd.”

Dr. Gus Cothran, Ph.D. of Texas A&M University said today that this roundup "is overkill.” Critics of the removal say that it is clear that the BLM is refusing to listen to science and the wishes of the American public.

Legal efforts are continuing, but have so far not stopped this action.

Wild horse advocates and biologists say that by going against their own environmental assessment for this removal, BLM is ignoring the unique genetics of this herd. The agency plans to take off all the wild horses who live permanently in the Custer National Forest – from the 21-year-old mare known as Grumpy Grulla, to Conquistador, the 19- year-old band stallion as well as young foals. According to local residents and historians, the wild horses are simply living the way they lived before the BLM or Forest Service were even established.

"Removing an entire subpopulation is not the way to manage a small, precious and unique population of animals," continues Kathrens. "People enjoy seeing the horses in the Custer National Forest and extensive evidence exists that these horses have been in this area for centuries. It is vitally important that this range be legally expanded to allow this herd to grow to safe, genetically viable numbers.”

“Why are they removing nearly half the horses after the drought is over?” asks Howard Boggess, Crow Elder and Historian. “Everything that is against the law for me they are planning to do to these horses. Full Article TransWorldNews

- BLM's Secret Illegal Plans To Destroy America's Wild Horses
- Help Stop the Massive Removal of Cloud's Wild Horse Herd!