May 20, 2008
Home Means Nevada For Wild Horses
“Nevada has gold, silver, and wild horses.”
Ray Field, Executive DirectorWild Horse Foundation
From our offices here in South Reno we can look out the windows up to the scraggy peaks of the Virginia Range where wild horses forage in the sage and grass. We hike and ride bikes among the Virginia Range Mustangs, we drive up after work to catch the sunset over the Sierra Nevada as they graze the flanks and meadows.
We even use them in our branding materials; of course, we have to give them colored mohawks and other various treatments. But that is just the way we roll! :~)
Nevada is home to more than half of the wild horses in the United States, and for the most part they exist in harmony with the land and people, as integral to our identity as the Sage, Bighorn Sheep, and Lahontan Cutthroat Trout that we hold as official icons. The state derives identity from the western ethos the wild horses represent, and we as a company derive inspiration from their intelligence and tenacity.
So when the Nevada Department of Agriculture announced plans to monitor the largest contiguous herd in the United States with the notion that more than half needed to be removed from the land, we decided to go out and take a closer look.
Thankfully Willis Lamm, a wild horse supporter and owner of Least Resistance Training Concepts; country singer and president of the Let ‘em Run Foundation, Lacy J. Dalton; and Craig Downer, Wildlife Ecologist and expert on the Virginia Range Wild Horses from the University of Nevada, were more than happy to show us around. We would have also liked to have spoken with representatives from the Nevada Department of Agriculture, but they were either unable or unwilling (see comment below).
What we found were a few bands of healthy and happy looking horses ranging peacefully across the low hills above the Carson Valley, southeast of our offices in Reno. The main thrust of the NDA Wild Horse Position Statement is that the range can support about 500 to 600 wild horses, according to an estimate in a study by the Natural Resource Conservation Service in 2001. But that estimate appears only to pertain to the 85,000 acres of rangeland in the study plot. The herd actually roams on more than 200,000 total acres of rangeland. According to the NRCS projections, there is more than enough rangeland to support the 1000 to 1200 Wild Horses known to exist in that area.
Most visitors see the Wild Horses when driving to and from the Virginia City area, but much of the range is publicly accessible by 4×4, ATV, foot and bicycle. Other states like New Mexico and Maryland are actively promoting their wild horse herds and get many thousands of visitors as a result.
From Mammoth Lakes, CA to Yellow Stone National Park wildlife and humans have been butting heads in the West for much of the last century. In Nevada, encroachment on habitat and conflicts with humans are a constant and growing problem. There is no doubt that the Virginia Range Mustangs need to be actively managed to survive; but the volunteer groups, and local adoption can be a benefit to the community rather than a drain on tax dollars. Since wild horses are so closely tied to the existence and history of humans in the west and the unique identity of Northern Nevada that we owe it to ourselves to find a palatable way past this crisis that benefits our land, our horses and the Nevada brand.
For more information or to get involved visit:
- NVWildHorses.com
- Wild Horse Mentors
- Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association
- Let ‘em Run
- Save Nevada’s Wild Horses Diigo Group
-Mike
Posted in Current Affairs, Nevada, Podcast, Reno-Tahoe, Social, Travel & Tourism, Video
May 21st, 2008 at 7:16 pm
First, I think it needs to be told that not one square foot of land in the Virginia Hills, Carson City area belongs to the State of Nevada. The wild horses live on private land, corporate land or BLM land. Its been a tremendous job to see these continue to survive but will need our help only for maintenance and care. Under the new Director of Agriculture who is an old cattle ruler who despises wild horses will do what ever he can to mislead the public into believing that they the wild horses are the enemy. My friends the wild horses are our legacy here before we were and with our help will be here when we’re gone for our future to have to enjoy and see. Politicians are here only for 4 years at a time, and this Agriculture Director is here for only a brief moment until we can run him off, he’s not elected. Get with it, call in, he’s already over loaded his mouth with every untruth aginst these beautiful wild horses. The State of Nevada Govenor’s Office is waiting on your call.
