Author: Photographer — Journalist

“It’s pretty much a joke how the entire horse program is handled,” says Dale Tunnell, Special Agent in charge of the BLM’s division of Law Enforcement in Santa Fe. “They’ll run one herd into another management area and say it’s overpopulated. Then they’ll take a certain number of horses off the land. The cattle ranchers have a significant say on how those ranges are managed. The managers will do anything to keep those ranchers off their hind ends. The whole purpose is to remove wild horses from the public lands. If they could decimate the herds to where they could die out and become extinct, it would make the politicians and the bureaucrats extremely happy.” Horses to Slaughter, 1993 Investigation

Let’s go back in time.  On December 15, 1971 Congress passed the WH&B Act of 1971.  This was a “unanimous” situation, and as many Senators and Congressmen alike, explained, it was “. . . the will of the people.”  Yes, saving America’s Wild Horses (Equus caballus) and Burros (E. asius) on Our Public Lands, and against ranchers, government tyranny, and ignorant and bias mind-sets – and from going to slaughter or rendering.

The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 92-195 – The Law) described these animals as “fast-disappearing symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the west” and indeed, cowboys are nothing without their horse – and it is the horse, not cowboys, that are the legend – Ironically, right now we have anybody with a cowboy hat, and even pretend to have one, talk about horses – although, many of us see through their contemptful “garbage in – garbage out” mind sets.

America Spoke – Congress listened (how unique), and for very significant reasons.  The Wild Horses on our Public and Federal Land needed protection from scammers, liars, screamers and ranters, corporations, and yes, even non-profits at that time.  Interesting here, as we start to see and understand the “corrupt nature” of our Federal government’s corrupt “Grazing Permit Program”, is that everyone wants their share of taxpayer money, or else.

Both the Bureau of Land Management (i.e. BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (i.e. USFS), as the law shows us, are responsible for administrating this exact Law – Need we remind these government agencies and their employees, America built on this foundation of Law – of responsibility and when Laws Broken, those who do so taken to task – and this Law specifies as to how the wild horses and burros are to be managed. . .

(of particular note: those that told people the U.S. Forest Service (i.e. MODOC Roundup) is not applicable, those people lied to you, corrupt people in corrupt times, who pose as knowledgeable Horse Advocates, and frankly the USFS have always been, by law, within the confines of the WH&B Act of 1971.)

Now, here is where the Act mentioned above gets interesting.  “. . .designed to achieve and maintain “thriving” natural ecological-balance on public lands (Federal lands within this comment was understood).  The current and ongoing management paradigm, unstated, from BLM Range Managers and those in the WH&B Program, assume a status of Single-Species Priority = Cattle, and ignores in total the WH&B Act of 1971 – which is illegal, and also biologically irresponsible and denotes corruption in total.

An Informant (from an Investigation in the early 1990’s)

BLM Agent interviews an Informant on the subject of stealing horses from the BLM Wild Horse Herd Roundups:

“. . . 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. . .” Investigation, Horses to Slaughter

Misinformation Lies and Incompetent Counts

Here is where things become even more interesting, especially for Horse Advocates, and simply the facts alone show us “No Need” for breed controls what so ever – rather, there is an extraordinary need for the government legal entities, the Checks and Balance System of Justice, to take over and re-establish this very corrupt government agency, and directly manage the Wild Horses by the Laws already in place and within the WH&B Act of 1971.

So, let’s jump forward, to 1993.  The act required that BLM maintain an inventory of Wild horses and Burros on America’s Federal / Public (i.e. FP Lands) Lands.  Every 3 years a census, and keep this term in mind, as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences (i.e. NAS remains nothing more than government researchers — more special interest corruption, keep this in mind as well) was to be accomplished.

The WH&B Board met every few years, and it is only within the recent decade that they started meeting every few months (see $$$$ waste of taxpayer money), which is “not” defined, nor by regulatory measure, meant to do so, as found within the WH&B Act of 1971.  It has become nothing more than a cash-cow for the people on the board; nor, does this WH&B Board abide by the WH&B Act of 1971, which it was formed to assure the taxpayer’s the BLM / Forestry did abide by the Federal Laws (i.e. Public Law 92-195).

