Monthly Archives: November 2012

We find not only the BLM’s (Bureau of Land Management) and DOI’s (Department of the Interior) research and scientific data compromised and erroneous, but often manipulated and formed into purposeful misinformation for several reasons.  This includes the worst types of political agendas as well as bias toward less than 00.1% of the population in America.  This leads to many disturbing situations.

Ethics and BLM / DOI Employees

One situation, sadly, is the fact that Wild Horses are crippled and even killed.  Yes, the count up to this point is many Wild Horses killed.  Just as sad, the killing of the horses, during roundups (approved by outright lies combined with bad-science) and those sent to slaughter, are based on this same stream of continuous and fraudulent information.  This is what the BLM and DOI refer to as their Science or Range Management Data.  These are the types of people who manage both the BLM and DOI.

BLM and Bad Science

This bad-science contradicts their policy, and legal guidelines toward their methodology of assimilated scientific data.  The DOI Policy for the Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly Activities states its central policy as:

§ 3.4 Policy “The Department… will not tolerate loss of integrity in the performance of scientific and scholarly activities or in the application of science and scholarship in decision making…”

As detailed above, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) staff and Department of the Interior (DOI) staff has set aside recovery criteria and designation of suitable habitat based upon the best available science in favor of what is termed, Welfare Ranchers who acquired preferential grazing permits on Public Lands.

Further, BLM and DOI allowed:

1. The politics of a Cattlemen Lobby Group to suggest and make decisions contrary to proper Wild Horse and range management;
2. Mr. Salazar – Current Director of the Department of the Interior and oversees the BLM and the Wild Horse and Burro Program – questionable Ethical Conflict and more, who is a Rancher, owns ranches and has many Rancher friends, maintains blatantly bias principles and ideologies against America’s Wild Horse Herds and environment/ecosystems (i.e. cattle only) and remains quite costly;
3. the Wild Horse and Burro Program’s Consultants, who are all Ranchers and horse breeders and selected to the Consulting Board due to their bias “Same Objective to Salazar” ideology, which unethically dictates a non-positive criteria or habitat could be even considered for America’s Wild Horse Herds and Ecosystems, remains extremely bias (cattle only on Public Lands) with political agendas contrary to the health of our environment and wildlife;
4. the BLM staff also conducts their daily routine, research, and data gathering in accord with, consulting with, and favoring overwhelming bias with what is termed Welfare Ranchers — those ranchers who are private or corporate owned, hold current grazing permits and on Public Land;
5. BLM staff, in several areas, have access to information and/or have made friends with those hired by Welfare Ranchers to Shoot Wild Horses on sight (via witnesses collaborating events) which are Felony in accord with Federal Law;
6. BLM staff have knowledge of, for example, a Wild Horse (e.g. Branded BLM wild Horse and owner brags of capturing and killing) killed and stuffed within a living room of one rancher near Ely, NV;
7. BLM Staff, sells Wild Horses to friends of Director Salazar, a for profit business, and takes them to slaughter into Mexico and/or Canada, costly to taxpayers, profitable for Director Salazar’s friends;
8. More information, both illegal and compromising integrity, available – etc.

In short, America’s Wild Horse Herds management ideology and principles’ has become the antithesis of scientific integrity.  The land management methods and research data gather is centered around profit for Welfare Ranchers, ignoring water standards, ignoring wildlife areas, and ignoring significant Ecosystem and habitat growth and decay, mostly decay to complete ruin, and water polluted beyond acceptable standards on Public Lands.

Public Venting

The policy further requires that scientific findings and conclusions be made subject to public vetting:

§ 3.4.C “ Document the scientific and scholarly findings considered in decision making and ensure public access to that information and supporting data through established Departmental and Bureau procedures…”

In this instance, Environmental Assessment documents were leaked to politicians and selected lobby groups and other friends of BLM and DOI staff and other groups. By contrast, the deliberations between BLM, DOI, WH&B Consultants, Welfare Ranchers, other groups and state agencies in the EIS, EA, or other process situations were kept behind closed door, with no public access to the scientific data until changed within bias parameter.  This information then manipulated directly relating to circumstances more profitable to Welfare Ranchers, etc, conclusions or the standard by which decisions were and continue to be made.  EIS remained corrupt, FONSI access and information either non-existent and/or corrupt.

The DOI rules define misconduct to include:

§3.5(M)(1) “Misconduct also includes: (a) intentionally circumventing policy that ensures the integrity of science and scholarship, and (b) actions that compromise scientific and scholarly integrity.”

§3.5(M)(3) “A finding of scientific and scholarly misconduct requires that:

(a) There be a significant departure from accepted practices of the relevant scientific and scholarly community.

(b) The misconduct be committed intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly.

(c) The allegation be proven by a preponderance of evidence.

In this instance, all actions by subjects of this complaint appear to be intentional rather than the product of mistake or confusion. The intricate interference denotes an acute awareness by the actors of the consequences of their actions with respect to what steps would be taken in current Wild Horse Herd Management and circumventing Ecosystem adjustments appropriately.

As detailed above, the work product of scientific experts reflecting both their collective judgment applying the accepted practices of the scientific community was variously set aside, delayed, skewed or manipulated into irrelevance by the actions detailed above. As a result, the ESA and even NEPA mandates that ecosystem management and recovery planning be based upon best available science was set aside.

