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H.R. 1018, The Restore Our American Mustangs Act (223 comments ↓ | 11 wiki edits)
H.R. 1018 would amend the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to improve the management and long-term health of wild free-roaming horses and burros.
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Visitor Comments 
Julianne French
February 16, 2009, 11:25am (report abuse)This is a great bill that will ensure the future of our wild horse and burros, icon's of our western cultural hertiage. It would force the BLM to use science in making decisions and expand the stockman biased Wild Horse Advisory Board to include humane organizations and Phd scientists to advise on management. It limits the terms of the members.
The advisory board has been recycling the same members term after term. The Board now is mostly stockman, ranchers and groups opposed to the existence of wild horses on public lands.
This bills holds the BLM accountable for decisions annually and enforce transpancy of information. The BLM would have to report to the public on injuries and deaths on round up and the effects, injuries and deaths related to the controversial contraception on wild horses.
Craig Downr
February 18, 2009, 2:20pm (report abuse)I am displeased with this bill because it abandons the cause of the wild horses in the wild and does not confront the authorities with their past outrageous elimination or minimalization of the wild equids within their original 1971 legal herd areas and even within their reduced herd management areas. They should be reinstated in these areas wherever possible and if not possible they other areas of equal or greater habitat value should be acquired and the horses and burros restored there. There should also be a more in the field approach to achieving population stability and long term viability/sustainability that does not rely on invasive contraceptive and sterilization techniques the compromise the vitality of these magnificent animals IN THE WILD!
Shelley Sawhook
February 18, 2009, 3:23pm (report abuse)The bill does address the issue of range and expands beyond the 1971 Act to include all pblic land and then some.
In addition, it specifically states that any horses or burros removed from the range because of disaster, fire or drought, are only removed only temporarily. It states that not a single horse should be removed without an adoption program in place that can place the horses in a new home and even that is a measure of last resort.
The bill prohibits the use of helicopters to remove horses, increased transparency in actions and decisions, freer access to information, advisory board terms limits, expanding the advisory board to include more equine friendly members AND requires the BLM to consult with outside scientists and scientific data.
The bill is excellent and includes pretty much everything that advocates have asked for. The AHDF strongly supports this bill and hopes that other groups will too once they understand the true meaning of the bill.
Barbara Warner
February 20, 2009, 2:45pm (report abuse)H.R.1018 and one equal to it in the Senate must be passed now before OUR wild horses are extict. This bill WILL protect and preserve them. Some just do not understand .
D. Masters
February 21, 2009, 10:07am (report abuse)PASS HR 1018 and restore our management areas for the burros and the horses...undo Mr Burns' destructive work and sneaky legislation.
vicki
(logged in user) February 22, 2009, 10:39am (report abuse)Return the land to the wild horses. The BLM has been managing for extinction. Pass HR 1018 before wild horses become a chapter in American History.
www.vickitobin.com
Mellony
February 28, 2009, 10:59pm (report abuse)Currently more that 33,000 wild horses and burros roam BLM-managed lands with another approximately 33,000 in short-term and long-term holding facilites. Attempts to control reproduction have failed and the herds double every 4-5 years. The adoption rate has been steadily declining for the last few years and with the current economic issues and the depressed domestic horse market resulting in an overflow at rescue centers, I think that we will continue to see the adoption rates decline. The BLM spent $38.8 million on it’s wild horse and burro program in Fiscal Year 2007, $36.2 million in Fiscal Year 2008 and estimates that with the decrease in adoptions and the increase in population that by 2012 the BLM will require $85 million to care for the animals.
D. Masters
March 2, 2009, 9:41am (report abuse)The Federal and State Governments via agencies like BLM are exterminating the free-roaming horses and burros of the US. There used to be more than 6 million approximately 200+ years ago. In 2009 we have less than 70,000. This extermination plan is being implemented and paid for with taxpayer dollars to benefit mineral and commercial livestock interests....I would say, to date that those self-serving interests are beating the snot out of the equids. This bill is a start to reopen previously granted land set asides to those animals with a better advisory board and management practices such as birth control and round-ups.
PASS HR 1018
W. LeRoy
March 3, 2009, 11:19am (report abuse)I suppor this Bill. The BLM\'s management has failed completely and the holding pen approach is the \"proof in the pudding\". Pass the Bill before it is too late. Wild Horses are the true Americans.
cowboy
March 25, 2009, 3:44pm (report abuse)This bill is the worst thing that ever transpired. It will increase the cost and hurt the ranchers, farmers, and everyone that wants to use the B.L.M land. What are they thinking? Do they not know anything but the desk they sit behind? Do they not know if you leave the wild horse out to do it's own thing no management, that it will destroy the land. The horse will reproduce 20% each year. Think about that for a minute. In 3-4 years a herd can double in size. The horse has no predators. They will take over the land, eat them self out of house and home and hurt the wild life. They will strip the land of all the feed, cause erosion, and much more. What do you all do research and find stuff out about what you are voting on before you vote. Do some homework. Use your head and some common sense. Try to forget about yourself for once and do the right thing for a change. Try that just one time. DO THE RIGHT THING. Use your head, research this.
