FW: [VeganWay] SAVE LAST OF THE WILD HORSES IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO

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aVoiceForTheVoiceless [bevegantoo]

Friday, 10 November 2000 07:45

VeganWay

[VeganWay] SAVE " LAST OF THE WILD HORSES " IN NORTHERN NEW

MEXICO

 

 

Source: Wild Horse & Burro Freedom Alliance

 

http://www.savewildhorses.org/newmexicohorses.htm

 

October 22, 2000

 

Horse Lovers Bulletin

 

The following bulletin needs to be circulated

among as many people as possible.

 

Please use e-mail, fax machines, letters, and word

of mouth to spread the message.

 

Please share your ideas and actions so that we may

accomplish our goal of protecting the wild horses of

Northern New Mexico.

 

 

Attention: Horse Lovers

Help us preserve the ‘Last of the Wild Horses’ in

Northern New Mexico.

 

An action is underway by the district ranger of the

El Rito District of the Carson National Forest to

irradicate all but 12 or 14 of the wild horse

population living within the 54,866 acre La Jarita

Mesa Wildhorse territory.

 

We need to educate and bring attention to an

important issue taking place in Northern New Mexico at

this moment.

A recently discovered herd of wild horses within

the Carson National Forest have been positively

identified as descendants of the Spanish horses

brought to the Americas by Juan de Onate in and around

1598. Blood tests done by the University of Kentucky

have verified the ‘Spanish Markers’ found in some of

these horses. These horses are in danger of being

removed to

the point of extinction through mismanagement by the

El Rito Forest Service. It is our belief that this

action is in conjunction with a few cattle permitees

who want to eliminate these horses to enable them to

run more privately owned cattle on the ‘legally

designated wild horse reserve.

 

Unless action is taken by the public immediately, the

district ranger of the El Rito Ranger District will

proceed with his plan to use water traps, feed traps,

helicopters, tranquilizers, in order to remove these

horses from the wild. These horses would be subject to

being destroyed in the most ‘humane and cost efficient

manner possible’.

 

This is not acceptable!!!!!!

 

 

At question here is the right of these horses to

exist in an already designated ‘Wildhorse Territory”.

 

By the all accounts the herd of wild horses on the

Jarita Mesa Wildhorse Territory may actually number

between 40 and 100 horses. These horses share the land

with elk, deer, and permitted cattle. The elk and deer

are legally hunted. Unfortunately there have been

numerous stories of people finding horses from this

herd shot dead, some left as bear bait. Suspicion

falls on the ranchers in the area who believe the land

belongs to them. Truth is the land belongs to the

American people and the horses have a right to be

there.

 

It is time for the El Rito Ranger District to do

their job and protect these animals rather then

‘irradicate’ them. Why does the District Ranger want

to euthanize these horses if he can’t find a suitable

wild horse territory to remove them to? They are

already on a suitable territory legally designated as

a ‘Wild Horse Reserve. Does this make any sense to

you? Only if you are a local cattle rancher who does

not want to share the 56,866 acre Wildhorse Territory

within Carson National Forest with less then 100

horses (it may be less then 50).

 

These La Jarita Mustangs represent one more place

where the past is kept alive in the present. We should

honor these horses as part of our history as the U.S.

government intended. This land has been put aside by

our government for these wild horses to be free to

roam within. At the moment there is a single District

ranger who wants to change the fate of these animals

by declaring them a danger to the vegetation in the

area and professes a need to remove them. Private

interest seems be playing a part in his decision. Well

now it is time for some Public Interest.

 

At present the El Rito District Ranger plans to begin

reducing the existing herd of wild and free roaming

horses commencing initial capture in 2001. There are

alternative ways of dealing with the situation that

must be discussed , reviewed, and approved by the

people of New Mexico. Please participate. We need your

help.

 

In conjunction with the ‘Wild Horse and Burro

Freedom Alliance’ we have requested specific

information from District Ranger Kurt L. Winchester

pertaining to the relationship between the wild horse

herd, the cattle grazing, the vegetation and all

existing management plans. There has been no response

to date from a June 20th request.

