Wednesday, July 02, 2008

BLM Must Cowboy Up

Dear Readers,
BLM has rounded up thousands of wild horses. Now, they may kill them.
I'm a fourth generation Westerner, and I live in Nevada, the state with the largest number of wild horses. I've resarched and written both non-fiction and fiction about the West's wild horses. I've witnessed gathers, branding, innoculating and adoptions.
I know this issue first hand and I've stood up for Bureau of Land Management staffers who know wild horses. But the current government has ignored knowledgeable staff members. This government spends huge amounts on helicopter round-ups, but won't fund assessment of range conditions or accurate counts of wild horses.
Check their news releases for phrases like this:
"There are an estimated 33,000 wild horses on the range..."
"Approximately 30,000 wild horses are in holding facilities..."

If BLM doesn't know how many horses are in pens, how can they expect us to believe their claim that there are too many on the range?
Yes, this agency is a victim of the same administration which marches thousands of Americans into the jaws of a financially disastrous war.
Yes, BLM expects its annual $39 million budget to drop to $37 million. They're justified in worrying. But, these funds are often misused and staffers know how and why.
According to Brookings Institution figures, the spare change from one day of the Iraq war could cover BLM's wild horse budget. Monthly, TWELVE BILLION dollars is poured into a war that's magnified the world's hatred for the U.S.
The greedy say conservation of wild horses is an emotional issue. So is art, music, so many worthwhile things that such an arguement has lost its sting.
Besides, the hearts of the world ached for us on September 11th. Many wanted to stand up for us and beside us.
That's changed.
It's worth remembering that hearts worldwide swell at the sight of a galloping wild horse. Many see the mustang as a powerful symbol of America's freedom and spirit.
BLM knows how to fix what's wrong, but some might say, they've got a wishbone where their backbone oughta be.
Generations of Americans hope BLM staff will find their backbones, then cowboy-up instead of bowing to another bloody cover-up.
Sincerely,
Terri Farley

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Posted by Terri Farley @ 8:44 AM

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