Leah
(logged in user) April 8, 2009, 4:34pm (report abuse)First mistake that BLM made was herding up these horses from a combination of state and planting them all in Nevada. Now the horses are suffering the consequences.
This bill will still allow herding and it does not from what I read to continue birth control to keep the numbers down.
When we realize that BLM manages 261 million acres of public lands and 700 million more acres with oil and gas leases the 53 million for the horses is a drop in the bucket and would not even be missed.
If BLM had left the horses in their respective states and worked through we would not have the mess we have and thus are dealing with.
Our taxes protect all these lands and they manage everything from bees to shrubs, other wildlife, why not the horses?
If we can lease these lands to cattle ranchers and their stock, we can lease land for the horses.
Now how much land do the cattle need?
vicki
(logged in user) April 8, 2009, 8:01pm (report abuse)cowboy, the land was designated for the wild horses, not privately owned cattle. 6 million cattle are doing far more damange than 19,000 horses.
Does the cattle industry live to torture and extint all horses?
trustkeeper
April 10, 2009, 12:12pm (report abuse)This is an excellent piece of legislation and long overdue. The BLM has been guilty of gross mismanagement of public lands for far too long. Their transparent little game of gathering horses that don't need to be gathered and then claiming high costs to maintain them has been exposed. Now it is time to end their dirty tricks. This new legislation will go a long way towards restoring our wild horses and their rightful place as respected American icons.
D. Masters
April 30, 2009, 7:36am (report abuse)Thanks House Committee on Natural Resources! Let's get this job done and overhaul BLM while you are at it.
PASS HR1018/503/305
Rick
(logged in user) May 7, 2009, 10:54am (report abuse)Don't let sentament fool you. This will bill will lead to extremely inhumane conditions for Horses. Proposals within the bill also has the potential to result in major impacts and loss of habitat for several Threatened or Endangered wildlife species and could severely impact the habitat of other cantidate species as well. Horses have no natural predators and because they ALL desended from domesricated stock, they have not had time to develop the population dynamics of native wildlife. Current research indicates that a population of "wild horses" will double in number about every three to four years. They do not regulate population to the availability of resources. the proposal is nice and suposedly kind but not at all based in fact or science and has horendous consequences to native plants and wildlife.
Leah
(logged in user) May 15, 2009, 11:27am (report abuse)Rick:
At one time we had two million wild horses on our lands, now we have 33,000 give or take.
The only problem is not our wild Mustangs, but the cattle owners and oil companies wanting that same land.
If you really cared about your/our lands get the BLM to pull out the cattle that are destroying the land, not the wild horses.
Lynn
June 13, 2009, 1:59pm (report abuse)BLM stoops to new low. They have a plan to kill wild horses in holding pens and on the ranges. See the BLM plan. Please read and let the BLM know that you will not allow this. I cannot put the whole document here. Go to The Cloud Foundation http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/home.html.
Documents obtained from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) via the Freedom of Information Act by a Phoenix-based non-profit, The Conquistador Program, reveal shocking and detailed plans to destroy healthy wild horses in government holding facilities as well as those still remaining in the wild on public lands.
BLM employees as well as a USDA veterinarian held weekly “Implementation Team” meetings beginning in July of 2008 in which they discussed and developed strategies aimed at ridding BLM of thousands of mustangs. In October they completed a 68 page document entitled “Alternative Management Options”. Tactics reminiscent of those used to wipe out Native American tribes in the 1800s.
D. Horsewife
June 15, 2009, 4:33pm (report abuse)"vicki
April 8, 2009, 8:01pm (report abuse)
cowboy, the land was designated for the wild horses, not privately owned cattle. "
Vicki, there were agreements with the ranchers long before the horses were protected, so that argument doesn't wash. People need to find the middle ground here; neither the ranchers or horses are leaving, so find a way to live with each other. This is, after all, the Bureau of LAND Management.
Leah
(logged in user) June 19, 2009, 1:55pm (report abuse)Horsewife:
We are producing more beef than we are eating. Check this out for yourself and stop by the meat section of your local market or go to a butcher shop and they will tell you this is true.
I know this because when I go shopping I stop at the meat section to see if there is any cheap meat on the last day of sale because of the "use date." If that meat is not sold that day then they have to dump it and send to rendering plants.
The need for the cattle ranchers to have more land is because they have so destroyed the landscape where they had been grazing that they need to move onto more land to continue grazing.
The wildlife is suffering because of this destruction being done by the cattle industry.