May 29th, 2008 at 10:24 am
The following comment was submitted by Ed Foster from the Nevada Department of Agriculture through the Contact Form on the Twelve Horses website. We received Ed’s permission to post it here:
“After reading your horse story I believe that you are misleading the public regarding at least one statement. Faxing the Department a “shoot list” the night before you start shooting is not really a request for our input. Willis Lamm took it upon himself to recruit a State employee to appear in your video and that doesn’t fly with us. Our response was “no, we’d like more notice.” I would hardly call that unable or unwilling.If you were truly interested in “what’s going on up there” you would have done a much better job of “trying to contact us.” For the record, as a taxpaying Nevada native, I find it laughable that you picked two of Earth’s most famous, chronic drug addicts to help deliver this message. That doesn’t do much for your or the horse people’s Nevada “cred”.”
May 29th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Ed, we have corrected the verbiage that alludes to your lack of participation. The exact date of when you were contacted was not known to us.
The reason why we initially became involved in this issue is because we see the Wild Horses of Nevada as a great benefit for tourism. We decided to donate some of our company time to creating a video that illustrates this perspective.
We’ve certainly heard a variety of different opinions about how these horses are currently being managed, as well as who is paying for it. In all cases, and from both sides of the issue, no one has brought irrefutable evidence to support their claims.
Nevertheless, we have observed a few things that are striking. One, there is no doubt that these non-profit horse groups care about the health of the horses and are taking measures to care for them on their own accord. Two, we talked with an individual out of Texas, Ray Field who a serves as the executive director of the Wild Horse Foundation and assures us that there are plenty of people who are willing to adopt wild horses from Nevada; in fact, he is willing to come out as soon as he is invited to do so. Three, if the Department of Agriculture is indeed doing their job to effectively manage these horses then why have their populations swelled to a number twice the size that has been deemed appropriate?
Many wild animals throughout the United State from wolves to birds are tagged and studied to determine their populations, migratory patterns, and health. If the NDOA is indeed responsible for these herds, then let us see an exact account of these horses, as well as where they end up once they are rounded up and sent elsewhere.
The individuals on the video are expressing their opinions, and it has no direct reflection on the credibility of Nevada’s horse people or us for that matter. Our credibility lies in the fact that you are more than welcome to comment here at any time about your perspectives on the matter and we will happily feature them.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
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July 29th, 2008 at 10:56 am
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August 7th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
today in the Sacrmento bee paper the Washington Office of the BLM told the world how they intend on killing the 30,000 wild horses and all they have to do now is tell us the public which slaughter plant there using and when there shipping the horse meat to France. I want to know when is enough, come on twelve horses, help me put this in the eye on the news and get the real people on board to stop this senseless killing of America’s animals for economic reasons. Animal abuse leads to human abuse its a known fact and we have to stop our government from promoting this suicide of America. for how you visit us wildhorsefoundation.org. God Bless America.
August 7th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
today in the Sacramento Bee paper the Washington Office of the BLM told the world how they intend on killing the 30,000 wild horses and all they have to do now is tell us the public which slaughter plant there using and when there shipping the horse meat to France.
“”While the agency has not decided on a method of euthanasia, BLM spokesman Tom Gorey said the top three possibilities would be shooting them, giving them a lethal dose of barbiturates or killing them with a bolt to the head, a method commonly used in slaughtering.”" This is another blunder of a government PR person really jumping off the cliff killing America. They leak this out unless they have the plan already stamped and in action.
I want to know when is enough, come on twelve horses, help me put this in the eye on the news and get the real people on board to stop this senseless killing of America’s animals for economic reasons. Animal abuse leads to human abuse its a known fact and we have to stop our government from promoting this suicide of America. for how you visit us wwww.wildhorsefoundation.org. God Bless America.
August 20th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
please type in the whole link into your browser,
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7242930&versio
n=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
help save these 33,000 while we can, contact Congressman Nick Rahall of west Virgina and voice your opinion loudly fats, the deadliy is coming fast.
