Tuesday, September 28, 2010

"There Are No Secrets at Indian Lakes"



On June 9, 2010, BLM closed the facility on Broken Arrow ranch in Fallon, Nevada, locking wild horses in and the public out.
Since then, horses from the Calico Mountains, Tuscarora, Twin Lakes, Ely and other ranges have been corralled, castrated, and processed there. And they've died.



Many of us have requested public viewing of the wild horses and most have been denied. BLM's John Neill and Dean Bolstad have refused my requests because:
1) Indian Lakes isn't a public facility, but an overflow facility on private land
2) Visitation ceased because of the associated workload
[America's horses should be on rent-free American acres & beyond asking questions & taking in two horses -- I don't think I've interfered with chores]
3) Indian Lakes is not unique in infrastructure, animal viewing opportunities or health/handling protocols and the Palomino Valley is more convenient to visitors.
Indian Lakes may not be unique -- BLM updates showing deaths from routine gelding, and horses "found dead" "reason unknown" makes me wish it were -- but the mustangs are individual creatures.
Wild horses are tough. They take care of themselves in the wild, but they cannot when they're captives. One vet can't check -- let alone doctor -- thousands of horses. BLM staff, for many reasons, don't check wild horses carefully enough to notice injuries, disease, even starvation.
The public sees wild horses with fresh eyes,even when it hurts to look.
If we'd been at Palomino Valley instead of Indian Lakes, suffering foals with hooves sloughing off, with broken bones, with no mothers to nurse them, would be BLM secrets because they do not exist in the world of BLM until they are branded.
If we'd been at Palomino Valley instead of Indian Lakes, respiratory disease, draining pus pockets and facial injuries would have been treated as business as usual.
Because we're locked out, we can only guess at the welfare of foals born at Indian Lakes.
In a recent email, Dean Bolstad told me "There are no secrets at Indian Lakes."
But this year has proven I'd be a fool to take BLM statements on faith.
The Department of Interior won't open the gates to the wild horses, but they can open them to the American public.
BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program Chief Don Glenn has the power to
RE-OPEN Indian Lakes. Ask him to open the gates: Don_Glenn@blm.gov























Cat Kindsfather,Elyse Gardner, Laura Leigh photos from Indian Lakes January-June 2010

Labels: Broken Arrow ranch, Dean Bolstad, foal death, Indian Lakes, John Neill, secrets

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Posted by Terri Farley @ 10:25 PM

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Comments: Are you saying, Ms. Farley, that it is impossible for the public to view wild mustangs in their natural habitat whatsoever?? Is that legal? Doesn't that infringe on our rights?

Rach
  I had no idea they actually closed facilityies to the public. I'm not to surprised though...

At LEAST let us see them. We can't stop the round-ups YET! But at least let us have a look at them! It's outrageous, really.

-Kayla
(-Young At Heart)
  Rachel you can go to the Pryors. It's a ong drive and really you should plan for a day or two stay. You can camp either at Penn's or (shoot I forgot the name of the other cabin). It's first come first serve. You go up Crooked Creek Rd. It's offroad driving. You definitely need a 4 wheel drive.

But you can see Cloud and all his family. You should do this soon cause if BLM has its way they won't be there much longer.
  The BLM has not locked down the range, but they have purposely leased private land and used that as an excuse to keep Americans from seeing the mustangs held captive there.
So many people have emailed me, asking what they can do to help, I'll be updating this blog entry asap.
  Nice work Terri. So many people are totally unaware of the public closures, where exist our captive mustangs, and other unfair, inhumane and possibly illegal issues that are business as usual, for the BLM.

The private land leases, and private land traps in roundups, have been an excuse to bar public observation for too long. Lets face it Terri, I believe the bad PR is what closed tours at Broken Arrow.

No matter how many times Dean may say ONE VET, and BLM staffing is enough to watch over thousands of imprisoned mustangs in different locations, I will never buy that. Your collection of images shows that to be true. Though many horses did make it into the sick pens @ B.A., (several being on advocates alerts) many more did not, and the neglect and oversights were sadly obvious. What better way to stop the negative discoveries by advocates on tours, then to block them entirely! If you remember, when the Churchill County Sheriff did the investigation, news crews showed up unannounced, and that definitely proved very disturbing to the family who lives there, that leases to BLM.

Another argument by BLM Deputy Division Chief, Dean Bolstad, has been the drive from Reno, and extra incurred cost on the weekend to staff a tour. Yet they recently hired new PR, security and other staff for their agendas. Considering the costs of roundups and captive care, the cost to book a weekly tour with staff is peanuts comparatively.

I am pleased that some of my images can support your blog information.
  You don't have to go to Montana to see wild horses. But it is getting much harder to find them! And, you may not get that soulful pleasure so easily anymore. Our landscapes are being raped, thousands of mustangs chased out by helicopters, just this year!

Let your voices be heard now, before its too late!
Save America's mustangs!!!!
Terri, please list the numbers to call, addresses and all ways to let our voices be heard. Thanks!
  Following BLM to a Twin Peaks Roundup, the dry and dirty road billows a dusty veil in front of us, blurring our vision, much like the smoke screen they normally shroud us with.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28171983@N08/5035591831/

I must say though, that the BLM personnel on observation site, was polite enough.
  .........Great Terri! Appeal to Don Glenn!
But will he respond fairly to the public and force open the slammed doors on visitations at Broken Arrow?

Whatever it takes, we need to see our horses that are forced to be there, ripped from home and family structure. And, who is showing them love?
Zip, nobody!

Time to can the private land excuse and make it illegal to use this as a tool, to block public from seeing them! First amendment rights should apply in all situations, regarding the horses and burros!
Thank you Terri.
  Hello from Anna:

My comment is: I think the Roundups were closed to observors; and I know Indian Lakes was closed to observors; but I think you can go onto Public Land to see the Mustangs and Burros; I think the worst thing is; as someone said; the Mustangs are getting less and less; so harder to find on Range...

Keep the Faith...Anna Wahpoose
  Hello Mrs. Farley; Anne/Conn./usa

Concerning the pix above of the "animal abuse at Fallon; etc.

specifically the last pix on page

of a very thin brown colt...with a dislocated shoulder...QUESTION:

IS THAT FEATHERS THE FOAL? Curious!
  Yes Anne, that little foal was Feathers.
  oh hi Terri; thank you for your reply about Feathers the foal...

I wanted to make sure before I send the pix to my Congressman to show him the abuse I am telling of

the foal roamed the corrals alone; not finding his mamam; not finding any hay...this should shut the blm for good; onve Rep. Himes sees this

thanks dear; Anna ps hugs to HB!lol
  katzkindfather wrote:
Another argument by BLM Deputy Division Chief, Dean Bolstad, has been the drive from Reno, and extra incurred cost on the weekend to staff a tour. Yet they recently hired new PR, security and other staff for their agendas. Considering the costs of roundups and captive care, the cost to book a weekly tour with staff is peanuts comparatively.

A: oh i see; the blm has enough cash to truck Mustnags from NV to the East coast and back again...

but not enough money to hire staff?

B.S. and that is not a bachelor of science degree ! anna wahpoose
  I live in Tonopah, NV. I always saw healthy wild mustangs on the way to Ely. I would off road my truck to get a closer look. They were beautiful. by 2006 I did not see any on the way there! My travels take me to Reno for the last 6 years at least 20 times a year.. Going North I have not seen any! I have seen wild horn sheep around Hawthorne, and Walker Lake areas.
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