You are also wrong. The cattle ranchers have been stealing land for years and killing off the wild horses.
There use to be 2 million wild horse, we have less than 33,000 in the wild horses now and half are in holding pens.
Robinette Biden
July 17, 2009, 11:29am (report abuse)$700 Million of the taxpayers money to manage Jack Asses?
Hmmm, we have a Depression going on in the country, millions and millions unemployed, homeless shelters full, food lines for city blocks, poor walking miles with their 3,4, & 5 year olds to get to a HEAD START program and decent food.
Quite frankly anyone who votes for this bill in these times are Frigin NUTZ!
Incredibility Stupidity and of course, more Collectivism & Socialism.
KOOKS
M Armstrong
July 17, 2009, 12:24pm (report abuse)they are currently discussing the bill on wild horses and the Republicans are trying to squash the right bill 1018 which calls for humane treatment thru birth control which will resolve the over population if there is one.
We are NOT in a depression as ms Biden says. The Rep congress already spent way more on capturing wild horses than this bill proposes. Wake up. No one lives on the land these horses are on. The ranchers against horses pay 9 cents an acre to lease land from the American people. Charge them more to pay for the horse program.
They say they cant get rid of the horses but in NV where they manage them very well the pens are empty most of the year.
Aaron
July 17, 2009, 1:42pm (report abuse)Horses are not wildlife and were brought to the Americas by Europeans. Nobody sheds tears for feral pigs, do they?
Deborah
(logged in user) July 17, 2009, 2:00pm (report abuse)(Thank you Ginger Kathrens):
http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/6.09pressreleases.html
D. Masters
July 17, 2009, 2:07pm (report abuse)Correcting the ingregious wrong of the Burns Amendment that destroyed the Act of 1971 (signed by a Republican President BTW...Nixon).
HR1018 has passed!
You meat, mining and natural resources human pigs have squeezed the equines out to the point of near extinction. ENOUGH!!!!!
Hey Aaron...they are now and in truth are a reintroduced native species....so get over you slaughter, me first logic.
ON to the Senate!
sandy
July 17, 2009, 2:15pm (report abuse)government spends millions every year to round up wild horses and keep them in long term holding. instead of using birth control.
only about 30,000 wild horses remain on the public lands and 6 million cattle graze these same public land. Plus, it's reported that these cattle make up only 3% of America's beef supply. The contracts to graze these cattle pay 1/10th the cost to pay on private land. Plus, majority of these contracts are held by huge corporations and not real ranches that are supporting any family or the idea of agriculture in this country. They're called "cash cows" for a reason.
HR 1018 needs to pass to re-protect wild horses
Deborah
(logged in user) July 17, 2009, 2:25pm (report abuse)To D. Masters, HR 1018 passed?! HURRAY! Do you have a news link?
D. Masters
July 17, 2009, 3:25pm (report abuse)The following link is provided(right click copy, go to above url bar and paste or go to google and paste):
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iAsIWWepsEdd6zt5Xtc0W... />
HR 1018 has passed. I must remind everyone that this is far from a done deal...the Senate must draft similar legislation, pass and address differences between the 2 houses. But it is a start.
D. Masters
July 17, 2009, 3:27pm (report abuse)The link is too long, so go to the Associated Press search H.R.1018 on the site nd it should come up.
Let's go Senate.
vicki
(logged in user) July 17, 2009, 5:32pm (report abuse)D. Masters, they usually send the same bill over to the senate and just re-number it with an S number.
D. Masters
July 18, 2009, 6:40am (report abuse)Thanks for the proceedure update, vicki re:HR1018 and the Senate version.
Now if we can only the numbers we need in the Senate and swiftly before they break in August for a month.
Eric Fannin
July 18, 2009, 7:07pm (report abuse)19 million acres put aside for these animals. Land Grab!
Millions of dollars for "enhanced contraceptio" and birth control. Isn't this bill supposed to be about bringing them back?
I am completely against this bill. Wild Horses couldn't keep Dems from spending money. Employment is at 9.5%, highest in 26 years. We are about to be saddled(pun definitely intended) with Millions of dollars in tax liability for those who don't sign up for ObamaCare. And now we have to spend more money on Mustangs. Stop playing the ponies with House money!
D. Masters
July 19, 2009, 7:28am (report abuse)The Burns Amendment started this mess by slowlyng taking away that land that had been set aside in the 70's and started spending hundreds of millions removing these animals under the guise of sound but shoddy science. Then they started placing cattle and sheep on these lands. Both parties spend money; it just depends on who it is for.
I'm for managing and preserving our open spaces. And I'd rather spend money giving people some reasonable chance at some health care versus spending on wars and filthy rich banks, insurance companies and other reckless financial entities. Obama didn't create this mess. Is he making it worse? Depends and only time will tell.
