THIS WEEK IN WILD BEAUTY: September 10th, 2022
The Wild Beauty Foundation welcomes you to the seventeenth edition of our weekly newsletter!
Read the newest wild horse and burro focused headlines for the week of September 10th, 2022
Next Weekend: Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West World Premiere
Watch the Official Teaser Video here!
Mark your calendars; next Sunday, September 18th, the world premiere of our documentary Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West kicks off at the Breckenridge Film Festival in Colorado!
Join us at 2:30 PM in the Eclipse Theatre to be one of the first to view our film on the big screen. Be swept into an immersive experience of beauty and wildness as we follow the story of America’s wild horses; you won’t want to miss it.
You can purchase tickets to the event now on BreckFilm.org. We can’t wait to see you there!
Wild Beauty’s next stops on the festival circuit are Boston Film Festival on September 23rd, followed by Newport Beach Film festival and Fort Lauderdale International Film Festivals in October and November. Be sure to follow our social media and the documentary film page to see if our documentary will be screening in a city near you!
BLM Targets Iconic and Beloved South Steens Horses with Mass Removal
The Bureau of Land Management will begin the helicopter roundup of one of the nation’s most colorful and robust herds, the South Steens horses of eastern Oregon. Famous for their splashy colors and outstanding physical conformation, the South Steens horses are a favorite of advocates, tourists, and photographers around the world.
According to the BLM, the operation, which begins on September 10, will remove approximately 500 horses, returning approximately 50 to the range, including up to 25 mares treated with Zonastat-H fertility control. This will leave approximately 780 horses on the range. The agency claims the operation is necessary to prevent “undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands,” yet there is no mention of the impacts of livestock grazing on the HMA. The management plan for the South Steens horses was written back in 2015 and has not been updated to allow for changes in herd and range conditions, and it specifically excludes the removal of livestock as an HMA management option.
We appreciate Save Our Wild Horses for sharing the below graphics with us. These detailed fact sheets can tell you more about what is happening in the South Steens HMA.
Three Re-Appointments to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Announced
This week, the BLM announced three reappointments to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. This comes just less than a month before the advisory board is set to hold a meeting presenting recommendations on how to manage our nation’s wild horses and burros. These members will serve another three-year term on the board and work alongside the BLM to develop management techniques for the animals.
The first member reappointed to her second term is Ms. Celeste Carlisle. Carlisle’s position on the board is in the category of Wild Horse and Burro Advocacy. According to the BLM’s press release, Carlisle has “more than 10 years of field biology and equine management experience, and currently serves as the Biologist and Science Program Manager for the wild horse sanctuary and advocacy organization Return to Freedom.” In addition to this, Carlisle has a B.S. in equine animal science from Oregon State University and a B.A. in biology from the University of California.
While we at WBF are encouraged to see the wild horse and burro advocacy position filled by a group with a focus on wild horse advocacy, we hope the BLM will eventually appoint a representative from a wild horse advocacy group that didn’t play a part in the creation of the “Path Forward,” the policy document that supports the agency’s current campaign of mass removals and incarceration. WBF feels that the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board needs to include advocates who support the humane management of wild equines on the range that doesn’t include removing them to accommodate commercial livestock. We encourage advocates with expertise in wild horses and public lands, and who are committed to on-range solutions, to continue seeking appointments to the Advisory Board.
The second reappointment, also serving his second term, is Dr. Thomas Lenz. The press release states that Dr. Lenz has worked for over 40 years as an equine practitioner and is a leading expert in the field of equine sciences. He is also the founding chair of the Unwanted Horse Coalition. Lenz will be serving in the category of equine medicine. We are concerned with Dr. Lenz’s many years of supporting the slaughter of horses and his continued opposition to the SAFE Act, which would protect American equines from being sold for slaughter in foreign meat plants for human consumption abroad.
The final reappointment is Dr. Barry Perryman, a member also serving his second term in the category of public interest. The BLM release describes Perryman as “an accomplished writer and passionate advocate for responsible management of public lands. He teaches Rangeland Ecology and Management at the University of Nevada-Reno where he serves as the Department Chair for Agriculture, Veterinary and Rangeland Sciences, College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources. Perryman has earned a Ph.D. and a M.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Management from the University of Wyoming, and a B.S. in Agronomy from Abilene Christian University.” Dr. Perryman is a vocal proponent of the mindset that labels wild horses and burros as “feral” and “invasive,” and for mass roundups to accommodate cattle and sheep.
Photograph by Sandy Sharkey
This Week’s Calls To Action
Submit Your Public Comments to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board
Tuesday, October 4, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. PT
Wednesday, October 5, from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. PT
Thursday, October 6, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. PT
Additionally, written comments should be emailed to the Advisory Board three days prior to the meeting at:
whbadvisoryboard@blm.gov.
Comments emailed three days prior to the meeting will be considered during the meeting.
Find more information on how you can submit your comment here.
WBF’s 2nd Annual Short Story Contest’s Equine-Loving Celebrity Reader: Alisha Newton
WBF is proud to announce that actor, Alisha Newton, will be joining us for the first time as a Celebrity Reader for our Second Annual Short Story Contest!