August 24th, 2008 at 7:44 am
Bravo Ray Field!! My wife and I are activly involved in protesting the BLM horse slaughter. I have searched through many blogs about horses and this is the first one where anyone has said anything about this travesty. Wea have contacted just about everyone in the political stream who might be able to stop this. From President Bush on down. Isn’t President Bush a Texas Cowboy? Wouldn’t you think that this would rub him the wrong way? Anyway Thanks again and you can see some of our involvement at: http://www.arizonahomebiz.com/Bulletin.html
October 27th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Wild horses are indeed a part of our historic heritage. They need to be viewed as features on a cultural landscape and should be preserved whenever possible, jsut as other cultural resources and features are preserved.
October 27th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Nevada’s wild horses have been evicted from their herd management areas and penned by the thousands in order to give priority to cattle, mining, hunting and other lobbies that have the capability to make large donations to political campaigns. Unfortunately wild horse advocates, although thousands strong, are gathered in small organizations that haven’t the funds to influence the legislators in our state or our Congress to save these wonderful, intelligent, hardy and loyal American wild horses from ending up penned, mistreated or sold across the border into slaughter. BLM’s option to euthanize these animals needs to be taken off the table . . . now!
November 18th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
don’t forget folks, December 13, National Day of the Horse, the celebrated day of the horse, over a $100,000,000,000.00 with b as billion industry so why can’t we take this to the table and challenge the cattle industry. If you didn’t make it to the advisory board meeting you didn’t miss anything. Don Glenn of the BLM showed his Back side by the almighty budget taking in 42.9% of the BLM being in Washington alone, I don’t remember there being any wild horses but lots of ass’es in that office. My advice is don’t adopt any of those ass’es. they won’t come with shots or coggins. The advisory board meeting bascially said, “Kill the Horses”, thats it, thats simple. I say lets ride our wild horses or every horse on washington decemeber 13, down 1600 pennsylvania avenue, let ride folks. The arrorogance of the BLM is growing wider everyday. Don Glenn likes to tell people if you don’t like sue the BLM, well christmas is right around the corner and he can be sued personally. The people were talking. People want justice and they’re at the point where they’re looking to getting it and the courts are turning to help. New President means new ideas and new money support. My final thought is that the BLM is treating the wild horses worse off than any person will ever do.
November 21st, 2008 at 6:00 am
Good news! I posted the Washington Post article here - http://nvwildhorses.ning.com/forum/topics/a-dramatic-rescue-for-doomed - yesterday and people are already expressing their desires to help.
November 21st, 2008 at 6:43 am
While Mrs. Pickens has “declared” to take to wild horses, this isn’t done yet, she has no land and no plan. We all want the wild horses to go to homes, when they give to her, The Director of the BLM can do this “fee free” and if she is a non-profit she is entitled to the “Save the Mustang Money” from FORD which is $78,000 and change, she will get that to, she will need this with her money to feed. The Federal law still states she will only receive “title to 4 horses a year”. Its important to remember that the T. Boone Pickens plan is to put windgens on this area, they both can survive on it, during the Wild Horse Summit, Pickens stated she wanted land in northeast Nevada now its in Oklahoma, and when they get this land it will be water rich of course and T. Boone Pickens is rich for buying up and controlling water rights. The pipelines will run off this land for sure with water to Colorado.
Point being that saving the Wild Horse comes with a dual purpose tag but as long as she saves them and the BLM will be moniotoring them who cares, the last one now that if she takes these, EVERY Non-Profit in the world trying raise money for there cause for wild horses will loose there right because she will own every wild horse off the federal land and thats that. The only sanctuaries, us here at the Wild Horse Foundation included will survive because we have been protecting the wild horses for years. People can come and see these and know America’s Legacy is still alive and living.
Finally, even at the meeting I have spoken out loud and told everyone that the wild horses have to move out from the west to the east, more grass, cheaper hay and water is plentiful. Now the Pickens have said it and now you’ve heard again. Wake up folks, it will take the “Pickens Plan” a year to get done and that means another $37,000.000.00 to feed and care for them from us in the meanwhile. What a deal!