Senators, pass this bill in your chamber.
R. Perkins
July 19, 2009, 5:48pm (report abuse)Congress and unintended consequences. First preclude the thinning of the herd as any other live stock management process uses, with an unintended consequence of over grazing. Congressional solution - have Federal Government buy additional land for pastures. Unintended consequence is that states loose yet another piece of land to the government-who doesn’t pay taxes. Normal inference is that someone is using this to produce income, either as range or hunting acreage. Thus the second unintended consequence is another reduction in taxes being paid to states/Federal government. There has been a reduction in the number of people wanting to adopt these animals. With the pressure on individual spending, let’s allow those who have a passion for this process, pay for the upkeep of these animals. YET ANOTHER CONGRESSIONAL DEFECITE SPENDING EFFORT!
D. Masters
July 20, 2009, 6:21am (report abuse)This bill is undoing the mess the Burns Amendment created. There are more mustangs and burros in BLM holding (approx 30K+/-)than roaming the ranges (est 16-20K). Many herd areas have been completely zeroed out. The bill also addresses the need for sound science to develop a reasonable management plan which includes realistic birth control and herd diversity. The current "management" by BLM and DOI is clearly a management plan to extinction to benefit ranching, mining and logging.
If you want to get outraged about deficit spending, take a look at farm subsidies, corporate farming and the extinction of the family farm.
Senators, get this bill through your chamber....complete the process for HR1018.
Mikey
July 20, 2009, 11:41am (report abuse)The government has no business taking my money without my consent. The government can't wipe their own rear end, what makes you think the money is actually going to be used for the care of the horses? They promised Social Security funds for every American and look how that turned out, they spent the money and the pot is empty. Government is not the answer, never has, never will.
Kim in Atlanta
July 20, 2009, 5:44pm (report abuse)What on earth are people thinking? We're in a recession with a dim-Dem congress, senate and president that is on a wild spending spree with our tax dollars. This is one more example. STOP THE MADNESS!
Marissa
July 20, 2009, 5:50pm (report abuse)Are you guys nuts!??? DId you read the COST of this thing??
I cant believe the GOP is actually supporting this. This is crazy. We are TRILLIONS in debt...FOR HORSES.
oh lord.
C.P. - Texas
July 20, 2009, 6:04pm (report abuse)If more people would eat horse meat, we would not have this problem. The ranchers would break their neck to protect them and increase the supply. New slogan - "Where is the horse meat?"
jongalt
July 20, 2009, 6:06pm (report abuse)Mikey, Kim in Atlanta, and Marissa, et al are right on. Typical of libs they want to use someone else's money to help the poor disadvantaged cause du jour. If the horse lovers are so hot to protect these mustangs and burros, start a fund to deal with the problem. Using YOUR money, not mine nor Mikey's nor anyone else's. If it is such a good idea, you should be thrilled to do it.
Calm down, Marissa, 2010 is coming.
Not soon enough, I fear, but it is coming.
jongalt
July 20, 2009, 6:14pm (report abuse)Hey, C.P., love it. I understand horse is even better for you than beef. Yep, I kinda like that idea.
The way things are going they may be the meat of choice on many an American dinner table.
C.P, - Texas
July 20, 2009, 9:41pm (report abuse)Has anyone else thought about a constitutional amendment to term limit these pompous asses in Congress? Maybe 10 to 12 years max. Plus zero pension and no right to lobby after they leave Congress.
Contact your State representatives if you agree, I did.
D. Masters
July 21, 2009, 8:39am (report abuse)We have term limits in this country; it's called vote them out. For you fine Americans that don't vote, some jurisdictions do have term limits specified.
Horsemeat is not an inspected food source in the US. Mustangs and burros in holding are exposed to meds routinely used on domesticated equines....no drug withdrawal protocols. As to mustangs and burros, once again this act is to RESTORE what they were given in the 70's. The costs associated with them currently (via Rep/Dem heavy AG state actions) are to REMOVE THEM...it doesn't cost 1/3d the cost to leave them there.
Would you please take them time to educate yourselves?
Let's see, approximately 2 million mustangs and burros roamed at the turn of the 20th century. At the turn of the 21st century we have 30,000 (approx) in holding and it is estimated somewhere between 16-20,000 left roaming on drastically reduced agreage. All done at taxpayer expense. I didn't see y'all complaining then.
HR1018! Yeah! Senators?
D. Masters
July 21, 2009, 8:44am (report abuse)"...acreage...not agreage."
As to the costs to manage in place, our governments manage EVERYTHING on our public AND private (to some extent)...from wildlife, to trees, mining, et al. This is no different.
Make HR1018 LAW!!!!!
Ashamed of Washington DC
July 21, 2009, 11:47am (report abuse)Back on the farm, we had a cheap method of birth control; castration.
