CONGRESS SLIDES TAIL IN THE DOOR

Under the current law wild horses were able to be sold to any buyer and then could be resold to slaughter. Under new amendment May 19, (D)-Rahall, Virginia, reinstated the protection to these great American legacies. The Wild Horse Foundation, located in central Texas, Franklin, will be one of the first under the new protection to receive these now protected wild horses and place these under new adoption procedures. The foundation will help to prevent these from going to slaughter. Every horse that is adopted through the foundation will be micro-chipped as a safety precaution. Micro chipped horses in general are better protected due to the many agencies that are notified, in Texas all 33 brand inspectors and both slaughter facilities are notified immediately. The Wild Horse Foundation is the first facility to offer this protection. These will be on a trial test basis . According to Ray Field, Executive Director of the foundation, "Prevention is the key to protection, knowing that each and every adopted horse will have added protection from being sold to slaughter. Anyone having a wild horse from the foundation and upon inspection if the horse is missing, immediate notification is posted and criminal charges for horse theft are filed." If no one reports the horse stolen but sells or gives the horse to a relative then the Foundation would have no way to track or report the horse as missing. Once a person receives "ownerships, title to the horse they legally own it and can sell, give away or trade the horse to anyone they wish to and we have no legal recourse nor does any agency. It becomes private property.

Old law and adoption, over 10 years of age and 3rd time adoption, could be sold directly to a buyer to the slaughter house. Under the new amendment all wild horses will have federal protection from being sent to or sold to slaughter. Each adopter must sign notification that he/she can not sell or give these to anyone knowing intent that they will be sent to commercial products.

Micro-chipping is done on a per animal request, there will be a fee of $30.00 per horse.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The threat of a trip to the slaughterhouse will no longer haunt the wild horses roaming the Nation's public lands, as the U.S. House of Representatives tonight approved a measure to reinstate the Federal government's humane policy of protecting these animals from senseless death, declared U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV).

          The amendment was championed by Rahall, the Ranking Democrat on the House Resources Committee, and U.S. Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY), with the support of U.S. Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY) and U.S. Rep. John Spratt (D-SC). With the votes of 78 House Republicans, the amendment passed with 249 votes.

          "The very notion that wild American horses would be slaughtered as a food source for foreign consumption abroad has struck a chord with the American people. Tonight, the people's House of Representatives acted on the will of its constituents," stated Rahall.

          The bipartisan amendment prevents funds from being used by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to implement the rider attached to last December's omnibus appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2005 that allowed the sale for slaughter of wild horses. The rider overturned 34 years of federal policy protecting wild horses from the commercial sale for slaughter. Recently, 41 horses were sent to a slaughterhouse as a result of the change in the law.

          In March, BLM Director Clarke testified before the Forest and Forest Health Subcommittee, "We have no legal authority to intervene after the animal is sold and a bill of sale is completed."

          "We prayed that the new regulations would not lead to the slaughter of these animals. But the BLM had no legal recourse to stop those individuals who bought wild horses with evil intentions. This amendment addressed an urgent need for protection," concluded Rahall.

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Kristen Bossi
Press Secretary
House Committee on Resources
Democratic Staff
(202) 226-1736
http://www.house.gov/resources/democrats/

The fight for now is won, however, the sell authority still exist and the over abundance of wild horses still exist.

The BLM still has to come up with a plan this time that allows them to place these living historians of our great country into homes. Some have said that the "sell will continue but now with a better grip on the buyers to prosecute them if they sell them for profit or slaughter. The term profit is the key here, what is profit and how is it different from covering costs and making money. Only the great Houdini knows this answer. For the most part non-profit organizations that enter agreements with the BLM to place these into homes can determine the adoption fess, with in reason. The factors to consider would costs of hay, grain, water and care. This is such a wide change in costs around the country so you will find various levels of adoption fees. We here at the foundation have always made it a choice to follow the lead of the BLM on set fees so that some uniformity exists. You can almost bet your boots that the BLM does dictate the costs of adoptions fees with private organizations but will be watching with extreme prejudice.

Now the BLM, Director Kathleen Clarke has to appoint a few within the BLM to determine a better road to travel this time, no shooting from the hip now. The plan must be concise and detailed and explain almost every scenario that could come up. Two things for sure won't happen again, No Baptist Preachers stories or Indians claiming to do one thing and then do another won't happen this time, the law has laid down the protection.

