Monthly Archives: March 2014

“Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.” – Aesop

Deception works well. Our reasoning profoundly complacent when necessary. Often deception, or misinformation, is quite beneficial too some. Although, often those individuals who remain on the receiving end of deception, their life difficult at best, in some cases life-threatening.

To America’s Wildlife, sadly, deception leads to their extinction. It is not until deception becomes overpowering, in another words effecting directly far more than just a few, that it is then noticed.

In this case we look at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and what is refereed to as the “87 percent Deception.” Here’s the problem: There exists many decisions, monetary and land usage, based on this 87% of Nevada land that supposedly is Federal Lands, in which a majority belongs to the Bureau of Land Management. But the fact is, and millions upon millions of dollars later – THE STATEMENT UNTRUE!

Bureau of Land Management Deceptions Significant – Horses and Taxpayers Lose Again

BLM deceptions over this situation, like many other of their deceptions to bilk money from taxpayers, often turn into profit for favored friends, corporations, et al. Those involved are a select-few Special Interest groups, corporations, and welfare ranchers. These people use Public Lands to their advantage, most often illegal or through misrepresentation of fact.

“Sometime during the second Bush administration, BLM re-formatted its report and the GSA apparently stopped keeping an inventory of federally managed lands in the states accurately,” said State reference librarian Mitch Ison, who has tried to nail down an accurate current figure for references.“

“Unfortunately in 2001 the BLM revised its longstanding federal/state lands table … Explanations are provided; however, I still can’t make any sense of the table. . . The upshot is that no one, as best we can tell, knows how much public land there is in Nevada now,” Ison states.

The major problem still exists today, there is far less Federal Lands than what is stated as fact, by not only the BLM but everyone else that quotes the 87% figure as a truth. Deception? Absolutely, and for many reasons, that also include taxpayer money support. Fraud? Absolutely, as the deception has been found to be quite applicable and profitable by those in Nevada as well as those in the BLM, and also those who contract with the BLM.

Meanwhile, ol’ 87 percent Deception keeps rolling along – for money, for election rhetoric, for profit, for taxpayer stipends and grants, and it continues – The BLM political machinery in motion, nothing more than smoke and mirrors. So because BLM “says so”:

State of Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioner/Commission Policy Number 33: “Even though approximately 87 percent of Nevada is public land, access to many, if not most, of the fishable waters of the State is controlled by private land.”

“Nevada Facts” posted on Nevada Legislature website: “87 percent of Nevada’s land area is federally controlled.”
U.S. Justice Department website/District of Nevada page: “Approximately 87 percent of Nevada’s lands are owned and managed by the federal government and its agencies, including the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Department of Energy, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”

U.S. Sen. Harry Reid news release/June 11, 2009: “As the federal government owns more than 87 percent of Nevada’s land—making it non-taxable—counties rely on PILT [payments in lieu of taxes] money for essential services and improvements.”

University of Nevada, Reno, proposal for shutdown of Department of Animal Biotechnology: “Key elements of the program can be preserved … to fulfill the rangeland management program which is important to ranchers, mines, and agencies responsible for the 87 percent of Nevada land held by the federal government.”

A Wikipedia figure demonstrates how easily false information can spread in this computer age. In its main Nevada entry, Wikipedia reports, “Approximately 86 percent of the state’s land is owned by the U.S federal government under various jurisdictions both civilian and military.” It attributes this information to a “Nevada Bureau of Land Management.”

There is no such agency, an error. . . But as a result of that entry, there are now dozens of websites such as Answers.com and WetlandResearch.com that have lifted the erroneous information from Wikipedia and also attribute it to the same non-existent agency. . . and on and on and on it goes, the costly deception. Time for Taxpayer’s to Wake Up!

Some people have actually wanted an updated figure, but plenty do not. There are those who have a political stake in keeping the number high, which may be why it has remained one of the state’s most persistent myths.

“It’s a way of characterizing the federal government seriously. They don’t want to find a lower figure. Going with low figures doesn’t serve their purpose,” Ison says.