Naturally we kept the expense in-house and didn't have the forethought (chutzpah) to bill the whole nation for the procedure.
D. Masters
July 21, 2009, 1:39pm (report abuse)The need to control population is because of the agricultural, natural resources Nazi, me first demands on the land coupled with a human's interpretation of what is starving, degradation of range land and philosophical (to a point) of the value of mustangs and burros.
I'm ashamed of Washington for MANY reasons. Quit your blanketing of disgust. Told you before, approximately 2 million in the last 200 years (mostly at the turn of early 1900's) and now down to about 40,000. What math don't you understand? The bill SAVES money. What don't you understand???? Unless you are devoid of the facts of this issue AND/OR want these equines gone. It also preserves open space for ALLLLL!!!!! Not just the feces that rape it for their benefit.
PASS and make HR 1018 LAW.
vicki
(logged in user) July 21, 2009, 2:20pm (report abuse)Marissa, perhaps you should do some research. The funding for this was passed in 1971. Hr 1018 rolls-back the damage done by Conrad Burns. Why aren’t you upset with the millions of wasted dollars on the unnecessary round-ups? Why aren’t you upset about the subsidies given to the ranchers that have 7.5 million privately owned cattle decimating the land that is supposed to be protected for wild horses, burros and wildlife? Cows are not wildlife.
Diane T.
July 21, 2009, 7:02pm (report abuse)If ranchers want to use the public lands for their cattle they should pay American citizens a monthly boarding fee. In the suburbs of Denver boarding a single horse runs about $200 a month for pasture if the owner feeds the horse. The ranchers should pay us (the American taxpayer) a monthly boarding fee for EACH animal they want to have live on our land.
Cameron B.
July 22, 2009, 10:32am (report abuse)I am an ecologist and my wife works for a national wild horse organization. This bill will not be saving anyone money and it will insure the widespread suffering of wild horses. Most of the ecosystems where these horses currently occupy are being destroyed by overgrazing from horses. I have studied over 7 million acres of land in southern Utah and southern Nevada, and the conditions are repeated over and over again; rangeland ecosystems missing/losing key grass and forb species, and horses in poor condition because the range cannot support them. I see horses who are malnourished and suffering everyday as the horses and I share the same ecosystem. I am a scientist who works with scientists, and I do not know of a single person with wild horse experience who supports this bill.
Katie Fite
July 22, 2009, 10:33am (report abuse)Western ecosystems did not evolve (nor created) under horse use. Neither did the horses evolve (nor were created) within these ecosystems; they were transplanted there by man. Much of the horses seen today are actually decedents of horses released on public lands during the Great Depression; they are not some relic Spanish breed, they are the same horses you would see on any farm. This would not be problem if the law and policy allowed for proper management; which they do not.
What will be destroyed by this bill is healthy horses heards, the autonomy of western communities, wildlife habitat including T&E species, and entire watersheds.
These horses do not need protection; they need proper management derived from a change in law and policy that allows for lower heard numbers and more intense management.
vicki
(logged in user) July 22, 2009, 10:57am (report abuse)Katie, what about the cattle? There are only 16,000-19,000 horses left in the wild. Don't you think they've been over-managed?
Meanwhile, the cattle counts have gone from 0 to 7.5 MILLION. Cattle are not wildlife. Let's see those counts managed down to zero.
D. Masters
July 22, 2009, 3:47pm (report abuse)Cameron B. (...Katie, I'll get to you later):
Lets start with that I know people with wild horse experience that do support this bill. In fact some think it did not go far enough. Before I go on further, sir, let me ask you a few questions:
Ecologist for whom (biz/org)? Spouse works with which wild horse organization (biz/org)that doesn't support HR1018? And the first question that came to my mind, you have experience on some of the worst rangeland in the south west (barring certain pockets)...any cattle or sheep grazing (lease) on that land? Is the "poor condition" of wild equines a function of resources, natural selection or the management to extinction plan that the BLM/DOI has been carrying out for the last 10-15 years? These equines seemed to do just fine (and that includes violent or natural deaths) before special interests got their corrupt mitts on them AND the land.
HR1018...make it LAW! PASS S727/HR503/305 while we are at it.
D. Masters
July 22, 2009, 5:48pm (report abuse)Katie Fite:
Your post is a bit scattered with regard to fact, science and well, frankly logic.
The mustangs and burros are a reintroduced species, albeit through exploration of the 14, 15, 1600's, but reintroduced. Please cite resources or studies that have been done to show that the herds remaining (and there are not very many left) are not related to the Spanish colonial periods. You know what I noticed about your post? You don't talk about cattle or sheep, mining, natural resource collection, logging, natural water resource diversion for human or agricultural developement and natural shift in weather patterns. Why is that? 16-20,000 equines remain free roaming....and they are the ones causing problems????? I'm sorry. I don't buy it. There were estimates that the population was approximately 2 million at the turn of 1900. 30,000 in holding and 16-20,000 "roaming" drastically curtailed range in 2009 and THEY ARE DESTROYING range???? PUHLEEZE!
