Monday, May 4, 2015

Michael Blake, R.I.P. 5/2/2015


From ISPMB:


A Farewell to our esteemed Michael Blake

The Council Circle of ISPMB announces the passing of our beloved Vice-President, Michael Blake, on May 2, 2015 at his home in Tucson where he resided with his wife, Marianne Mortensen Blake, and their three children, Quanah, Monahsetah and Lozen who were named after historic Native Americans.  

Michael has been an active participant of ISPMB since 2010 when he joined our Council Circle (Board of Directors) and worked together with ISPMB's president, Karen Sussman whom he had known since 1991. 

(Please read more from ISPMB at the link above)


And more from Variety on Michael Blake at this link below: 

"Michael Blake, who wrote the novel Dances With Wolves and penned its subsequent film treatment, has died at 69, Variety reports. ...."




Monday, March 30, 2015

American Wild Horse Agreement already in peril - ***** New Update 4/2


Here is the update I received in an e-mail this morning:


BREAKING NEWS...........
The Nevada Assembly Natural Resources Committee has cancelled tomorrow's hearing on Assembly Bill 431 (AB431). 
 

AB 431 Manage horses- PULLED,hopefully forever.
This bill requires the State Department of Agriculture to develop and implement a program for the humane and ecologically sound management of those feral, estray or wild horses that do not fall under the responsibility and protection of the Federal Government.  Author:  Asm Cmte on Natural Resources


-------------------------------------------------Hopefully, the pending bill mentioned below is now tabled and will not be re-visitied (at least that is the hope) _---------------------------------------------------------------------






I am cross posting this from an e-mail .... I am not the contact person 

Historic Agreement for Wild Horse Preservation in peril: Please read and respond, especially if you are from Nevada.


NOTE DATE CORRECTION: Please attend the Assembly Natural Resources Committee hearing next Thursday, April 2 at 1:30 p.m., in Carson City or Las Vegas to stand up for the Virginia Range horses. The Assembly Natural Resources Committee will consider AB431 -- a bill that would require the wholesale removal and disposal of the Virginia Range horses. This would replace the recently finalized public-private partnership to humanely manage these wild horses in northern Nevada.
What:        Assembly Natural Resources Committee hearing
When:       Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 1:30 p.m.
Where:      Room 3138 of the Legislative Building, 401 S. Carson St., Carson City, NV.
This Committee hearing could be video-conferenced to Las Vegas if requested by constituents. Please email us for more information.
Currently AWHPC is working with Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) and local wild horse advocacy groups to humanely manage the Virginia Range mustangs. We have worked on this win-win, public-private partnership with the state of Nevada for two long years. AB461 would replace that humane management partnership with removals, sales to slaughter auction, and the potential gelding and spaying of horses on the range.
We hope to have as many people as possible attend in opposition to AB431, which is bad for Nevada, bad for the horses!
You can submit comments in opposition to AB 431 by clicking here or emailing the committee directly at AsmNRAM@asm.state.nv.us Comments must be received before 2 p.m. on Wednesday.

Talking Points
 I strongly oppose AB431 as it would undermine the cost-saving public-private partnership for humanely managing the Virginia Range horses. Nevadans have worked for two years to establish a humane management plan with the state and this bill will likely sabotage all the work that has been undertaken.
 The current private-public partnership for on-the-range management of the Virginia Range mustangs are a win-win situation for Nevada taxpayers, advocates, the State of Nevada and the horses. AB431 will cause private funding for the private-public management plan to be lost.  Local and national advocates will not invest their time and resources in a program in which the end result is the capture of horses that would be sold for slaughter.
 We Nevadans love our Virginia Range horses. We strongly oppose AB431 which will harm our Virginia Range horses and damage Nevada's tourism "brand."
 How much will AB431 cost?  Under the current private-public management agreement, most of the management costs are borne by the non-profit groups.  When those funds are lost, will the Nevada taxpayers have to pick up the bill?

.
Hope to see you on Thursday!
- The AWHPC Team

Background
In March 2013, we entered into a cooperative agreement with the state to prevent captured Virginia Range horses from being sent to a slaughter auction. On March 19, we signed a management cooperative agreement with the State to keep horses safe, improve public safety and prevent more horses from being captured and removed from their homes on the range. AB431 would undermine this hard work.