This same situation becomes relevant when we discuss, for example, the Wild Horse and Burro Program, which is managed by the Bureau of Land Management; or the Welfare Ranching situation, extremely dishonest and extremely deceptive (BLM Speak is a well noted sarcasm directed toward BLM employee’s); or the oversight of mining operations for safety and honesty, but is dishonest, unsafe to the public, and deceptive – and Oh so much more. There is a lot of misinformation (BLM Speak) given to the public by BLM employee’s, and becoming more and more well-referenced, similar to the “87 percent Deception” that still continues today.

Bureau of Land Management has a long history of Deception – Decades:

U.S. Agency Accused of Inflating Land Appraisals
December 20, 2001 | TOM GORMAN, TIMES STAFF WRITER
The Bureau of Land Management has come under fire from government auditors and two watchdog groups for conducting real estate appraisals that benefit private landowners at the expense of taxpayers. Auditors for the Interior Department, which oversees the BLM, found that a senior official may have compromised the agency’s integrity by adjusting appraised land values so they would be “acceptable to landowners.”

Controversial Wild Horse and Burro Auction Called Off
October 8, 1998 | ANTONIO OLIVO, TIMES STAFF WRITER
Worried about negative publicity that comes with allegations that some of its federally protected animals have wound up in slaughterhouses, the Bureau of Land Management’s “Adopt-a-Horse or Burro Program” has indefinitely postponed an appearance at Pierce College. The adoption program, designed to find homes for roughly 42,000 wild horses and burros roaming in the western United States, canceled its plans to be at the college Oct.

As many Wild Horse Advocates know, and acknowledge, in 1998 there were in excess of 2,000 arrest warrants issued, Felonies, naming that number of BLM employees and private contractors with BLM, with 1,875 Misdemeanor Warrants ready to be issued as well – called off the night before by legislative person’s unknown, and by others in political office who were believed to be involved.

It is believed that today many of those named in arrest warrants at that time still are employed, within management and supervisory positions. . .

Probe of Wild Horse Slaughter Derailed
March 23, 1997 | MARTHA MENDOZA, ASSOCIATED PRESS
A federal grand jury has collected evidence that shows U.S. government officials allowed the slaughter of hundreds of wild horses taken from federal lands, falsified records and tried to prevent investigators from uncovering the truth. The chief prosecutor and grand jury foreman in the investigation wanted to bring criminal indictments against officials of the U.S.

BLM Program for Wild Horses
January 14, 1997
Thank you for your coverage (Jan. 5) of the stupidity and deception (my words) of the Bureau of Land Management and its multi-million-dollar effort to save wild horses. I find it repugnant that a government agency paid to administer a well-intentioned program not only violates the public trust, but profits from it. In the BLM’s $16-million-a-year program, about 90% of the horses, most of them young and healthy, are not saved, but go to slaughter. The government spends up to $1,100 to round up, vaccinate, freeze brand and adopt out a horse, but adopters pay only $125 (or sometimes as little as $25).

New Discoveries of Slain Horses Spur Investigation
June 9, 1989 | KENNETH REICH, Times Staff Writer
New discoveries of wild horses and deer slain in a rural section of Nevada near Great Basin National Park, allegedly by the employees of ranchers seeking to protect their grazing land, have spurred a fresh federal-state investigation. A federal grand jury in Las Vegas has issued subpoenas for six White Pine County residents, and two rifles suspected of being used in the killings have been confiscated, as a result of the inquiry by at least four agencies, according to law enforcement officials in the eastern Nevada town of Ely. Although an informant reported that as many as 400 horses and 200 deer had been killed, only 28 carcasses of slain horses and 20 of mule deer have been recovered, authorities said.

CONCLUSION

It becomes quite obvious, and over the years, that the Bureau of Land Management manages America’s Public Lands and Wildlife by deception, which promotes illegal situations. This attitude is to hell with the American Taxpayer. It includes their fraudulent budgets and their programs, that are in reality of no benefit to the American Public.

The elements as a whole demonstrate not only deception, but the BLM’s deceptive activity has been spread over decades, and remains consistent – costly – and most often illegal. If “Ignorance of the Law” is no Excuse” then how is this government agency and its employee’s still responsible for our Public Lands and Wildlife, still within government service, or better yet, not in jail?.