PASS INTO LAW HR1018
Dave D
July 22, 2009, 8:07pm (report abuse)Vicki, I would really like to know how you expect us to believe anything that spews forth from your mouth when you say things like "16000-19000" wild horse on the ranges. Thats total BS. This is much the same as saying there in no unwanted horse issue. Denial of the truth or outright lying? Not sure how to take that. Google Earth is proving there are 3x the horses there is supposed to be out on the ranges.
Oh and by the way, did you and John pay your web host bill yet. Acting like it was some conspiracy theory was as rediculous as most of yours and Master D's comments
D. Masters
July 23, 2009, 6:57am (report abuse)There have been issues with the numbers coming from BLM as to their accuracy. Some experts believe BLM and USGS are hyperinflating the numbers. Per FY2009 they (BLM) say approximately 37,000. BLM also extimates that herds increase at a rate of 18-30% per year. You know what I found interesting, they didn't specify how many they think die each year (must be in the formula). They believe there are about 10,000 equines over the "sound management" limit. Hey math genius Dave, thats 30%, NOT 300% more horses that should be out there. Again with the EWA crack..you know why it got temporarily suspended and it had nothing to do with money you UnAmerican, First Amendment infringing live horse butcher advocate.
If anyone is interested in the kind of garbage wacko Dave peddles, here is a fine example of a fairytale and schlock journalism done for a buddy:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/groups_push_to_slaught... />
MAKE HR1018 LAW CONGRESS!
D. Masters
July 23, 2009, 7:03am (report abuse)".....estimates...", not extimates.
Senate, get a comp HR1018 in your chamber and PASS IT before you go on vacation.
vicki
(logged in user) July 23, 2009, 10:58am (report abuse)Dave D, must you be so childish? There was never an issue with payment. We are paid through next year – it was required with the plan. It is not John’s and my website. There are 9 founding members.
The numbers I quoted are the estimates of the Mustangs that are still left in the wild. They do not include the horses that were penned from the unnecessary round-ups. The numbers are from individuals that have been studying the wild Mustangs for years – wildlife ecologists and videographers.
BTW-did you see the article in the western producer? Seems the EU is concerned with the safety of horse meat coming out of Canada. As we have said, the truth eventually comes out and you’ll notice, it is never any of the garbage that you spew.
That's what happens when you don't have facts.
D. Masters
July 23, 2009, 12:23pm (report abuse)vicki:
Just wait 'til the EU gets educated on the anarchy that is Mexico and off-shore equine butchering. Seems the AG community in Canada via Western Producer says that the listeria troubles that KILLED 22 people is the result of the food safety system "letting the consumers down". Not that is an understatement, if I've EVER heard one. I hardly call dying from food contamination "letting consumers down"...I'd call it criminal.
Senators get started on your version of HR1018.
Dave D
July 23, 2009, 8:17pm (report abuse)36000 plus known to be on the ranges. 33000 in holding pens. Google Earth, 100,000 on ranges.
vicki
(logged in user) July 23, 2009, 8:38pm (report abuse)Google Earth? You've got to be kidding. What's next - slaughter statistics from Yogi Bear? Drug protocols from George Clooney?
LynnIL
July 24, 2009, 10:44am (report abuse)Dave D,
So how can you tell from that distance that you are looking at a wild horse, a domestic horse or one of 7 million grazing cattle?
LinB
July 24, 2009, 11:50am (report abuse)I have news for you Dave....there are more in holding than free roaming and why Dave....just like horse slaughter $$$$ cattle ranchers, mining, drilling, Japan wanting horses not on meds. The horse situation in the United States is a disgrace.
Save the Horses
jrstark
(logged in user) July 25, 2009, 1:35pm (report abuse)Google Earth? Some of those satellite images are years old, especially those from areas that don't change much.
John Holland
July 25, 2009, 11:18pm (report abuse)WE HAVE A WINNER!!!
A few months ago we started a contest of the stupidest statement made by anyone on the horse slaughter / mustang issues.
There were many noteworthy entries, and the judges were deadlocked over several stellar candidates, but I am excited to announce that we have decided by unanimous vote that the dumbest statement ever made was just posted right here!
Congratulations Dave D!
Your claim that wild horse counts are being done using Google Earth is inspired! I cannot imagine we will ever hold the contest again, knowing that no future statement could possibly have a chance. It's like someone running the one second mile, or poll vaulting to 30,000 feet. It is simply superhuman. We plan to retire the contest idea in your honor Dave!
And you can relax knowing that we require no drug screening. The title is yours, free and clear.