Alisha Newton is best known for her role as Georgie on CBC’s hit equine drama, Heartland. Newton appeared in film and television in her youth before booking a lead in the well-established series at the age of 10. Since then, she has starred in “The Tree that Saved Christmas”, “When Calls the Heart”, and “The Hollow”, among several more upcoming projects.
Alisha grew up around horses, and her time on the film set only amplified her horse girl bug. She has become an avid equestrian since joining Heartland and currently competes in show jumping events in Canada and the United States during her time off. She trains throughout the year with her two horses, Aflame and Diva, who she has formed amazing bonds with.
We are so happy to have Newton read one of the brilliantly written stories by our winners this year!
Keep writing your stories!
The deadline to enter is October 31st, 2022 so be sure to get your stories in by then so they can be considered by our wonderful panel of judges. To learn more about the short story contest or submit your story, visit our website!
BLM Begins Roundup Efforts of the Calico Complex
In Humboldt County, Nevada another large-scale helicopter roundup is set to begin this weekend. The Calico Complex, made up of the Black Rock Range, Calico Mountains, Granite Range McGee Mountain, and Warm Springs Canyon Herd Management Areas, accounts for over 580,000 acres of public land allocated for wild horses.
According to the BLM’s “Appropriate Management Levels” the total number of horses in the complex should be no more than 952. With four HMAs included in this complex, that leaves each one with an extremely low population number of approximately 230 wild horses. Due to these low, and scientifically unproven AMLs, the BLM plans to round up a whopping 1,076 wild horses and release only 40 mares back into the wild after fertility control treatment.
While reciting the same, repeated script to justify each roundup the BLM announced that they will begin the helicopter drive on or about Saturday, September 10th, 2022.
This is yet another failure of our government officials to grant wild horses the protection they deserve. We support transparency for the management processes that the BLM implements and urge the community to stand with wild horses and condemn the use of low-flying helicopters in wild horse and burro management.
You can read more about the upcoming roundup here.
BLM to Round Up Wild Horses from Oregon Private Property
This week, the Bureau of Land Management announced plans to conduct a bait and trap gathering of wild horses off private property adjacent to the Pokegama HMA.
According to the press release, a private landowner requested their removal after they had ventured off of public HMA land. At this time, there is no estimate to how many horses are set to be removed. The BLM claims that the Appropriate Management Level for the HMA is 30-50 horses, despite an already low population of 230 horses currently living on the land.
The Pokegama herd are forest-dwelling horses with distinct and unique physical adaptations that make them unlike any other herd in the country. In the past, Pokegama horses removed by the government were highly sought-after by mustang enthusiasts in Germany. The danger of ongoing removals is that the Pokegama herd will be so severely reduced in number that their genetic viability will be jeopardized.
While they do not plan to use helicopter methods to round up these horses, any complete removal of wild horses from these lands could be potentially damaging to the population of the herd in the neighboring HMA. If possible, we believe these animals should be relocated back into the HMA to prevent overcrowding in holding facilities and give the horses another chance at freedom.
You can read more about this roundup on the BLM’s website.
Introducing the Wild Beauty Boutique
The Wild Beauty Foundation is delighted to announce the launch of our very own online shop, the Wild Beauty Boutique! All proceeds benefit The Wild Beauty Foundation, and our work on behalf of wild horses and our upcoming educational programs for children.
Browse our new selection of wild horse-themed apparel, home goods, and accessories while protecting, preserving, and supporting wild horses in the process.
Shop the Wild Beauty Boutique
Show your support of our foundation by proudly wearing our official WBF shirts. You’ll be able to represent WBF every day of the week!
Ready to go out onto the range? Pour a cup of coffee in our “Out Search for Wild Horses” camping mug and experience the beauty of our wild world for yourself! The Wild Beauty Boutique also has a variety of exciting home goods and accessories. From doormats, cutting boards, phone cases and more.
Take home a little piece of our WILD BEAUTY: Mustang Spirit of the West documentary by shopping our “Treasures from the Journey” collection. These unique, one-of-a-kind pieces were collected from small roadside shops and antique stores as we traveled around the country during filming.
By shopping at the Wild Beauty Boutique, you are helping to save a wild horse from a life in a holding facility, help a wild mustang to stay wild, and push an overall campaign to end the helicopter roundups once and for all. We at WBF thank you for your continued strength in standing with wild horses.
Keep an eye out for special discounts and offers included in upcoming newsletters!
Glimpse of Wild Beauty
This stunning image of a Wyoming wild horse by Kimerlee Curyl empowers us to rise against injustice and stand by our equine friends to create significant change.
henrydallalphotography/PA Wire/Shutterstock
A Quote to Graze On
“When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat;
instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”
– Queen Elizabeth II
Wise words from Queen Elizabeth II as we at WBF mourn the loss of a passionate horse lover and advocate for equine welfare.
Thank you for being a supporter of wild horses, and protecting the wild beauty of our world.
– The WBF Team
#istandwithwildhorses #wildbeautyspirit
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