 

The Alliance is a coalition of 16 organizations with

a combined membership of over 9 million members

dedicated to the preservation of wild, free roaming

horses and burros on our public land.

 

We now must take action to prevent this proposed

action from beginning in 2001. Beginning with letters

and calls to:

 

 

Bruce Babbit

Secretary of the Interior

1849 C Street NW

Washington, DC 20240

(interior)

 

 

Pat Shea

Bureau of Land Mngt.

Washington, DC 20240

(202)-208-3801

 

Pete Domenici

U.S. Senator

120 S. Federal Place #302

Santa Fe, N.M. 87501

(505) 346-6791

senator_domenici

 

 

Please e-mail copies of this to as many people as

possible!!!

 

 

Jeff Bingaman

U.S. Senator

119 E. Marcy St #101

Santa Fe, N.M. 87501

(505) 988-6647

senator_bingaman

 

 

Eleanor Townds ***

USDA Forest Service Region III

517 Gold Ave SW

Albuquerque, N.M. 87012

(505) 842-3292

 

Gilbert Vigil ***

Carson National Forest

208 Cruz Alta Rd

Taos, N.M. 87571

(505) 758-6200

 

Jicarilla Ranger District ***

664 E. Broadway

Bloomfield, N.M. 87413

(505) 632-2956

 

Public Horse Enemy #1 ***

Kurt L. Winchester District Ranger

El Rito Ranger District

PO Box 56 El Rito, N.M. 87530

(505) 581-4554

(This is the gentlemen who has put forth the proposal.

In our opinion, under the pressure of private

interests.)

 

 

We need petitions, loud voices, energy, volunteers,

letter writers, phone callers, celebrities,

information, ideas, and your help.

To exchange info e-mail: Lajaritamustang

 

*** important local people to contact

 

 

Sample Letter:

 

date: ________

_____________

 

It has been brought to my attention that the El Rito

Ranger District has put forth a proposed action (dated

June 16, 2000 file code 1950/2200) taking effect in

2001, designed to reduce the existing herd of wild

free-roaming horses now living within the Jarita Mesa

Wildhorse Territory.

 

I am adamantly opposed to this plan and would like to

see an alternative management plan put together after

a proper study, exchange of information, (which has

not been supplied to date although requested from Kurt

Winchester, District Ranger, on June 20, 2000), and an

open dialog held with members of the ‘Wild Horse and

Burro Freedom Alliance’.

 

The survival and maintenance of the La Jarita Mustangs

should take priority over the private interests of the

cattle ranchers in the area. Anybody inflicting harm

on any member of this herd should be held responsible

according to the law.

 

The goal is to insure the preservation of the wild

horses in Northern New Mexico on the legally

designated Wild Horse Reserve on La Jarita Mesa.

 

It is with great concern I urge you to take immediate

action towards these ends. With initial capture of

these wild horses proposed to begin in 2001 there is

little time left and strong action must be taken.

 

A concerned citizen and taxpayer,

 

 

 

" Let The Wild Stay Free " Petition

 

1) To preserve the ‘Last of the Wild Horses’ in

Northern New Mexico on their Legal Designated Wild

Horse Reserve on the La Jarita Mesa.

 

2) To veto the proposed action put forth from the

El Rito Ranger District concerning the reduction of

the wild horses in the Jarita Mesa Wildhorse Territory

located in Carson National Forest.. ( file code

1950/2260 )

 

3) To have the Forest Service create an alternative

management plan to protect these wild horses and to

provide maintenence and programs to further the goal

of continued freedom for these horses to live on the

La Jarita Reserve and to enforce laws to protect these

animals.

 

(petition is available at:

http://www.savewildhorses.org/newmexicohorses.htm )

 

Please mail signed petitions to:

Northern New Mexico Spanish Colonial Horse Registry

PO Box 156 Abiquiu, NM 87510

or e-mail to: Lajaritamustang

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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