“Government agencies are to be held responsible for their conduct, their integrity, and their moral compass of activity. Without holding them responsible, We then find corruption and certainly an agency that neither represents the American Taxpayer, nor is it representative of the Integrity all Americans demand to be upheld and within high regard.” — John Cox, Veteran, Animal Advocate

Conflict does not always lead toward resolution. Although, it is the opposing position that generates better policy, better laws, and better management. In this case, and the subject of this writing, is the Wild Horse Herds that roam our Public Lands.

The Wild Horses on Public Lands situation can be described within a context of ineptness, irresponsible behavior, criminality, abuse, fraud, and tawdry name calling from the BLM and DOI employees and toward American citizens concerned about the Wild Horses — as well, taxpayers being forced to pay for illegal activities; which all definitions highlight the inappropriate and often irresponsible behavior of the Bureau of Land Management as well as its supervisory agency, the Department of the Interior.

A Government Agency Gone Bad

But first allow a little history. This is where the mainline media would displace the wild horses into historical escapades of government rhetoric. Yes, misinformation is plenty about the Wild Horses and their situation. The term: . . . what you do not know will not hurt you, is in error within this portion of America’s Wild Horses and their ongoing history; as it is precisely hurting them, and in extreme proportions — costly in both animal-life and money, and BLM / DOI allows extreme abuse and cruelty by management operations — taxpayer supported.

Within a Report Document (White Paper) entitled Horses to Slaughter, we discover overwhelming criminality and cover-up within the Bureau of Land Management. This particular undercover investigation was as far back as the late 1980’s thru 1991.

“The report is not as much about horses as it is about human integrity. The documents in this report detail the inability of the Department of the Interior to Police its own misconduct. Consequently, the failings reported . . . but are those of the Bureau of Land management (BLM) Law Enforcement program, the Department of the Interior Inspector General and the Office of the Solicitor and Secretary of the Interior, himself.” 1997 April, Horses to Slaughter, Anatomy of a Cover-up within the Wild Horse and Burro Program of the Bureau of Land Management, PEER White Paper Number 14.

The problem? This continues, due to this particular investigation being canceled before many Felony and Misdemeanor Arrest Warrants issued, as a matter of fact the very night before — called off by “. . . someone in high office, as the word leaked out eventually.” And many of those people, named on the Arrest Warrants, eventually assumed Management Positions within the BLM and DOI, and work there presently. And yes, the criminality continued over the past decades, and as outlined below.

This particular White Paper, aforementioned above, was prepared by current and former Special Agents and Investigators at that time. Several were witnesses and participants to the events described in this report. They represent more than a century of Law Enforcement experience.

“The authors of this report remain anonymous in order to avoid further retaliation from the Department of the Interior . . .” (Ibid)

The BLM is responsible for the management of America’s Public Lands, and America’s Wild Horses as well (a very bad Conflict of Interest situation right from the start). Set-asides, called Horse Management Areas, and paid for through taxpayer money, as well as its administration and management virtues, is a regulatory situation governed by Federal Laws. With this in mind, the BLM tolerates, and often facilitates the illegal trafficking and slaughter of America’s Icon — the Wild Horses. This is wiping out not only a provable indigenous species, but of historical and iconic proportions a superior and dignified Western legend – the Horse. The majorities of American’s have, and currently do – other than the BLM and welfare ranchers — respect this heritage.

The BLM has obstructed efforts by its own law enforcement officers to expose commercial theft of Wild Horses, fraudulent adoption schemes, and fictitious “sanctuary” herds, not only to avoid embarrassment, but to also maintain the flow of Wild Horses off the range.

Why should America be concerned?

Our government’s basis, the integrity of our Union, is indeed its beneficial laws of and for the people – ALL the people, to govern our nation. If we, Americans all and include government personnel as well, do not respect these laws, then how indeed is America going to function as a nation, as a people of this world?

So we enter into the current criminal behavior within the BLM, which is quite obvious as well. We can discuss, for example, the where about of $662,000 dollars spent on Gift Cards in 2014, going to fellow BLM employees and others. We can assume, without a stretch of the imagination, Payoffs, bribes, and political contributions were part of this?

The vouchers for this large theft of government money apparently used and within the government voucher computer system, were available at one time; that is, until the BLM started an investigation, and only after the situation published in newspapers. Shortly thereafter, and not so ironic, the vouchers – all of them – disappeared.

“Yes — evidence disappeared. There must not be any crime then,” says Secretary Jewell over at the DOI,” as American’s look on in a “. . . what the hell just happened here . . .” confusion!

Or, we can also go to the Wild Horse Roundups and the Bait and Trap methodology in Oregon, for example. The Bait and Trap methods are used at Murderer’s Creek, and assumed very functional. And yet, at $1000 per horse caught and paid to contractors in 2013, via the BLM/Forestry Inventory of Wild Horses caught, we find in one instance, of many, 29 Dead ($1,000 x 29 = $29,000 spent). We speak with a Government Supervisor there and find the horses did not make it to the Burns Corral, and he did not know of the horses dead, so he says. The fact is they apparently disappeared between the Capture Site and the Burns Corrals.

Oh, the Supervisor was also asked, “. . .well, if your people there, standing at the trap site, and watching them load from the trap site to the trailers, and taking Inventory, how could these 29 Wild Horses possibly disappear from the face of the earth?” In another words, how could the trailers with the Wild Horses make it a few miles down the road, to the Burns Corrals from Murderer’s Creek, without being lost? Well, the answer to this and many more questions like this below.

