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“The truth evades the Bureau of Land Management always, and the title nothing more that an oxymoron = Truth!  But the fact is, management is not what they do at the BLM, no, they are ranchers, despite the Taylor Grazing Act’s attempts to not place ranchers and their special interests in place within a management capacity to oversee America’s Public Lands via a government agency.  So when it was not dismantled after WWII, as the Laws provided, the special interests assimilated into the BLM – A very Corrupt government agency with nothing more than ranchers’ interests in mind!”  — John Cox

So without further statement from myself, I think the following information very significant to acknowledge, and for everyone to know — Marybeth is extraordinary at making difficult items easy to understand, so off we go into the truth of the Pesticide known as PZP — and nothing but the truth.

Sting of the dart: If it were only a sting! Fact: Many wild horses develop an abscess at the dart-injection site.

Bogus ballooning population: Horses are a slow-growth species when it comes to reproduction. The gestation period lasts 11 months, and a mare produces just 1 foal. While an independent study of BLM’s records confirmed an almost 20% birth rate, that study also found that 50% of foals perish before their first birthday. Thus, the effective increase in population from new foals is just 10%. But adult mustangs also die. They succumb to illness, injury, and predation at a rate of at least 5% a year. So, what is a normal herd-growth rate? About 5%, probably less.

Fraudulent figures: The Big Lie of “overpopulation” is the pretext for BLM’s war against the wild horses, and the wild horses are prisoners of that war. It’s BLM’s version of the “Shock Doctrine,” wherein BLM concocted a phony crisis to push through policies antithetical to the Wild Horse Act against the will of The People. There is no overpopulation except on BLM’s falsified spreadsheets. Reviews of BLM’s population-estimates reveal biologically-impossible herd-growth rates. For instance, in Utah, BLM claimed that the Conger herd grew from 156 horses to 285 horses in one year, an 82.7% increase, to which BLM tacked on another 20% by counting the unborn foals — the fetuses. In Wyoming, BLM declared that the Salt Wells Creek herd grew from 29 horses to 616 horses in 6 months (yes, months), a 2,024% increase. BLM’s “data” is chock-full of such preposterous growth-estimates. So, when you hear talk of how the wild horses are reproducing “exponentially,” that’s a sure sign that BLM has falsified the data.

Wild horses are underpopulated: Per the guidelines of BLM’s own geneticist, 83% of the herds suffer from arbitrary management levels (AMLs) set below minimum-viable population (MVP). Low AMLs enable BLM to claim an “excess” in herds whose numbers, even if they were over AML, would still not reach MVP. So being “over AML” is meaningless as well as misleading. But the low AMLs, combined with falsified, biologically-impossible herd-growth estimates, give BLM an excuse to scapegoat those few wild horses for the range-damage done by the millions of livestock that overgraze the public lands.

Whose grass? In fact, it is the livestock who are eating the wild horses’ grass. Some background — the dedicated wild-horse habitats cover only 11% of BLM land. Cattle are allowed to graze about 5 times that much, including within all but 4 of the wild-horse herd areas. Yet in those official wild-horse habitats where livestock are given allotments, the mustangs are restricted to 18% of the forage while the cattle get 82%.

Bogus billion: The wild horses being held in captivity are the “legacy” of former Secretary Salazar’s equid cleansing era, during which he had thousands of wild horses removed from the range. However, the mortality rate of captive wild horses is about 8% a year. So, obviously, since they are not reproducing, their numbers will steadily drop, showing that BLM’s billion-dollar figure for their care is just another Lie. The Wild Horse and Burro program, if run per the minimum-feasible management-model specified by Law, would not cost much at all. BLM does not lack for resources. There are 22 million acres of legally-designated wild-horse herd areas — which BLM previously took away for expediency — that can be reopened as habitat. The horses now held captive can be released to those areas, where the cost of their upkeep will be $0.

Adoptions: Have not declined. It’s just that BLM used to count sales-for-slaughter as “adoptions.” Now, only “forever-family” placements qualify. However, wild horses are not homeless horses. They have a home — where they belong — on the range.

Persecuted predators: Contrary to BLM’s disinformation campaign, wild horses do have natural predators — mountain lions, bears, wolves, and coyotes. But those predators are persecuted mercilessly. The government exterminates what the hunters don’t shoot. However, the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros — Wild Horse Annie’s foundation — notes that even without predators, wild-horse herds self-regulate their numbers, with population-growth in the single digits.