EchoBlack4
July 26, 2009, 5:34am (report abuse)Furthermore, resolution in unpopulated areas is reduced to the minimum possible to save server resources. Pics from unpopulated areas are so far from surface you can tell a part a horse from any other animal or from any other object; and in, any case, how can Duquette & Co. tell apart wild horses from domestic ones from 1,500 miles above (which is typical height of most satellites for those not familiarized with that fact)? Does he and Slaughterhouse Sue have some kind psychic or clairvoyeance powers or something?
And even assuming they could tell which ones are wild from domestic ones, how they did count them without doing repeats or making mistakes? Did they used a cell counter and clicked on the freaking machine over 100,000 times (RFLAO, that could take a couple years just to do that) or just kept track of the numbers by counting on Sue's fingers???
Echoblack4
July 26, 2009, 5:41am (report abuse)Agreed John. Word is that they obtain their statistics using a crystal ball and a fortune teller outfit Duquette bought the other day in ebay.
Barbara Warner
July 26, 2009, 8:36am (report abuse)All of the propaganda is being put out by Lummis and a few others in an attempt to destroy this good BIPARTISAN bill.
The $700 million is only an estimate and would be for 10 years and is IF leases had to be bought. It also doesn't consider how much money would be saved by not having holding facilites or costly roundups.
Horses are a native , wildlife species and can be traced back 57 million years. Now they are in danger of becoming extinct because of their mismangement.
There used to be 2 million wild horses running free. Now this bill must be passed by the Senate so that future generations will be able to see them. Wild horses are an American heritage and a national treasure.
hoofandpick
July 26, 2009, 11:30am (report abuse)The Senate needs to get going and pass HR 1018! Enough is enough with the delays.
hoofandpick
July 26, 2009, 11:34am (report abuse)In total agreement John regarding Dave Duquette.
Get the 7.5 million cattle off Federal Land. This is a misappropriation of taxpayer dollars. Federal land was set aside for the wild horses not the cattle. Get the cattle OFF FEDERAL LAND and release the wild horses back to the land that was given to them by Congress.
I don't want my tax dollars being used to subsidize cattle ranchers. This is yet another example of WASTE, FRAUD, and ABUSE.
Texas
July 26, 2009, 11:41am (report abuse)"WE HAVE A WINNER!!!" (post by JHolland)
Mr. Holland, your post is priceless. I have been reading for months this Dave guys post and he appears to be very uneducated. It sure helps the anti horse slaughter side when this guy shoots off his mouth.
Keep talking Dave, it gives a lot of folks some much needed comical relief.
hoofandpick
July 26, 2009, 11:48am (report abuse)To Texas,
You are right about Dave D. He is an idiot! All of the pro-slaughter folks who have contributed to him on his website have been duped.
D. Masters
July 26, 2009, 12:33pm (report abuse)Beg to differ with some that Dave D. is an idiot. J. Holland's post was a satire of the absurdity of one of numerous proslaughter posts. Mr. Duquette does seem to garner attention and have some bit of unfettered access to internet/print journalism...ergo, he ain't that stupid. Mr. Duquette's problem is that he lives off the hides of equines and will hear NOTHING as to their cruel demise with a ton of NO FACTS. And no, the people contributing to unitedhoresemensfront and united org of the horse are not duping anyone...those that donate know very well what they are contributing to...the live butchering of US Equines peddling undocumented meat to humans for bucks. I truly wish Dave D., Sue Wallis, Lummis were idiots. It would help solve the problem. Unfortunately, they are crazy...crazy like a fox with alot less contribution to the ecosystem. Sorry Family Fox.
PASS this bill.
hoofandpick
July 26, 2009, 1:30pm (report abuse)Dave D believes the lies of people like Ed Butcher from Montana and then Dave D becomes the propaganda minister and the lies get propagated and promoted and before you know it the PR machine of pro-slaughter sends out a press release with nothing but empty lies.
People like Dave D don't determine whether information coming from the likes of Ed Butcher is correct. If Dave D and his ilk like what they hear, they repeat it and send it as "information" to other pro-slaughter types. This is what is meant by idiot.
The idiotic lies are believed by GREEDY and IRRESPONSIBLE horse owners because they want to continue to send their culls to an inhumane death.
Perhaps, you are right. Dave D and others want to believe the lies. They don't want to realize that the "emperor has no clothes."
PASS this bill.
vicki
(logged in user) July 26, 2009, 2:40pm (report abuse)Lighten up on Dave D, folks. The poor guy has been permeating disinformation for so long that he truly believes he is telling the truth. Statements on their sites such as speaking up for horse owners aren’t lies but half truths. What they don’t tell you is they want to speak up for horse owners that want to abuse horses for profit. Responsible horse owners are not welcome. The worst is their despicable, reprehensible using of Native Americans. They tell them of all the profits and jobs but don’t tell them the profits go Belgium and the jobs are barely minimum wage and are majority held by illegals.
