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WHOA Requests Stay of Wild Horse Roundup at El Rito in Carson National ForestBelow is the letter WHOA submitted to the US National Forest at their public meeting in El Rito, NM on April 11, 2003. WHOA is still awaiting a response to this letter. Reference:
To: US Forest Service in NM (FS) This is essentially what was sent to our NM and US Representatives. Please provide WHOA with written answers to these questions if possible. The 3 points which WHOA is asking for a stay are as follows; I. SMJ96 was passed almost unanimously by Senate and House asking for a study of how to preserve and protect our wild horses. II. FS apparently not honoring/following their Environmental Assessment (EA). III. FS apparently not honoring/following the 1971 Free Roaming Act.
I. SMJ96: This bill asks for a study including all the appropriate agencies, tribal governments, and wild horse advocates on how to protect and preserve the wild horses of NM. a. This document has been signed by the officers of the New Mexico State Senate and the New Mexico House of Representatives”. This study is to be completed by the second session of the Forty-Sixth Legislature. SMJ96 authored by Joan Fenicle of WHOA and sponsored by Senator Komadina (See page 11). II. The Forest Service (FS) appears to not be following the Environmental Assessment as follows. a. The EA states that “The maximum number of wild horses that have been present in the HERD USE AREA (2001) over the last 30 years is about 60 head. Therefore it is unlikely that the population will reach 120 to 150 horses, based on historic data”. See page 5. i. The FS now estimates that during these drought conditions for the FIRST time in ever, these horses have multiplied up to 80 to 100. See page 12. ii. The FS 2002 data base showed 50 horses per Gene Onken at the Regional Office. iii. The Capture Contract states most recently they found 33 on one count and 63 on another. See page 7. b. The methods of round-up in the EA are in a table See page 4. The FS is using the third method “Push wild horses into traps with helicopters”. The conditions listed required for this method to be used are “Winters with sufficient snow conditions”. i. There is no snow there now. ii. The winter method of chasing horses into traps versus luring with food or water into traps is being used. See Capture Contract page 8. III. The 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act. a. There are 7 Wild Horse territories in NM. See email from Gene Onken pages 9 & 10. Of the 7 Territories there are horses on only 3 of these. The two not listed are Mesa de Las Viejas and Bandalier (which also have no horses and may have been taken off the list for a legitimate reason for which I was not yet supplied the information on). b. It appears that Forest Service is not managing these horses per the spirit of this law. These desired populations are below what is required to maintain viable genetics. Experts say 70-150 horses required.
As a point of interest/question there are many more cattle than horses allowed on these “Wild Horse territories” even those with no horses. There is also no percentage or relationship across the territories, of the ratio of horses to cattle. See graph page 14. Sincerely, Patience O’Dowd PS. FUTURE ALTERNATIVES 1.The $29,000 for the capture contract to out of state contractors could have been better spent buying cattle permits of those that volunteer to sell. WHOA knows of two who together have 36 cattle “permits” on Jarita Mesa. One of these spoke up at the public meeting who has “permits” for 26 cattle. In the future, this option could be explored up-front, as a WIN-WIN solution for the ranchers, for the people of the state of New Mexico, AND for the horses. 2. Mine the wind and sun rather than the foliage. (Legislation required allowing PNM to buy this amount of energy, among other items.) Also a WIN-WIN. |
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