Science and Conservation Center: Is the manufacturer and distributor of PZP / ZonaStat-H. Thus, its information is not impartial. PZP is a registered pesticide that was approved by the EPA for use on wild horses and burros “where they have become a nuisance.”   However, PZP was registered without the standard testing requirements. There is currently a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of the registration, especially in light of studies that have disclosed PZP’s many adverse side-effects.

Shooting wild horses: PZP is a potent weapon in BLM’s arsenal — for its biological warfare against the wild horses. But birth control for wild horses is unnecessary because there is no overpopulation. Why would we contracept herds whose population is inadequate for genetic viability? Why would we contracept herds based on falsified figures? Logically we wouldn’t and ethically we shouldn’t. Further, if PZP were going to stop the roundups, it would have done so long ago for the Pryor Mountain herd, which has been darted with PZP for nearly two decades. Yet roundups have been scheduled there like clockwork every 3 years and, in spite of intensifying the PZP treatments recently, BLM tried to implement yearly roundups until stopped by a Friends of Animals lawsuit.

PZP — the anti-vaccine: PZP causes auto-immune disease. PZP “works” by tricking the immune system into producing antibodies that target and attack the ovaries. The antibodies cause ovarian dystrophy, oophoritis (inflammation of the ovaries), ovarian cysts, destruction of oocytes in growing follicles, and depletion of resting follicles. The mare’s estrogen-levels drop markedly as PZP destroys her ovaries. Ultimately, PZP sterilizes her. Because PZP stimulates the immune system, it ironically works “best” — sterilizes faster — in mares that have strong immune-function. Such mares respond to the anti-vaccine and produce quantities of PZP antibodies that destroy their ovaries. But, conversely, PZP may not work at all in mares whose immune-function is weak or depressed. Those mares fail to respond to PZP. They keep getting pregnant and producing foals who, like their dams, suffer from weak immune-function. So, the PZP pesticide works against the very horses that Nature has best equipped for survival-against-disease while favoring and selecting for the immuno-compromised. Worse yet, radioimmunoassay tests indicated that PZP antibodies are transferred from mother to female offspring via the placenta and milk.

Health-risks to volunteers: As for the well-meaning volunteers who dart wild horses, EPA’s Pesticide Fact Sheet for PZP advises that Personal Protective Equipment requirements include long sleeved shirt and long pants, gloves and shoes plus socks to mitigate occupational exposure. EPA specifically warns that pregnant women must not be involved in handling or injecting ZonaStat-H, and that all women should be aware that accidental self-injection may cause infertility. Unfortunately, PZP’s manufacturer has misrepresented PZP as “so safe it is boring.”   But research shows that PZP is a powerful hormone disruptor. Further, consider the magnitude of the risk — the PZP-in-question is a horse-size dose. If volunteers think PZP is safe, they will be less likely to protect themselves from this dangerous pesticide. Indeed, please note that in the photo accompanying your article, Ms. Bolbol is not in compliance with EPA’s safety-precautions. She is not wearing the required protective gear.

Mengelian experiments: Now, BLM wants to perform diabolical sterilization experiments on these equine POWs to develop a Final Solution to the “problem”. BLM is handing out $11 million for sterilization-studies. The grant money is surely intended to buy loyalty and silence potential criticism from academia. Plus, BLM, a corrupt agency, gets to cloak itself in respectability by affiliating with prestigious universities.

The ugly side of PZP is humane-washed by feel-good features that describe it with humor, sweetness and light. However, the true story of PZP is one of scandal, whose deceit and danger — to both horses and humans — must be exposed. That is the story that needs to be reported. — Marybeth Devlin, Aug 29, 2016 12:15 am (i.e. Editor-Filed by John Cox, The Cascades as pertinent Information for the Public to Know)

Editor’s Note:  The very fact is, we do not need Pesticide PZP for birth control, and the overpopulation situation, when the truth is given, is nothing close to the fabricated and misinformed BLM employees gives to the public at large.  Yes, this corrupt government agency fabricates their budgets, and the last I checked, that is a Federal Felony!  So is stealing Wild Horses off of Public Lands and selling them to Kill Buyer’s, or taking them directly to auction yards!  Yes, many corrupt situations ongoing at the Bureau of Land Management, and it appears perhaps the Department of the Interior gives them their blessing for Corruption as well — America needs to Speak UP . . .

