America's Wild Horses and Burros Betrayed

On Thursday the Senate Committee voted to fully fund, $35 million dollars, to support the implementation of the Cattlemen's Association/ASPCA Path Forward.

The plan will remove 15-20,000 wild horses and burros every year for ten years, the possible surgical sterilization of wild mares, as well as the intended use of PZP to interrupt their fertility cycles. Horses warehoused in the resulting over crowded holding facilities will likely be send to slaughter in Canada and Mexico.

There was absolutely no discussion of the Cattlemen's proposal, the wild horses and burros or the Bureau of Land Management on Thursday, Instead, the Senate without disclosure of the bill text voted to pass the Bill.

Per Wild Horse Education:

"The BLM is past the due date for it's report to Congress.

The public is left in the dark as backroom deals occurs with corporate interests.

The fight is not over. The version passed by the House is different than the version passed by the Senate Committee. These bills will need to go to a full floor vote and into a consolidation process. We can still fight against the funding on offer for this betrayal to the public and the public resource.

Hearings for oversight and accountability are beginning in the House. Congress has a responsibility to protect the public from waste of taxpayer funding, fraud, corruption and intimidation tactics. Our public lands are under assault. The BLM Wild Horse and Burro program has a long litany of issues that must receive an appropriate investigation and exposure.

This betrayal by self serving corporate interests (HSUS, ASPCA, Return to Freedom, Cattlemen's Association, Public Lands Council, et al) is the greatest blow to protecting America's wild horses since the law to protect them was passed. This debacle is akin to environmental organizations helping turn National Monuments over to the oil and gas industry"

Both the House of Representatives and the Senator ignored, overrode, dismissed the wishes and pleas of those who support and celebrate our wild equines. Instead, the corporate interests of the Cattlemen's Association and the misguided support of "former" horse advocacy groups took the day. Le't get it back.

What Can You Do? Call or Write Both of Your Senators. Text:

"I object to passing the Interior 2020 budget provisions for BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program.

The BLM has not released their report, requested by Congress, for inclusion of the debate. Passing a budget, without the agencies open participation that provides appropriate public participation in the debate, is inappropriate.

The BLM program must be held to current levels and authorities including the provision against sales for commercial purposes (slaughter). We must freeze the program until a full review is completed and the BLM report is released, publicly, and reviewed.

I do not support the wild horse and burro provisions in the spending bill. These provisions will not fix a single flaw in the program, but will collapse it in three years. The provisions create a greater burden on the taxpayer, no responsibility to public resource and simply provide additional funding for private pockets.

Awarding $35 million to a corporate agenda in the Senate bill is a betrayal to the public and the public resource.

Propose the following amendment to the budget: Please freeze the BLM budget and authorities to 2019 levels until a full and open evaluation and debate occurs. BLM must be required to release the report requested by Congress for the 2020 debate, before any new funding is appropriated."

You can find your Senator at http://govtrack.us