Flawed Wild Horse Counts and Misinformation

In 1993 we find the Wild Horse population to be, as BLM states, 46,500 — although even then we see very telling erroneous figures, and the necessity for Stallions and foals to give birth to more foals, as with the mares of all ages (the BLM employees have always been a joke, so to speak, and yet, extremely corrupt and quite obvious, which brings about many more questions about government integrity, government Law Enforcement, and Laws in general). . . quite clearly, I might add. . . they simply lie – nobody can truthfully be that bad at simple arithmetic. . . and nobody this dumb to assume the average taxpayer in America would consider these “Biologically Impossible Birth Rates” to exist – or do they?

It was also explained, within all documentation back then, that there exists a 15% error margin for the Wild Horse counts, and a 25% margin error on Burros.  We also found no averaging, nor even attempts at considering “Birth Rate versus Death Rate” within their calculation of “census”, nor over the next few decades of doing the actual census / counts.  So, we have very definitive questions, and certainly questions toward the credibility of these “census” figures at that time; and also now, for the matter of credibility, and for the similar reasoning of quantifiable-information and data, that would even come close to an accurate Wild Horse or Burro count.

And here is where we start running across the very questionable history of these supposed “Census” considerations toward the Wild Horse and Burro counts – as we use the term loosely here, as there exists no one, and I mean no research scientists nor accountants, nor statistician’s that will agree, within the slightest, that these counts are any type of “reality” what so ever; thereby, BLM employees only, and their credibility, over decades, simply unavailable and unbelievable – they lie and lie a lot.

Then we go to the 5% to 25% increase of Wild Horses and Burros yearly, so they say.  And within the same paragraph, yes this is how ridiculous this is, they make the statement “. . . depending on the range and environmental conditions, with 15% being a long-term average.  At this rate, the population of wild horses may double every 5 years.”  One cannot make this up, and one also wonders about the qualification on becoming a BLM employee – Nepotism?  Same Church group?  Who knows?  But that is the subject of yet another article, as well.

Wild Horse Population – Guess work and more guess work

Rather than myself ascertain what was said, I will take it off of a report – “. . . may be managed only on lands that existed on December 15, 1971 . . ., (unspecific — so to state they had particular HMA’s assigned is “garbage in – garbage out”, and simply does not exist within the WH&B Act of 1971, unless placed into a copy of it and left unratified) “. . . was estimated at 17,000 animals” (not horses or burros, but their term = animals???)“. . . however, at that time no formal inventory policies or procedures existed to conduct appropriate census populations. . .”

Within this particular discussion we can also look at the laws, “If you file a document that you know contains false, erroneous, or fictitious information or statements, you may be subject to criminal penalties under 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 43 U.S.C. 1212. The maximum penalty is 5 years in prison and/or a fine of $250,000.” From their BLM Legal Handbook –

One can also assume “Organized Crime” taking place – they know the Laws and actually breaking these Laws daily!  But ironically, rather than subdue this paradigm of corruption, BLM employees and administrators very adamant in attempts at conducting a continuous stream of lies, misinformation, and confusing issues – is this purposeful, or just attrition?  Quite obvious they could care less, as they go to court, they lose most often, and yet never change to abide by the Federal Judge Rulings, and very well documented as such – and where are the legislators, or legal entities to keep them in check?

BLM Forestry non-sense and evidence

After questioning many Oregonians, Washingtonian’s, and those in Nevada and Wyoming, we find no one, not one person, would back up these initial figures, or BLM figures from 1993 – and the truth?  In all conversations, neutral people and living at that time as adults, in their minds the counts being way too many horses within the BLM counts, and considered false information, even back then.