You can help us by making donations to help ease this cause. There are plans underway to receive many wild horses and burros to help place them into loving homes.

the next paragraph explains how the cattleman have a death grip on the BLM and won't let go, we need to push for public lands to stay public, call you congressman or senator today, voice your opinion, be heard, we're paying the bill so why should cattleman profit from our already spent money.

After an interview this morning on “Air America Radio”, a coast to coast syndicated talk show shed more light on a ever growing concern, Congressman Rahall - WV proposed bill or amendment does not STOP "the sell authority of the new law". If the measure is passed it simply will stop the immediate slaughter of any animals being sold for immediate slaughter. The horses in holding facilities can still be sold to a buyer who then could sell them to slaughter. Questions should be raised, "Will the selling of wild horses and burros solve the BLM ever growing problem of mismanagement?"

We will list these facts for you and you be your own judge and jury to voice your opinion.

Total acres BLM has jurisdiction of 261,761.395. Of these 238,672,057 are permitted for livestock grazing and 34,549,570 for Wild Horses and Burros. (Then why are the cattlemen complaining about wild horses and burros being a nuisance? The cattlemen want it all and I would to at the price they pay to lease federal land.

Total Herd Management Acres (HMA): 34,549,570 (BLM: 29,498,428; other lands: 5,501,142)

You'll like this; the current grazing lease is $1.47 per AUM. (AUM = animal unit month or the amount of forage to maintain a 1,000 cow or her calf for one month. 1 AUM is also equivalent to 5 sheep, 1 horse).

This is even better; the permittees are issued a 10-year permit. Once they have the permit it is theirs, forever. The permit tee can pass it over to their buddy when they finish with the permit.

The current land leases in Texas, 1,000 acres at average $10.00 per acres, or $10,000. for a year. Take this same amount of money and apply it to the AUM according to the BLM and also factor in that in the open range it might take up to 10 acres per AUM = to $1.47 per AUM not acres. Take the HMA acres 34,549,570 divided by 10 = 3,454,957 @ $1.47 = $5,078,786.79. The current BLM budget request $41,000,000.00 to operate. Allow the BLM to have the ability to raise its own money and be self supportive like the US Post Office and we rid the BLM of the taxpayer’s burden. The BLM can now manage themselves.

We must encourage Congress that this is a way to manage the BLM horse adoption program. The BLM will moan and groan it cannot be done, just like the Postal Service, but the US Postal Service did work. Now let’s change the figures for a more realistic approach. The permittees are grazing lands on 1990 prices, so theoretically they are not paying "fare market values". Gas goes up, hamburgers go up, and paper goes up, but not the price for public land permits? Congress needs to realize that this is a cash "cow" business and can make more money leasing the AUM on a per acres basis or even a 5 acres basis. Take the HMA acres 34,549,570 divided by 5 AUM acres not 10 = 6,909,914 at the current rate of $1.47 = $10,157,573.00. While not enough money to support the BLM horse program, the BLM can make it more competitive by charges a flat rate per acre even at $1.47 for the total land. By not creating an AUM to help “one of the good ole boys” could ultimately bring in $50,787,867.00 to manage the wild horse and burro program. This would create cash over flow to support the BLM wild horse and burro program. The Cattlemen’s Association sees a better profit, because it's cheaper to raise the beef, while only 2.7% of the beef is raised on public lands, why are we paying for their business? Make it fare!

There are an estimated 150 cows to 1 horse on public lands; and the cattlemen are saying the horses are over grazing the land and being a nuisance! You do the math! Is this common sense?

Since Senator Burns opened up the wild horse issue (can of worms) under the guise of Senator Harry Reid, we want to open the can all the way and take an objective look at the wild horse issues and suggest ways to help the wild horse and burro program. Congress needs more money and they want to tax us to death, so make Congress aware of the cash-cow they are protecting!

The Wild Horse Foundation suggests this objective; recommend all public land be leased (43 CFR 4100 Grazing and 43 CFR 4130.1 and 43 CFR 4130.2 Leasing) www.gpoaccess.gov under new leases with permittees at a flat rate of $2.50 per acre at 3 to 5 year leases. The total BLM land 261,761,395 acres would bring in an estimated $654,402,859.00. This would satisfy over half of the total BLM budget of $1.3 billion. The land sale in Las Vegas of 2,500 acres @ $250,000.00 per acre = over $625,000,000.00, so now the BLM has $0.00 dollars to request from Congress, but no, the politics are persuaded to make the BLM self-supportive. Talk about the fleecing of America!

