A U.S. district judge has temporarily blocked the BLM’s order, allowing AP’s bison to remain on three allotments in Phillips County according to its news release.
At the center of the case is whether the Taylor Grazing Act limits federal grazing permits to production-oriented livestock, an ad hoc excuse—and complete fabrication concocted by ranching interests—to thwart allotment conversions for conservation purposes, such as wild animal preserves.
The ruling casts a long shadow over the agency’s attempt to insert the clause into the Part 4100 grazing regulations, “to head off suggestions that grazing permits may be appropriate for other purposes, including preservation or conservation.”
The advocates have created a genetic bottleneck from which there is no escape.
The bottleneck event was a PZP darting program that took the herd from 450 to 270 over a period of eight years, well beyond the range of reversibility.
A helicopter could achieve the same results in eight days, but the changes would not be permanent.
Would you approve $325,000 for a genetic study if you knew the mares had been sterilized, the breeding population had been destroyed and genetic mixing had been stopped?
The money would be better spent investigating those responsible for the destruction and their acolytes, who tried—and still try—to cover it up.
A new project has been created in ePlanning and one document has been uploaded.
The capture goal is 100% of the herd, around 418 wild horses.
Some of the animals will be maintained in off-range holding for two vegetation growing seasons, to be returned to the HMA after recovery from wildfire and drought.
Cattle will also be removed to help the land recover.
No word on a public lands closure while the roundup is in progress.
The Kiger/Riddle horses have always done well at auctions. The last one was in 2015.
State officials requested evidence that helicopter roundups are a more effective means of controlling the wild horse population but were silent about the long-term effects of fertility control, the alternative they prefer.
The operation liberated 10,728 AUMs per year for other mandated uses of public lands.
A map in the Decision Record, which was copied to the project folder in ePlanning, indicates the order applies to the entire HMA and five trap locations to the east.
Only gather operation personnel and any public observers escorted by BLM staff will be allowed in the closure area.
The ArcGIS Viewer puts the five traps in the North Gooseberry Allotment.
The allotment master report has it in the Improve category with 27% of the permitted use in the suspended column, suggesting that your stewards of the public lands are not taking their responsibilities seriously.
The 8,519 active AUMs support livestock equivalent to 710 wild horses on 114,317 public acres, or 6.2 wild horses per thousand public acres.
The stocking rate allowed by plan in Fifteenmile is 2.8 wild horses per thousand public acres, another example of the double standard for resource management on America’s public lands.
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death
The Day 9 report said 84 horses shipped which is not possible if the previous shipping figures are correct. The limit would be 38.
Two stallions were euthanized for preexisting conditions on Day 9.
The death rate is 1.0%.
The capture total includes 128 stallions, 136 mares and 45 foals.
Youngsters represented 14.6% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 9% per year.
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death
The figures above are based on the daily reports.
Trapping concluded on Day 30.
A mare died of a heart condition on Day 30.
The death rate is 1.0%.
Excess animals have been hard to find. Productivity was high at the beginning of the roundup but has declined steadily.
The capture total included 355 stallions, 368 mares and 171 foals.
Youngsters represented 19.1% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 14% per year.
The governor announced today the approval of a $325,000 grant for a comprehensive study by Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona, with assistance from wild horse experts at the US Geological Survey.
The news release did not indicate if the goal was to provide an accurate picture of genetic health today or an honest projection of genetic health ten to fifteen years out, now that the advocates have sterilized the mares, destroyed the breeding population and ended genetic mixing.
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death
The figures above are based on the daily reports.
A mare was dispatched for a fractured left scapula on Day 29.
The death rate is 0.9%.
Excess animals have been hard to find. The target completion date was September 1.
The capture total included 351 stallions, 364 mares and 168 foals.
Youngsters represented 19.0% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 14% per year.
Snippet from statute: It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death
Snippet from manual: To protect wild horses and burros from unauthorized capture, branding, harassment or death
The figures above are based on the daily reports.
A stallion was released (escaped from trap?) on Day 7.
A mare died of a fractured neck on Day 7.
The death rate is 0.4%.
The capture total includes 110 stallions, 114 mares and 36 foals.
Youngsters represented 13.8% of the animals gathered, enough to support a herd growth rate of 8% per year.
Western Horse Watchers Association 