So we have, at that time, Wild Horse and Burros “occupying”, a term untrue and very misleading — as if 17,000 horses would “occupy” 43 million acres or in reality simply be .00039535 of one horse per acres ––

The Universal Truth within Biology is birth-rates in the wilds, or as simple science shows us (yes, science always in the way of BLM and Forestry wild horse management situations) moderation of population in the wilds within healthy Ecological Zones does exist – ignored by BLM and Forestry, and devastation of our grasslands and our forests, does exist, but ignored for Special Interests, Pay-offs to District Supervisors and Range Managers alike – and on and on the corruption goes – honesty and ethics simply does not exist within these government agencies – their ethics and morals definitive of taking the Low-Road in life, Corrupt people making a lot of money off the tragedy and backs of America’s Wild Horses –

Breaking up this 43 million acres into each state — in Arizona 4 million acres, in California 6 million+ acres, in Colorado 800,000+ acres, in Idaho 450,000+, in Montana 55,000 acres, in Nevada 19 million acres, in New Mexico 150,000 acres, in Oregon 4 million acres, in Utah 2.5 million acres, and in Wyoming nearly 6 million acres.  Keep in mind 17,000 horses on this entire spread of land – yes, again, this ridiculous and their use of terms to make the wild horses appear as more, i.e. “herds “rather than “bands”, “costly to taxpayers”, or the myths of being destructive or eating everything on our public lands = 43,000,000 million acres – as if millions upon millions of cattle do nothing, and remain harmless –

Yes, BLM and the Forestry very condescending, and their information is more assimilated toward talking-down to the very Taxpayer’s that pay taxes, that pays them – the Reality?  They work for us – their lies extremely childish in many ways, and their outright disrespect toward taxpayers and American’s alike, shown within how they treat America’s Wild horses!  Time for Change within these very Corrupt government organizations!

Conclusion

The growth in the Grazing Permit Budget, at the time escalated 10-fold, where at one time a mere few thousand dollars existed in the Range Land Management Budget and Grazing Permit Program, escalated to $-millions immediately, once ranchers and special interests started to populate the Administrative branches of the BLM and Forestry; whereas, at the beginning, no subsidies — to very little – existed, or went to the Welfare Ranchers holding Grazing Permits; then, escalated to several thousands of dollars, to those who were aware of the government hand-outs, and hardly any per-AUM Unit payment to the BLM or Forestry made at that time – and is still $1.35 per AUM Unit.  Although, these payments simply disappear in the accounting system – with no Procurement Process to assimilate or be held accountable for the money taken into this account, or out. . .

But not only are there many questions here, but the overwhelming bad-attitudes from the government agency employees’ themselves, and toward the taxpayers as well as the wild horses, the growth of the Corruption exponential, dirty-dealings and lies out of proportion and very obvious, and within many other subsidies’, began during this time.

The reality?  The Grazing Permit Program ran-out its usefulness (i.e. to supply beef and lamb product to the Spanish American War, WWI, and WWII, and Korea wars), and was going to be discontinued at that time, as beef was simply plentiful, and taxpayers were also growing tired of funding the Welfare Rancher endeavors, and obtain nothing from them, other than higher taxes.  The discussions within Congress derailed, and the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 become the item of conversation, and even then, ranchers did not want Wild Horses on what they termed = “Their Lands.”

These Wild Horse extinction and slaughter mind-sets existing today within our society, discussed below, seem to run parallel with one another, as the end-result the same – No longer will Wild Horses run freely on America’s Lands. . . Perhaps one can concede that America has lost its last Iconic Symbol of what America is about, and has been the Beacon for the World – which is – “Freedom”, but the reality? Well, it is being sent to slaughter or sterilized out of existence. . . This is very-telling about where we are at, within America right now – Change Needed and Right Now —  John Cox, Cascade Journal

Despite all of the dramatic rhetoric we see, daily now, on wild horse populations on our Public and Federal Lands, the FACTS and EVIDENCE remains quite clear – In Reality, there Exists No Wild Horse Over-population at all and yet there exists people that want to continue Breed-Control programs on Our Nation’s Under-populated species of Wild Horses. The information here speaks from Evidence, their rhetoric speaks from undocumented opinion only, and in the form of sudo-science and outright lies, that simply does not exist at all.