But worse, their deception, both the BLM and the Department of the Interior, has become quite costly to taxpayers, certainly within the trillions of dollars spent over the decades. Their decisions based on lies, innuendo, misinformation, and deceptive science. . .

What government agencies, like the BLM, have forgotten, and those who work there, is that they are paid to manage our Public Lands, and to protect not only our lands, but the environment and wildlife as well. They are not paid to be corporate-clones or welfare ranching management personnel!

It is past time for change. The BLM and DOI no longer uphold any type of ethical standards or boundaries to operate as a source to preserve America’s Public Lands. Many American’s are now calling for these agencies to be downsized; with many taxpayers demanding legislator’s to get rid, in total, of such out-of-control agencies as the BLM.

References:

Corruption of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management
http://truthsayer-esther.blogspot.com/p/corruption-and-undue-sovereignity-of.html

The BLM’s Corrupt Coal Leasing Program Billions in Subsidies to . . .
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/06/22/504322/the-blms-corrupt-coal-leasing-program-billions-in-subsidies-to-peabody-gigatons-of-carbon-pollution-for-the-rest-of-us/

A Positive Debate for Disbanding the Bureau of Land Management . . .
https://prophoto7journal.wordpress.com/2014/02/05/a-positive-debate-for-disbanding-the-bureau-of-land-management-and-breaking-apart-the-department-of-the-interior-an-editorial/

Wild Horse Roundups from Public Lands Unnecessary Due to Misinformation and Criminal Conduct
https://prophoto7journal.wordpress.com/2014/02/08/wild-horse-roundups-from-public-lands-unnecessary-due-to-misinformation-and-criminal-activity/

BLM versus American Taxpayers – The Ugly Truth . . .
https://prophoto7journal.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/blm-versus-american-taxpayers-the-ugly-truth-is-just-too-much-and-taxpayers-being-taken-for-a-ride-by-blm/

An Inner-View: BLM Spending and the Wild Horse Herd Rounups . . .
https://prophoto7journal.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/an-interview-government-blm-spending-and-the-wild-horse-roundup/

“Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with our Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ― Aldo Leopold

Ya know, when we discuss the improprieties of the Bureau and Land Management (BLM), or the Department of the Interior’s (DOI) bad management, administration, and waste of taxpayer’s money, we are not discussing a Conspiracy. Nope, we are discussing their bad decision making; which is compounded by bad financial choices; which is directly attributable to vented and special interest group appeasements; which is directly attributable or manipulated by political agenda’s. Also often based on bad science and research as well as manipulated data, as the excuse to the public for the obvious costly and awkward decisions made . . .

The problem is — rather than frugal or legitimate scientific-based decision making, America’s government agencies have been invaded by corporations and non-profit groups with narrow special interests only. This is a big problem within our wildlife and environmental community because of this situation. The result is bad decisions, wasting life and lands follow.

After all, American’s pay for legitimate Environmental and Wildlife decisions based on “Good Science” – which by the way is the Department of the Interior’s Mission Statement as well as it’s subordinate government agencies (note: taxpayer’s pay research scientists maximum amounts, which supposedly attracts the talented people – sadly, who can be paid off as well). So why on Earth do they not do this?

When I speak about scientific research of our environment and wildlife, I speak of legitimate research. This includes knowledgeable aspects, by the researchers involved, of proper data gathering (i.e. explained within the technical report within the how-to section), the fulfillment of the data gathering (i.e. also explained within the technical report’s, and along with difficulties in some instances), non-subjective research and perusal of the data gathered, which culminates in the technical report presented to the public — an honest overview of the data and what it means. . . Any other type of research is and remains unqualified to become trustworthy information to make legitimate decisions upon.

IN THE MATTER OF WILD HORSES AND WOLVES (the wild horses information an added highlight within the data gathering in most of these reports):

The following study involved 42 Scientific reports–of quality, and throughout the USA and other countries and involving Large Predators’, e.g. horses, wolves, bears, et al. . . in the Wild. . . :

“These issues do not just affect the United States and a few national parks,” said William Ripple, an OSU professor of forestry and lead author of the study. “The data from Canada, Alaska, the Yukon, Northern Europe and Asia are all showing similar results. There’s consistent evidence that large predators help keep populations of large herbivores in check, with positive effects on ecosystem health.”