We can also point out the 199 Wild Horses that died at the Burns Corrals, within a 2 year time period (i.e. $1,000 x 199 = $199,000 spent). Collaborated and confirmed by a documentary video on the Burns Corrals as the subject, and done by the Oregon Public Broadcasting System.

The fact is the BLM is one of the worst – the most corrupt and criminal agency that has ever existed in American History. It has far surpassed all-time lows with extreme lack of integrity, and more sad, morally corrupt.
Further articles within the near future will be completed and will break-down further the criminal aspects and how the BLM/DOI go about their behavior — becoming even much more precise. And our American Justice system and the BLM or DOI Police and Inspector General’s Office does nothing.

Criminality these illegal and unethical situations remain ongoing in the BLM:

1. Theft of Wild Horses during BLM planned or sponsored Roundups and gathers;

2. “Black Booking” of phony Double-Branding of Horses so duplicate branded horses can disappear without a trace;

3. Manipulation of Wild Horse adoptions where one person holds the proxies for a group of supposedly separate adopters, and the horses ALL end up at slaughter;

4. Use of Satellite Ranches to hold Wild Horses for days or weeks and as stopping points on their way to slaughter;

5. Fraudulent use of Wild Horse Sanctuaries’ – ranches subsidized by the Federal Government to care for unadoptable Wild Horses deemed excess and removed from the range – as fronts for commercial exploitation;

6. The fraudulent behavior of “Seeding” satellite and other horse storage facilities with a “Horses in Transit” transport across several western states, to establish Head-Counts for false budgets, with large non-profits involved as well as satellite corrals for very temporary, i.e. often over-night capacity of Wild Horses stolen from Public Lands;

7. The inappropriate use of PZP, defined simply as an experimental drug and pesticide, and used experimentally on America’s Wild Horses, with several organization promoting the use, via conflict of interest as well as violation of many government contracting laws while contracting with government agencies, and operate without regulatory oversight or any legal parameters or boundaries’ what so ever.

Costing America a Fortune in Taxpayer money spent

James Sebastian, accountant/CPA, generated the following from a perusal of BLM expenditure, precisely the Wild Horse Roundups, holding corrals, and shipping:

1. $2.6 Billion Dollars BLM Horse Herd Management of Taxpayer Money Spent;
2. Benefits to Taxpayers while spending taxpayer money = $0;
3. Benefits to Local Area Ranchers/politicians/oil industry accumulative, pay-offs and continuing profit = $12.4 billion dollars and rising.

A small example of Cost to Taxpayers of Contracted Roundups:

The abuse of Wild Horses and actual “Kill” percentage is extremely high for roundups in general, near the value of anywhere from 4% to 16% and left under a covered-up shroud of questionable conduct, with no excuse from the Private Contractor or BLM Supervisory staff, other than a “Go to Hell” attitude when questioned about the over-kill rates. To clarify the situation further as to why they hurry, it is to get the job done, at the horses’ expense or death, as they are paid per horse, and as shown further, incorrect horse counts in their favor. The faster they get done, the more profit they make. Your taxpayer money at work!

February 23, 2011 – Sun J Livestock received $82,648.20 for not even an entire weeks’ worth of roundup;
September 13, 2010 — Sun J Livestock received $82,966.00 for a little short of a weeks’ worth of roundup;
December 6, 2010 — Sun J Livestock received $649,850.20 for a little over a weeks’ worth of roundup;
January 10, 2011 — Sun J Livestock received $1,221,767.90 for about two weeks, if that, of roundup; etc.

Note: These Roundups occur several times monthly, and throughout the year. . . Conclusively what is found within BLM documents is not any “Real” reason to gather Wild Horses through a roundup and management methodology, and then take them to holding corrals. The unnecessary cost, within a cavalier and frivolous spending frenzy of taxpayer money, becomes more obvious. Not included within this document are the theft/stealing of horses for slaughter and private use without adoption; although, it has been stated by several informants that every 6 out of 10, or 12 out of every twenty horses in holding corrals are stolen. (i.e. via White Paper and Undercover Investigation aforementioned)

CONCLUSION

I will leave you with this interview and reference, from the early 1990 Undercover Investigation on Wild Horse Herd Theft – Interview with a BLM / DOI approved government private contractor, and works for them still, to this very day as outlined above on what they make per Roundup:

The illegal activity continues to this day. Below is one of many questions answered by an informant, questioned by one of very few honest BLM Agents. This particular discussion outlines how the BLM’s Private Contractors steal horses, in this portion the Agent asks the informant who is involved in the illegal activity:

“Agent: Is this a pretty good organization? This sounds like something that’s pretty well planned out, it’s a big organization.

Informant: Well, its very well set up, you know. There’s nobody that participates in it that isn’t well known and don’t know what’s going on.

Agent: Do you feel like there’s people inside the BLM that know about this practice, that are a part of this practice?

Informant: Sure. We can’t operate unless they’re standing there.”

(For the entire informative packet and interview see Horses Led To Slaughter, Anatomy of a Cover Up in the Wild Horse and Burro Program, PEER White Paper, Number 14, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Washington D.C. 20009-1125, http://www.peer.org/pubs/whitepapers/1997_horses_to_slaughter.pdf , 1997.)
_________________________________________

For addresses, FAX numbers, and listings go to:
Senators of the Congress:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
Contacting the Congress:
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/