In truth, it is very expensive, this unconscionable “Extinction” mind-set cloaked within the corruption of a government Grazing Permit Program for the Cattle industry, which also promotes Slaughter of our Wild Horses.

What we are finding, currently in early 2019, is an overabundance of misinformed and outright lies about wild horse populations. . . Fly-overs, actually being present on the Public and Federal Lands, as well as consistent observation at several large sites, where wild horses “were” located, we now discover either a low-population of wild horses, as well as many Zeroed-Out completely, of wild horses — a sad fact of our present culture based on mythic lies and ignorance  — many “Horse Bands” on many HMA’s, sadly, do not existent any longer.  Almost an all-telling situation of where America is going, downhill and to extinction, symbolically within the wild horse tragedy as well.

Rhetoric and Lies

We find “rhetoric” in the matters of the “Slaughter-Pipeline” conversation has increased, along with several old and worn out excuses for taking wild horses to slaughter . . . This very ignorant classification of being “Livestock” tells us just how arrogantly our political process, as well as how apathetic our Industrial process has become, and assumes these mind-sets as some type of a reality, when indeed the wild horse is of Nobility, of a Stature that represents what America was built upon. . . and taking its freedom with such profound ignorant ravings that lack any type of proof or truth at all . . . Adverse to what America is, or was, about what so ever.

We also find a major flow of misinformed-rhetoric, and even an odd robotic “canned response” in the use of “breed controls” (i.e. Pesticide PZP one of many others) conversation, and within the “Pro-Extinction” groups, that feel taking them to “Extinction” apparently to them, remains far more Humane than slaughter, or just, in fact leaving them alone and on the range itself; whereas, good legitimate science shows us “Moderation” of all wildlife population develop when left alone over time — (i.e. E.O. Wilson and many others) . . .

Pro-Extinction Groups

Ironic, to say the least, is the fact the “Pro-Extinction” groups apparently assume they are saving the wild horses, even though evidence plentiful that shows that to be untrue – but with no evidence supporting this as any type of fact, other than their rhetoric, is quite telling in the matters of just what type of participation many of these groups and their followers or members take.

Ironically, “Pro-Extinction” groups “canned-responses” never admit the “Extinction Conversation” exists, but statistics, observation, combined with a very steady flow of obvious evidence, serves as a continued reminder, that there is not only a lot of confusion from those who never come out to the HMA’s or range at all (e.g. in the inner-circle of legitimate research and observation, we call these people CPWC’s or Couch Potatoes with Computers), but misinformation on wild horse populations in serious error, and are indeed under-populated — yet Breed Controls used upon them, ironically, as if to save them.

Yes, this is very questionable conduct by people, and ignorance alive and well, as we see it on the increase in America – and yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, their mind-set of saving an under-populated species of wildlife by using Breed-Controls quite telling within its “reality” concept and usage.

Percentages’ and Reality

Percentages of population counts, without evidence of any “Control Point” of authentic statistics-gathered, as a basis toward any percentages used within a management paradigm, which “good research” criteria and process always have and within the starting point of any Field Research, in truth, remains non-existent within all research and from Bureau of Land Management (as history shows quite well) Range Management of wild horse populations; which,  promotes a false-type  of scientific research (often referred to as Malicious Science – political agenda driven or special interest information only) that is and remains not-quantifiable, and not backed by neither reference nor any type of precise evidence that could be used within any moderate decision making process.

Conclusively, this deplorable type of research (which is not research at all) does “not” create or develop any type of future or appropriate management decisions.  This is the ways and means of outright Corruption, and with no oversight, this government agency getting away with it quite consistently over the years – at the expense of taxpayer’s money — and many useful programs for the American Public and taxpayer’s, simply left without budgets, and these useful programs discontinued, to cover this BLM Corruption within our Public and Federal Lands, and within their corrupt Grazing Permit Programs, especially.

All of this, in truth, simply enhance the misinformed “wild horse population counts” given to the general taxpayer, and we still see BLM and DOI and their wild horse counts not only flawed, but extremely exaggerated.  So, taxpayer money used, once again, under very corrupt circumstances, and a lot of it —