American’s have to ask the big questions of our Legislator’s, and to our government agencies. With all the scientific data, and technical reports stating Predators in the wild are needed, then why in the hell does our government agencies support the withdrawal of some predator’s from the Endangered Species List, to be hunted and killed – this at the sake of our future wildlife, our future environment, and at an extremely high cost to taxpayers?

Well, the answer obvious – Welfare Ranchers distribution of false information and outright lies about America’s Wild Horse Herds (Big AG involved as well with their Lobby demands); Non profits such as the Safari Club International that wants to do nothing but kill endangered species, to include wolves, to brag and mount them on their living room or office walls, so they go along with the lies of the welfare ranchers in the US; Then we have Big AG, that since the decline of beef use, want to place more cattle onto Public and Private Lands for foreign sales, and to hell with the upcoming destruction of America’s lands and to hell with the public at large when profits are involved. The same with oil interests, mining interests, and energy interests.

Oh, there exist no humane or human interest listed here! That is because that simply no longer is of value or counts as far as our current BLM or DOI are concerned! Disgusting, isn’t it!

Good Science Clear

In ecosystems around the world, the decline of large predators such as lions, dingoes, wolves, otters, and bears is changing the face of landscapes from the tropics to the Arctic – but an analysis of 31 carnivore species (published in the Journal of Science) shows for the first time how threats such as habitat loss, persecution by humans and loss of prey combine to create global hotspots of carnivore decline. At the same time we see a decline in the overall environment as well as the smaller ecological systems dependent on all animal and plant species within these unique systems.

More than 75 percent of the 31 large-carnivore species are declining, and 17 species now occupy less than half of their former ranges, the researcher’s reported within their technical papers. Hunt clubs and non-profits look forward to killing these now limited species for trophy and bragging rights; Animal Advocates and Environmentalists see this statistical data and frown, concerned over the loss in the “Chain of Life” circumstance, and sadly acknowledge more will be lost than the obvious; the human spirit and soul of animals and humankind alike will be lost also.

It is clear, due to several reasons, to include the arrogance of our government agencies in cooperation with such groups as the Safari Club and other hunt and caged-hunt situations that Southeast Asia, southern and East Africa and the Amazon are among areas in which multiple large carnivore species are declining quickly. With some exceptions, large carnivores have already been exterminated from much of the developed world, including Western Europe and the eastern United States.

“Globally, we are losing our large carnivores,” said William Ripple, lead author of the paper and a professor in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University.

“Many of them are endangered,” he said. “Their ranges are collapsing. Many of these animals are at risk of extinction, either locally or globally. And, ironically, they are vanishing just as we are learning about their important ecological effects.”

Subjective Reasoning a Danger to America’s Wild Life

Ironically, the fact that an animal is endangered is of no consequence today. Again, we see such organizations as the Safari Club International and other hunt clubs and guided services, to receive permits to “Kill” animals on the Endangered Species List; yes, even to extinction.

There also is evidence, through legitimate scientific research, that document impacts of Cougars and Wolves on the regeneration of forest stands and riparian vegetation in Yellowstone and other national parks in North America. Fewer predators, this research has objectively found, leads to an increase in browsing animals such as deer and elk. More browsing disrupts vegetation, shifts birds and small mammals and changes other parts of the ecosystem in a widespread cascade of impacts.

Resolution

Animal Advocates and Environmentalist’s alike must call for a deeper understanding of the impact of large carnivores on ecosystems, a view that can be traced back to the work of landmark ecologist Aldo Leopold. The classic concept that predators are harmful and deplete fish and wildlife is outdated. Scientists and wildlife managers need to recognize a growing body of evidence for the complex roles that carnivores play in ecosystems and for their social and economic benefits.

Another significant fact remains also, that science predicated on manipulated data and political agenda, is simply not acceptable practice any longer. It is shown time and again quite costly to the taxpayers, wildlife, vegetation, and humans alike.

“Nature is highly interconnected,” said Ripple. “The work at Yellowstone and other places shows how one species affects another and another through different pathways. It’s humbling as a scientist to see the interconnectedness of nature.”