When will the advocates explain how mass sterilization, the inevitable result of humane population reduction, preserves wild horses for future generations?
When will they stop lying about the reversibility of PZP?
The Forest Service copied the following documents to the project folder on August 29:
Final environmental assessment
Final territory management plan
Draft decision notice
Scroll down to the Project Summary, expand the Project Documents section and click on the AdminReview folder.
Only those who participated in the planning process are eligible to object.
The DN would authorize Alternative 2, the Proposed Action, discussed on page 18 of the EA (page 24 in the pdf) and beyond.
Horses currently occupy an area much larger than the 19,700-acre WHT so initial management actions will be directed at achieving AML within the designated space.
Active AUMs and acreages of surrounding allotments should be reviewed to determine if the proposed AML (104) and stocking rate (5.3 wild horses per thousand acres) are reasonable.
Surgical sterilization was dropped from the analysis.
Chemical sterilization, via PZP and GonaCon, is on the table.
Expanding the territory, increasing the AML and reducing livestock grazing didn’t make the cut.
The WHT lies within the Heber and Black Canyon Allotments. Figure 6 in the EA shows the overlapping pastures.
The Forest Service has added deaths to the daily reports.
Shipping data are not provided.
Deceased animals are not included in the daily breakdowns. For example, two horses were put down for unspecified conditions on September 3 but you don’t know if they were stallions, mares or foals.
The daily totals should match the daily breakdowns.
The documented capture total is 68, including 28 stallions, 34 mares and six foals.
Youngsters represented 8.8% of the sample.
Of the adults, 45.2% were male and 54.8% were female.
The average daily take is 6.8.
The death rate, based on a capture total of 72, is 6.9%.
It is the only option calling for a nonreproducing segment in the population, to be achieved by “minimally invasive sterilization” of mares and stallions.
Other features of the plan include:
Forcible removal of excess animals to low AML
Application of fertility control pesticides
Alteration of sex ratios to favor males
Development of a new a new water source
Monitoring of genetic diversity
Commenting in support of the plan was Return to Normal (Before WHB Act). Refer to item 2 in Appendix XVII of the EA.
The project is subject to a 30-day appeal period but that was not mentioned in the news release.
Despite a July 15 appeals court ruling, the agency plans to proceed with permanent removal of wild horses from the Salt Wells Creek and Adobe Town Herd Areas, starting on or about October 13, according to a report by WyoFile.
Referring to them as herd areas, a sign of bureaucratic arrogance, implies validity of the RMP amendments.
Supporters with Southwestern Wilds claimed the warnings would be more effective if they were backed by state law, so the new ones have a reference to NRS 569.040.
Photos in this report by the Pahrump Valley Times.
Now they’re trying to save themselves from oblivion.
PNWHA is an affiliate of the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, a leader in nonmotorized removal, fierce opponent of principal use and instigator of the largest attempted eradication of wild horses in Nevada.
Western Horse Watchers Association 