“. . . I found the outgoing trail of the wanderers. It led far up into a ridge into an open place surrounded by a hedge-like growth of ceanothus chaparral. Carlo knew what I was about, and eagerly followed the scent until we came up to them, huddled into a timid, silent bunch. They had evidently been here all night and all the forenoon, afraid to go out to feed. Having escaped restraint, they were, like some people we know of, afraid of their freedom, did not know what to do with it, and seemed glad to get back into the old familiar bondage. . . “ — John Muir Collection, track and locating lost sheep, 300 of them, in the Northwest Mountain Range of the West Coast USA

This simple fact, above all else, known for centuries as a human-nature negative, remains alive and well today. Our mentality toward this certainly awkward comfort zone, spurs onward an ignorance very dominant today in saving America’s Wild Horses as well as saving our Natural Wildlife here in America.

When we look at such factual information, statistics mostly from good research and data gathering, we simply find corruption from many sources. We also find, beyond doubt, corrupt agencies paid for by taxpayer dollars (in tremendous amounts by the way) that supposedly Administer and Manage our Public Lands and forests, but not really – not in truth. Because it is managed for Special Interests Only, and to hell with the average American taxpayer who pays the cost, and who in reality owns America’s Public Lands.

Cattle on Public Lands and Horse Slaughter

When there exists an over-population of cattle, that effect our climate, ecological zones, and even our very existence on this planet, and state horses are a problem – when outnumbered by cattle at anywhere from 120 to 1 or worse as some have pointed out, 560 to 1 – well, America has a problem with Ignorance – especially if it continues. Why we state, clearly I might add, wild horses are not overpopulated on our Public lands – Cattle indeed are overpopulated and destroying our country as well – and this is a matter of FACTUAL INTEGRITY – statistical as well as covered in many science research studies and legitimate rangeland studies!

We attempt to solve the problem by rounding up horses, not cattle, and send the horses to market; which is, in truth, a make-believe market by the way of false premise and undeniably an ignorance that is so profound, that it seems acceptable only under debate.

In truth, people who favor eating horse meat, really make no sense when the discussion of health is the extreme downside of horse meat itself. Kind of like debating the difference between how cigarette smoking is healthy or not, and its benefits (zero) compared to its destruction upon human health.

“I recall my Great Grandfather stating how they would get sickly whenever they had to eat horse meat out on the range, when no other food around and they had already had all the cow-pie stew they could tolerate. So even the horse meat on the range, and eating it was a myth – and only done if starving was a potential.” — Jimmy Nation, Northwest Cowboy and Ranch Hand

The beef market has an outstanding Throw-Away situation, ongoing and yearly, of over 34% of its beef product domestically (per USDA) – and yet welfare rancher’s (4% of the ranching industry, selling 1% of their product yearly domestically – per DOI and GAO Reports) demand more wild horses removed or shot with pesticide birth controls, or sterilized, wolves removed, and more cattle be placed on Public Lands.

So the fact is this — until we figure out how to resolve problems with the truth, then our civilization is simply slated to destroy itself. The nonsense that is passed as a truth, which remains nothing more than lies, misinformation, rhetoric of outstanding clumsy circumstance, and facts given so unbelievable that even a child could see the bullshit, well, perhaps we deserve what we get.

The evolution of our ignorance currently, noted through good science and ongoing research for the past 12 years, is changing our social as well as our culture standards. We have hit a low in presentable social and cultural IQ’s, as well as not so profound, hit a low ratio of development toward Humane or Suitable Resolution within issues of significance, or impact.

Until we confront ourselves, our society and culture itself, truthfully, just as an alcoholic or drug addict must confront themselves truthfully, then we will remain in the downward spiral of self-destruction – just as alcohol or drug addiction will do to people who hide themselves from the truth.

Wild Horses and Human’s

So what have we seen, in a type of partial review, just within the past couple of years? Why have the Wild Horses not been saved? And why does it seem we have started to go backwards within the very nature of saving America’s Wild Horses?

These questions easily answered. If we understand what John Muir spoke about in his writing above, then we can grasp an idea of his ideological summary of sheep and being comfortable within “. . . the old familiar bondage. . .” philosophy.