New Bill introduced to place the "No Kill-Slaughter Protection for the Wild Horses"

This week, Congressmen Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY) introduced H.R. 297 in response to a last minute amendment by Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) to the omnibus appropriations bill passed late last year that weakens the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act by allowing wild horses to be sold for slaughter. The Rahall-Whitfield legislation would restore a federal prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros.

A public outcry has again begun across the United States over the change in law that now allows the commercial sale and slaughter of these animals, said Congressman Rahall. We need to act before it is too late for thousands of these animals. The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act passed in 1971 as a result of the enormous public outcry against wanton killing of wild horses. Before this bill was enacted, wild horses and burros were shot and slaughtered by the hundreds of thousands for use as pet food or for human consumption overseas. The recent Burns amendment has turned the clock back and set the stage for mass slaughter once again.

This doesn't mean they still can't be sold to make money for the BLM. This just stops the sell-to-be-killed law that was approved in December 2004.

As we have seen many times before that if the public doesn't support this it will not pass.

You must encourage everyone to contact their congressman and senator to support this legislation

If you call the Bureau of Land Management and try to voice your opinion there response will be, " It's not our decision to kill these horses, Congress did it you need to call your congressman. This is another way the BLM can operate irresponsible. Please make sure your encourage them to work with non-profit organization to assist them in adoption.

Buried in a 3,000-page omnibus Federal Appropriations Bill is a provision that revokes federal protection for America’s Wild Horses and Burros.

Over the weekend before Thanksgiving, without any opportunity for review, Congress opened the door to the sale of America’s Wild Horses and Burros recognized by a 1971 federal law as living symbols of our Nation’s spirit to be killed to supply horsemeat for human consumption abroad. The Bill will be signed into law on December 6^th.

The provision which goes into effect January 1, 2005 states: any excess animal that is more than 10 years of age; or the excess animal has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least 3 times shall be made available for sale, without limitation, including through auction to the highest bidder, at local sale yards or other convenient livestock selling facilities.

The administration is pointing the finger at the tens of thousands of wild horses currently held in government pens. What they fail to mention is that these horses were unnecessarily removed from their rightful range at the bequest of special interest groups who run privately owned commercial operations on our public lands (cattle, oil).

By approving the sale of captured horses for slaughter, the provision is giving the Bureau of Land Management a lucrative outlet for round-ups. Specifically:

1. The provision amends the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act to allow the sale of wild horses for processing into commercial products.

2. The provision does not protect pregnant mares or young wild horses or burros.

3. The provision strips from federal law a clause that no wild free-roaming horse or burro can be sold or transferred for processing into commercial products.

The BLM could have an adoption of year-old horses on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with no advertising, and then sell to people at a sale barn.

You can help keep the mustang breed from becoming only a legend that is spoken of with your support. The wild horses and burros cannot speak for themselves and need people like you that can speak out to protect them. They have a right to live!

We encourage you to write your President, Congressmen and Senators that you protest this provision that will ultimately lead wild horses and burros to slaughter. Not one taxpayer voted for this measure and we need the public support to protect the wild free-roaming horses and burros. AMERICA IS NOT FOR SALE!

The Congressional switchboard number is 202. 224.3121, and can be used to reach an office by phone. For a list of members of Congress by State, visit: www.senate.gov and www.house.gov

We are in protest of the proposed bill HCON4568.001 that will ultimately lead wild horses and burros to slaughter.

The wild horses and burros represent a living legend of our American heritage and deserve to live. These horses and burros cannot speak for themselves and we are speaking out to protect them. They have a right to live. The American bald eagle is protected; we need to protect the wild horses and burros in the same manner.

You need to keep the mustang breed from becoming only a legend that is spoken of by negating the provision that will ultimately lead to the slaughter of wild horses and burros. AMERICA IS NOT FOR SALE!

Please make sure you place this letter in there Christmas Card and make sure your voice is heard. If you live in this country your voice must be heard. Shout out now!