The downward adjustment of recovery criteria and the exclusion of suitable habitat on the basis of political and other socioeconomic factors represent significant departures from accepted practices of the relevant scientific and scholarly community. In short, the end result of the NEPA or EA/EIS process was, and throughout the years, meant to reach a politically acceptable pre-determined result regardless of the science.

Finally, this complaint is supported by more than a preponderance of the evidence. Further, we know of no information which contradicts this narrative of events.

Conclusion

The purpose of the DOI Policy for the Integrity of Scientific and Scholarly Activities is to prevent political manipulation of science in precisely the manner in which it has occurred in the case of Wild Horse Herd Management planning and the Public Lands are mismanaged on a continuous incompetent basis.

The ultimate outreach of this situation is misinformed and even questionable research when accompanied by BLM or DOI research and or involvement at any level, to include college research or even other government agencies.

The biggest problem is that American taxpayers pay for all this bogus information.  When this information used, obviously ecosystems and Public Land Management suffers.  So taxpayers pay for the abuse of not only dead horses from the Wild Horse Herds, but ruined ecosystems due to poorly or undervalued plans, which then cost millions of more dollars to repair.  All BLM and DOI research and information must be re-evaluated, otherwise the taxpayers loose, again!

The Law and foundation for an Environmental Assessment (EA)

“The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires the BLM to consider significant environmental impacts prior to approval of actions on public lands. When an activity or action is proposed within the Uncompahgre Field Office, BLM staff conducts an interdisciplinary review of the potential environmental impacts in order to make more informed decisions and identify measures to protect, restore, and enhance the environment.”  http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Information/nepa/ufo.html

Thereby, Public Comment is also required from Americans’ (mandatory for all EA situations) and taxpayers paying for this situation – Then why does BLM staff “Throw-Away” or simply “Ignore” comments from the Public when legitimate questions and debate exist?

The Question:  Is BLM currently developing and generating Wild Horse Herd Roundups in accord to law, to include an appropriate Environmental Assessment?

The Answer:  No – the Bureau of Land Management, under the supervision of the Department of the Interior is not, and remains adverse to Law and to (EA and NEPA requirements) Environmental Impact to the areas they conduct Wild Horse Herd Roundups.

It is also well known that the BLM and DOI do not make a profit (the outright Lie that they do make a profit according to some speculators consider this the reasoning behind allowing such adverse behavior to our Public Lands by the BLM and DOI); rather, they take a loss yearly on expenses and liabilities, to include Welfare Ranchers and Court Costs to name just a couple (Justice Department expenses and Court costs not assimilated within BLM or DOI bookkeeping) and being the most litigated and sued government agency in history.

Problem with Special Interests

It is commonly known that previous ranchers (Ethics violations do exist here) remain substantial within both BLM and DOI administrative and management positions.  This is an obvious conflict, as over the past decade and more, the Welfare Ranching special interest groups (i.e. Welfare Ranchers) have profoundly taken $$$$ millions of dollars of taxpayer money, as well as essentially ruined millions of acres of Public Lands.  Their cost is at $1.43 per AUM for grazing, which is way below current and even past commercial grazing costs.  As well, cost to the Ecosystem, and Ecosystem clean up or improvement is non-existent. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2008076883_grazing28m.html

http://summitcountyvoice.com/2012/05/16/is-cattle-grazing-damaging-public-lands-in-the-west/

This is, and was, accomplished by ignoring the principles’ in conducting Environmental Assessments, no-sustainable management principles in place, with the situation of land management being ignored in total, range management and Ecosystem necessities neglected and ruined our Public Lands, and false blame placed on Wild Horse Herds rather than the actual source – unmanaged and/or simply too many cattle on Public Lands. This is more than displaced Environmentalists vs. Cattle Ranchers situation that the DOI or BLM like to tell legislators, or for others to excuse BLM / DOI lack of management criteria — which both government agencies are paid to manage legally and responsibly, but do not — and still paid by our tax dollars. http://www.ucsusa.org/scientific_integrity/abuses_of_science/cattle-grazing.html

http://ohioline.osu.edu/ls-fact/0002.html

Change in Management Demanded by the Public

There is no doubt a change within management, at both the Bureau of Land Management and the Department of the Interior, which is required to straighten this mess out.  Our Public Lands cannot, environmentally, take any further Special Interest Group manipulation and/or cannot sustain viability under total duress of bad management, absurd political processes, and bias decisions.

The Department of the Interior’s management principle stating BLM / DOI absurd, ridding our Public Lands of Wild Horse Herds (and Wolves by the same group of ranchers, with continuous distasteful lies to the public and supported by BLM and DOI) remains neither a legitimate option, nor has ever been a valid option.  This will prove quite costly in years to come and to the taxpayers of America.  http://www.saveourwildhorse.com/ecosystem.htm

A Retrospect of Our History

Sadly, without a doubt the abuse and slaughter of Wild Horses and Wolves will also be a severe blight within our civilization’s history, especially when considering the treatment of such respected and profound animals necessary within our Ecosystems’.  A disgusting Legacy to leave within our generation — even though it is government sanctioned – Does Not Make It Right!  It is despicable, make no doubt!

The abusive treatment toward Americas’ Wild Life demonstrated by our present government agencies – history will show these people as irresponsible, as future generations of children study this situation in their history class.  They no doubt will ponder exactly how far our civilization had truthfully advanced within humane charateristics and into the 21^st Century!

Yes, the reality is our legislators’ should start considering our Legacy we are leaving for future civilizations to study, and ponder the reasons why!  It is as simple as developing a more humane way of going about business and without such significant and abusive sacrifices!  WAKE UP!