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign 



BEVERLEE McGRATH
Nevada Legislative Specialist & Special Projects
ASPCA
Best Friends Animal Society
Nevada Humane Society
SPCA of No. Nevada
NV Political Action for Animals
Lake Tahoe Humane Society & SPCA
Compassion Charity of America
Pet Network Humane Society
Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation
Paw Pac
Lake Tahoe Wolf Rescue
Hidden Valley Horse Rescue
Fallon Animal Welfare Group
BevDDAL@msn.co
775) 815-1690 (805) 816-4155
website:  www.helpanimalsnv.org/index.html



Thursday, January 22, 2015

Missing and Presumed Stolen

Crossposting from NetPosse.com:

SOCIAL MEDIA ALERT:
NetPosse.com Alert - Missing and PRESUMED Stolen - Alabama - Two male mules - Cruising Cochise, bay appaloosa, and Maxamillion, Sorrel Gaited, were confirmed in their pasture the morning of 1/15/15 in Cullman County. Last seen in a cow pasture about 1.5 miles from home on 1/16/15. There is a suspect. These mules are shown, trail ridden and loved by two teenage girls. Please help bring them home! 
http://www.netposse.com/view_report.asp?reportid=2446

Sunday, January 4, 2015

“The American 160”: Wild Burros Find New Homes for the New Year


It’s a new year, and more than 160 burros that once roamed the rangelands of the Wild West have found new homes. Rango is one of those fortunate burros, a four-year-old gelding that could have been shipped to Guatemala as part of a U.S. Bureau of Land Management plan to move unadopted burros out of long-term holding pens.

(Please read the remainder of this article here:) https://www.beaconreader.com/elizabeth-devitt/the-american-160-wild-burros-find-new-homes-for-the-new-year

Sunday, December 14, 2014

New from the EU and what it might mean for American horses

From Horsetalk and John Holland:

European Union ban threatens US horse slaughter pipeline
John Holland, the president of the Equine Welfare Alliance, examines possible scenarios following the European Union’s ban affecting horsemeat shipments from Mexico. 


For the remainder of the article, please follow link provided here:



Saturday, September 20, 2014

Photos show BLM creativity in justifying removal of wild horses

BLM often says horses are in poor condition necessitating removals. Not so here. Horses in these pictures look good. Terrain looks good. I guess that is the reason why the BLM suggested that the Rock Creek Grazing Association sue them to initiate the removals that otherwise would not have happened.

As wild horses lose their rights to the land, so will others. Who wants to hike through a trail of cattle poo with oil and gas rigs in the background. Perhaps only Sally Jewell.

Wait a few years after cattle and other livestock use increases and see if the pictures will look the same.

Link to daily capture report for Wyoming Checkerboard horses:

http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses/14cb-removal/dailyreports.html



Thursday, September 11, 2014

More Bad News for Wyoming Mustangs And Ways You Can Help

Reposting from AWHPC 

Dear Lisa,
Yesterday, we told you the bad news that the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals denied our motion for an injunction to block the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) from rounding up more than 800 wild horses in Wyoming.
Although we will continue to pursue the case on its strong merits, the roundup will begin in the next few days. As the helicopters descend on the beautiful horses of Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek and Divide Basin, please help us launch a massive grassroots uprising. 
Here's what we need you to do.
1. Call Secretary Jewel at 202-208-7351 
Here is a sample of what you can say: "I oppose the massive wild horse roundup about to take place in Wyoming. The BLM did not provide any opportunity for the public to participate in the decision. Nearly 1,000 wild horses will lose their freedom to appease ranchers who graze their livestock on our public lands. The American public opposes this roundup. Please stop the Wyoming wild horse wipeout. Our public lands belong to all Americans."
Public lands 4 all Americans: Stop WY wild horse wipeout. #justice4mustangs
3. Post this message below (just by copying and pasting) on the Interior Department's Facebook page:
It's time the Interior Department manage public lands for all Americans. Stop the Wyoming wild horse wipeout. #justice4mustangs
Our hashtag is trending - please help us get it out there!
The setback at the Appellate Court is disappointing, but we continue to fight for these magnificent horses.  While we cannot stop the roundup, we can pursue our lawsuit with the goal of establishing a precedent that will prevent BLM from doing this again and hopefully obtain some relief for the Wyoming wild horses, including possibly forcing BLM to return to the range some of the horses captured during the roundup.
Please stay with us, stand with the horses, help us build momentum and keep up the fight!
Thank you so much!!
- The AWHPC Team