Press release: Congress approves Finances to Kill Thousands of Wild Horses and Burros

From: Wild Horse Foundation, Franklin, Texas

The Wild Horse and Burro Act that has protected wild horses and burros since the law passed in 1971 has been jeopardized. Last Saturday, Congress approved a 3,000 page year-end spending bill, which includes a provision HCON4568.001 that approves the sale of Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros. Starting January 1, 2005 any excess animal that is more than 10 years of age; or the excess animal has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least 3 times shall be made available for sale, without limitation, including through auction to the highest bidder, at local sale yards or other convenient livestock selling facilities.

This measure allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) the right to sell, without notice, to sale barns, stockyards and killer buyers. This provision also does not protect pregnant mares or young wild horse or burros. The bill strips from federal law a clause that no wild free-roaming horse or burro can be sold or transferred for processing into commercial products. The BLM could have an adoption of year-old horses on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with no advertising, and then sell to people at a sale barn.

The BLM, Department of Interior, has tried marketing the adoptions but has failed to do their job as prescribed by Congress, which has now put measures in place that will legally authorize the killing of wild horses and burros.

Congress has turned a deaf ear to the public who has supported the wild horses and burros for many years.

The Wild Horse Foundation, Franklin, Texas has an agreement with the BLM and National Park Service to adopt out these wild horses and burros. Senator Conrad Burns, R-Mont., chairman of the appropriations subcommittee that funds the BLM placed the measure into the bill after consulting with Senators Byron Dorgan, D-ND and Harry Reid, D-NV. Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson also voted in favor of this.

The Wild Horse Foundation will be receiving another shipment or wild horses from the State of Nevada on December 1, 2004, most likely being the last shipment since the new laws will go into effect January 1, 2005.

The Wild Horse Foundation, Texas, has an adoption rate of 110% of every wild horse and burro that come to Texas. The BLM, Oklahoma Region office has denied all requests and attempts from the Wild Horse Foundation to assist with finding qualified homes and adopters. Ray Field, Executive Director of the Wild Horse Foundation has sent numerous requests to BLM Program Manager Jeff Rawson, Washington, D.C. and has received no reply from Mr. Rawson. Several requests have gone to BLM Director Kathleen Clark as well and with no reply.

Last year the BLM Oklahoma region adopted out 680 total wild horses and burros. The Wild Horse Foundation has nearly matched that number by adopters who have come forth to help place these horses and burros in loving adoptive homes. The Wild Horse Foundation is a 501(c)3 tax exempt, non-profit organization that operates off adoption fees and donations to protect these wild horses and burros.

If Congress negates the laws that protect our last know living heritage then whom will they kill next? Please write your Senator and Congressman that you will not support this bill that will ultimately lead wild horses and burros to slaughter. These horses and burros cannot speak for themselves and need people like you that can speak out to protect them. They have a right to live!

The Wild Horse Foundation requests that every child, from every school and every horse lover, every taxpayer protest this approval that will ultimately bring wild horses or burros to slaughter. Not one taxpayer voted for this measure and we need the public support to protect the wild free-roaming horses and burros.

(a) IN GENERAL.--Section 3 of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1333) is amended--

(1) in subsection (d)(5), by striking ``this section'' and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting ``this section.''; and

(1) IN GENERAL.--Any excess animal or the remains of an excess animal shall be sold if-- ``

``(B) the excess animal has been offered unsuccessfully for adoption at least 3 times.

``(2) METHOD OF SALE.--An excess animal that meets either of the criteria in paragraph (1) shall be made available for sale without limitation, including through auction to the highest bidder, at local sale yards or other convenient livestock selling facilities, until such time as--

``(B) the appropriate management level, as determined by the Secretary, is attained in all areas occupied by wild free-roaming horses and burros. [Page: H10306]

``(3) DISPOSITION OF FUNDS.--Funds generated from the sale of excess animals under this subsection shall be--

``(A) credited as an offsetting collection to the Management of Lands and Resources appropriation for the Bureau of Land Management; and

``(B) used for the costs relating to the adoption of wild free-roaming horses and burros, including the costs of marketing such adoption.

``(4) EFFECT OF SALE.--Any excess animal sold under this provision shall no longer be considered to be a wild free-roaming horse or burro for purposes of this Act.''.

(b) CRIMINAL PROVISIONS.--Section 8(a)(4) of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1338(a)(4)) is amended by inserting ``except as provided in section 3(e),'' before ``processes''.

PLEASE ACT NOW - SAVE OUR WILD HORSES