I am sorry for the delay in reporting this to you. I was informed of this a couple days ago, and to be honest, I felt like I was hit in the stomach, and just needed a few days to catch my breath.
I was expecting this, I wasn’t sure when, and I had secretly hoped it wouldn’t happen.
Below is the letter with the information about the proposal and where to send your comments. I have already mailed mine. It must be received by April 24, so I encourage you write and send it off in the next few days to assure delivery by the deadline.
Sandy
Hi Sandy, This is so tragic and I haven’t even made the trip yet. I would be more than glad to send a letter – would you please give me words for alternatives or information that I may include in my letter. Thank you so much, Susan
Susan, you can contact me personally for more information. It may be easier to just call me.
This also made me physically ill, so I can’t imagine how you, and others who have been so directly involved with the horses, feel. I haven’t fully digested it yet but I can say that I am severely disappointed and shocked at the drastic nature of this plan. I’ve been dreading the announcement of another removal and running through my mind worst case scenarios but I never expected this degree of loss of the young horses. This could absolutely decimate the herd and I have no idea where they think all of these removed horses will find homes. This is no way to maintain genetic viability and overall herd health, and with the new PZP plan in place, the Pryor herd will likely not survive, let alone thrive.
I will absolutely be submitting my comments. Out of interest, the letter makes it sound like emailed comments will not be accepted. Is this your understanding as well?
Yes, that is correct, only written comments.
I will reblog this on my blog as well. Thanks for sharing Sandy.
Reblogged this on horsetalk1270 and commented:
Sandy has also put together a blog post regarding the proposed plan. Please check out her post to see how you can help the horses!!
Thank you!
I am absolutely sickened by this. They make no sense. Here they want to take youngsters…but then the Utah Sulphur round up they have a gorgeous 25 year old stud up on the Internet Adoption. One other is 20 and several more are 14 and 15. There is no uniformity in how they manage these herds. It’s a crying shame.
While I don’t want to see any horses removed, the Billings BLM office is an exception on how they handle and deal with these removals. The 2012 bait trapping was conducted in a way where there were no horses killed or injured.
I just don’t understand, the state all want the tourist dollars for us to come and view the horses, they use them in tourist ads, but they continue to remove more and more of them. Its just sad.
I’ve been physically ill over this. I’ve been writing letters, writing blogs, contacting radio stations, tweeting, instagramming anything to get the word out. I just don’t know what to do. I’m in a tizzy of emotions. I’m so sorry Sandy. If this does take place do you know when? I haven’t been able to find any details on that.
🙁 I know this herd is in one of the best positions wild horses can be in, but it seems like we’re banging our heads against a brick wall. With new water sources and the availability of the Admin Pastures, this shouldn’t be happening in my opinion.
Beautiful pics, by the way. Thanks for sharing the beauty!
I am also sickened and really shocked by this overly drastic removal plan, particularly on TOP of the most severe PZP plan that I’ve ever heard about ! I tried to go back and read several years of promised “plans“ with their “reasonings“ and only became MORE disillusioned and worried for the HERD, the more I read… However, I did NOT find an estimated population COUNT mentioned for this current spring ; very important after another pretty harsh winter (that seems to be hanging on & on in the mountain areas there). Do you know and/or have a current listing of the herd members, which you could share ??
I attempted to contact the BLM Billings office to ask WHY the notice gave only 10 short days for PUBLIC comment (which has to be delivered via hand or mail) which effectively gave only 6-7 days all together ~ and I’d planned to DEMAND at least the 30 days stated by BLM “policy“ ~ I was NOT able to get through for an answer ! (once someone answered phone and put me ON HOLD, never to return….Grrrrr !)
As I’m sure that most of you know, I found only a small handful of times in which the HERD has actually been taken under the ridiculous AML #, even with extensive removals ! And below “lowest“ AML only after the 1978 die-off. Thus, do these two shockingly drastic moves truly mean that we will Only see a potential 5-6 foals per year and very FEW (if any!) horses under age of 4 years in the near future ?? I cannot comprehend HOW they could believe that the few mares within age 5-9 could have their fertility –be DIALED up or down within a total range of 14 Each and every year ?! (that is, IF/when our HERD eventually drops below 100 {and the wording even INCLUDED foals ! } ? ). Don’t you suspect this to end up as disaster? Because I cannot see how it could not…
One fact that I noticed (analyzing #s 2-3 years ago) was the overall AVERAGE population = about 147, since 1971 ! ~ and in several official documents before 2005, the carrying capacity was stated to be actually *149*! Therefore, a “thinking human“ might surmise THIS as a APPROPRIATE ML.? Especially, as Linda mentioned : with Administrative pastureland returned to the HERD, as they were always entitled to that forage (not the BLM fencing teams). Has this area Been returned to them NOW ; her comment seems to imply that it IS ?
And I am Doubly SICK that I have never been able to realize my DREAM of travelling there; even If/when I do… I will have no possibility of seeing IN their natural BAND & reproductive state ! …only this highly intrusive, nearly farm-selective-breedIng HERD ~ IF they and I manage to last that long ? 🙁 🙁 🙁
I additionally saw that BLM still posts an UN-signed regarding the PZP selective breeding plan. So, was that NOT yet accepted ?? And is there ANY method of calling it OFF, now that BLM has turned around to stab us in the back with ADDING this disastrous removal on tOp ?
I meant : an UN-signed FONSI.