Yes, human-nature quite plain and simple at times. Actually disturbing at times of necessity or responsible actions taken – and never accomplished.

Frankly, when many become more aggressive at saving America’s Wild Horses, with no excuse, with no pretense toward making money from the situation, with a pure comprehension of what a Horse Advocate is and their responsibility – without fear of freedom for the Wild Horses, without fear of complacency, of isolation, of reprisal from government or the private sector, or the really big fear of not having the Wild Horses to fight for any longer because resolution was fought for and won – oh, WAIT! I was not supposed to say this last situation — but oddly, it does exist. Yes, alive and well and quite a functional-negative in the matters of saving our Wild Horses and their very life.

Wild Horses and Statistics from Research Data

“There are numerous factors that govern population growth in the wild for wild horses and burros, or lack of population growth. The National Academy of Sciences did a study of the wild horse populations, using 8,764 wild horses, in the wild, as a basis for the following statistics.

It found that 1^st year mortality rates annually ranged between 14% and 50%. Beyond this, adult mortality was found to annually range between 5% and 25%. What this means is, that in any given year, equine mortality on the range lands would be anywhere between 19% and 75% of the total population of wild horses.

This brings up a vital question to the reader. With such factors as these existing, that govern wild horse and burro’s populations, along with the unnatural efforts of the BLM, that further degrade these same numbers, what are the true motivations of the BLM for distorting the numbers of wild horses and destroying these vital natural resources to true ecological balance? The answer lies partly in livestock, mining, and energy interests.

In conclusion, the wild horses and burros are a vital component to ecological balance out on the range lands of the west, the benefits of which are innumerable as opposed to cattle. The numbers of these beautiful animals must be dictated, however, by nature itself and not man, through its own mechanisms.

Only in this manner will wild horse numbers be in balance with all other forms of wildlife, including those of the predators of the wild horses. The wild horses are just this, wild, and in the wild, no matter how harsh or how mild the conditions may be, is where their beauty and their benefits exist and can be experienced. The range lands that were once filled with vast numbers of wild horses, and other forms of wildlife, are now quickly dying due to the artificial efforts of our government.” — Robert C. Bower, B.S. Biology, A biologist’s response to the BLM’s wild horse “problem” excerpt.

Yes, the Pesticide PZP Scam, those involved who huddle into the mass of “. . . the old familiar bondage” primarily because there is money to be had, and a lot of it, neglect to inform the public about the NAS stating this and this biologist simply stating the obvious, when selling the misinformed advantages of using PZP (saving the horses while using birth control technology– incomplete science, and state it will save their life?) on the Wild Horse supposed Over-Population, when indeed there is no Over-population at all. Now, the Over-Population of cattle on America’s Public Lands, and keep in mind unnecessary and due to many significant matters of fact, is an overwhelming and very provable fact – yet ignored.

But wait, it gets better. These people, like the old and great Wizard of Oz, finally come out from behind the curtain, and low and behold, they are BLM supporters and applied for grants and still reap profits from donations – all in the name of saving America’s Wild Horses.

A Conclusion or a Change for a New Beginning

This is not a matter of me suggesting routes to resolution within this paper. Rather, it is a matter of seeing the truth and how to actually get to it, or obtain the freedom for Wild Horses, in a reality mind-set; because, only through the truth will a resolution be brought about that can be of benefit to the Wild Horses, and actually save them from so much Subjective Reasoning developed through so much “Illusory Superiority” and “Illusional Promises” within BLM, BLM Supporters, Trader Advocate Non-Profits for money-only and not supportive of Wild Horses at all, Welfare Ranching, Corporate maneuvering on Public Lands, once again – large advocate groups who need to make money to support themselves, and on and on it goes, this supposed reasoning and self-gratification over all-else, to include the reality, the actual Destruction of Our Wild Horses for nothing more than small short time profits . . .

Yes, we have a problem we need to confront, and stop ignoring it!

Humane Reasoning is our Objective – Saving the Wild Horses and all Wildlife on America’s Public Lands and in our Wilderness areas as well is, Our Goal – Beyond Profits – Beyond beneficial and familiar bondage in order to stay in our Comfort Zone – and not Fear Freedom Any Longer! This is Humane Reasoning, and it is coming . . .