The latest disinformation is now calling our wild Mustangs feral despite all the evidence and solid documentation to the contrary. This is the same tactic as calling slaughter processing and harvesting. They keep repeating it over and over again hoping the uneducated will believe it and convince them of everything but the truth.
Their platform is crumbling because of the lies.
hoofandpick
July 26, 2009, 4:44pm (report abuse)Let's call them what they really are:
pro-slaughter = pro-horse killers
Craig Downer
July 26, 2009, 7:53pm (report abuse)I had commented at the early stages of the bill that the bill needed to become more WILD horse oriented and less manipulative. Many of the changes that I had originally suggested have now been incorporated in the bill and I am now supportive of HR 1018 and glad to see it passed by a substantial margin in the Senate, where it can be further perfected. This is the beauty of our democracy that we can continue to perfect our policies. The Wild Horse Act represents so much that is truly good in American society and values and its sabotage by selfish vested interest must be reversed by holding our public servants in the BLM and USFS accountable for the outrageous treatment including eliminations or near eliminations of the wild herds. Also we must not forget the original intention of the Wild Horse and Burro Act that is to provide for naturally integrated populations that are healthy both as individuals and populations -- by fending against their enemies, chiefly livestock interests.
D. Masters
July 27, 2009, 8:35am (report abuse)It is very true that many US wild horse/burro advocates were not and still are not pleased or satisfied with HR 1018. And yes, the Senate is going to be a much tougher fight; I would say because of numbers alone (not because there are not enough votes, only that each vote is much more critical based on voting pool size).
I understand DOI Sec is suspending some contract sales on Fed Lands pending evaluation. What I find curious is that he has decided not to suspend round-ups of wild horses/burros. As this is a resource embroiled in regulatory/management controversy, mostly instituted in the last 10-12 years; why is Mr. Salazar not suspending round-ups...particularly when one considers the underfunding and/or depletion of Fed funds to perform same?
Come on, Mr. Salazar...suspend round-ups until sound review and funds can be found and instituted. In other words, stop throwing good money after bad money spent.
Senators????
Cameron B.
July 27, 2009, 5:13pm (report abuse)D. Masters;
“Ecologist for whom (biz/org)?” Non-profit.
“Spouse works with which wild horse organization (biz/org)that doesn't support HR1018?” I never said they do not support this bill, nor do I care or involve myself with their issues. But I would assume from some of their board members that they do not support this bill.
“Is the "poor condition" of wild equines a function of resources, natural selection…. or the …...” You are an idiot. It is a function of a species existing in an ecosystem that is incapable of supporting them and laws that prevent man from effectively managing them. You can remove all of the cattle and wildlife, and these ecosystems will still fail to support horses. You may not know this, but horses reproduce, much like another animal that also has a secum; the rabbit.
Cameron B.
July 27, 2009, 5:14pm (report abuse)D. Masters cont.;
“ And the first question that came to my mind, you have experience on some of the worst rangeland in the south west (barring certain pockets)...any cattle or sheep grazing (lease) on that land?” Yes, there is livestock use which supports community autonomy of the surrounding communities. The problem is that when grazing conditions reach levels set by the BLM, the cattle are removed and the horses remain. Those remaining horses continue to stay in the same area until there is no forage left and the area has been pushed across a ecological threshold which cannot be reversed without lots of tax money. We can manage livestock, we cannot manage horses because of laws.
Cameron B.
July 27, 2009, 5:27pm (report abuse)D. Masters, The reason Salazar is not suspending round ups is because wild horses have reached management levels (which are set way to high to protect ecosystem health) and are causing severe damage to the ecosystems that they occupy. If he was to stop the round ups we would incur damage that would irreversible without considerable expense to tax payers.
You do not care about the health and well being of horses. I do not believe for one minute you have any experience with North American ecosystems or the effects of feral horses. Nor do you have any knowledge of the origins of wild horses.
You only care about your own selfish ideals and interests that have no application in the real world.
BTW, Spanish barbs do not have white socks or bald faces. Now go tack some pictures of “wild’ horses and tell me what you see. Of course this may require you to leave where ever it is you live and drive out west, because you have no connection with western landscapes.
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WashingtonWatch.com Digest - June 15, 2009
Here is the WashingtonWatch.com email newsletter for June 15, 2009. Subscribe here. email newsletter | tell a friend | wiki | about | home | log in On the WashingtonWatch.com Blog A bill introduced in the House last week would require the ...What’s Up in the House Today
The House will debate H.R. 3183, the FY 2010 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill today. Its cost is about $414 per U.S. family. Another one up today is H.R. 1018, the Restore Our American Mustangs Act (cost - just over a buck-and-a-half pe...