Friday, August 20, 2010

Wild Horses: Delivering Public Comments to the BLM on Adobe Town


On Monday, I had the honor of delivering to the BLM in Rock Springs 3516 comments from people all over the country on the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek roundup.
This is the herd, Adobe Town, that I have followed for 7 years and wrote about in my book, Wild Hoofbeats: America's Vanishing Wild Horses.

How did this come about? This is a good question. For the first time, the BLM refused to accept comments from the public on a proposed roundup EXCEPT by mail or hand delivery. No emailed or faxed comments were allowed - the thinking on the part of the BLM was to prevent being "bombarded" by "frivolous" comments. Comments by the way, that are from the public that pays their salaries. The letters were from supporters of the Wild Horse Preservation Campaign and its coalition partner, In Defense of Animals. Both organizations decided that they wanted to do something and allow the public to have their say about the upcoming roundup of 2000 wild horses and the removal of almost 1600 from their 1.5 million acres home in the Red Desert.
When they contacted me, I told them I would be glad to help, and deliver the letters to the Rock Springs BLM office on the last date comments were to be accepted, August 16.



On my way, I spent a couple of days with the wild horses of Adobe Town, perhaps my last opportunity to see most of them again in the wild before the roundup.



As I headed out to the horse range on Saturday afternoon, I saw a rainbow over the horses range. I took this as a sign that our efforts might meet with a favorable outcome for these wonderful horses.



The first group I saw was the grey stallion, mare, grey two year old and this year's palomino colt - and that new colt had grown! He had darkened up too, and the band was more skittish than on my last visit, but I was very happy to see them again.




Many horses in the area I visited 3 weeks before had moved out of the area, and I also enjoyed meeting some new horses. My favorite encounter was with a grey stallion with bitten off ears who actually drove his mare right toward me so he could get a good look at me!




Just after dawn, I found a large group with primarily greys on a hillside of sage - still enjoying their morning nap, but now awake once they spotted me, and moved off, with a mare with an amazing dreadlock in front.




One band had beautiful colors, and they kept edging closer and closer to check me out. Their stallion ran in front of one of the many thousands of oil pumping stations dotting the area.




Last, a young bachelor who had been kicked out of his band came between me and the band he did not want to give up. The separation of the young colts from their band is a natural one - how much harder and more traumatic will it be for thousands of these horses to be ripped from the only homes and families they have ever known?



I have to hope that we have made enough of a difference through our comments to stop this unnecessary and cruel roundup which is scheduled to begin October 1. Thank you to everyone who participated in commenting to stop this roundup.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/wyoming/article_00cc2b7a-a9ad-11df-9850-001cc4c002e0.html


Wild Horses: Delivering Public Comments to the BLM on Adobe TownSocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

9 comments:

  1. Thanks Carol. You're doing a great job in protecting these wonderful horses. I just don't understand how the BLM can continue these stupid roundups. No wonder they are broke.

    Margaret

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  2. What a load of b.s.! I'm beyond pissed off that they now refuse public comment. As you said WE, the public, are the ones that pay their salaries, and for us to have no say in this is beyond outrageous!!!!!!!!! What can we do, when we don't get to voice our opinions, in any manner?? Thank you though for so generously hand-delivering those letters and for your beautiful photographs. To round up these lovely animals would be truly awful and I hope beyond hope that something will save the day for these creatures.

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  3. I am always so impressed by these horses their beauty and conformation...My feelings on thurs as they rounded up the Stinking Water horses in Oregon to leave only 40, knowing that i was documenting their last day of freedom and life, as a wild and free roaming horse..made me redouble my efforts..and turned sadness into determination. Thank you as always for bringing these horses to life not just a symbol.

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  4. Those are BEAUTIFUL shots! I hope I get out there some day to see them. And for that to happen, they still have to be there! What kind of person looks at beautiful pictures like these and still can call horses 'range rats'?!

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  5. Hope the rainbow is indeed a sign of good fortune for these horses, Carol...as we know they really need a huge turn of events to keep them as they are. Thank you for these beautiful images and your continued hard work to preserve this and all herds.

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  6. Such beautiful gifts from God. Some people really know how to say thank you!!!
    Thank Heaven for all of the wonderful people who try to save them.

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  7. Hey Carol,
    I worked as an archaeologist for the BLM for a long time. I quit. My partner and I have a mare from the Adobe Town Herd and she is truly wonderful...intelligent, intuitive, thoughtful and very generous with her people. Keep going!

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  8. Great blog. Thanks for your untiring work and fantastic photos, and for delivering those comments.

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  9. @ Anonymous:how can BLM be broke when they reside in the deep pockets of the corporate cattlemen?
    This is a great site and I love your passion and tenacity on this gut-wrenching,nightmarish
    procedure.Your photographs are nothing short of stunning

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