Bill Sponsors Corporate Real-estate Attorney Representative Matthew McQueen and $3Million Farm Bill Family Recipient and Welfare Rancher Pat Woods CHOOSE their “EXPERTS” Animal Protection of New Mexico (APNM/APV), who have campaigned year after year since 2017 to put New Mexico’s few remaining NM State’s Wild Horses under the jurisdiction of the NM Governor’s (Susanna Martinez and Governor Lujan-Grisham’s) lawless Wild Horse nemesis, the New Mexico Livestock Board.
Was this “expert” ignorant of this event which WHOA investigated? Or were they in the know on this horrific event attempting to push U.S. citizens, which are 83% opposed to horse slaughter, toward slaughter?
Under current law New Mexico Law NMSA 77-18-5, the Wild horses are already proactively allowed to be contracepted and their population numbers stablyzed, and they are able to be adopted if not Spanish Colonial (Over 80% probability), or relocated. The Phd Biologist in NM, a Wild Horse expert, was let go from the Mammals Division at UNM apparently as part of another act of Wild Horse sabotage, or, this was an illegal act of retaliation as the Mammals division is used as a Wild Horse technical expert reference in 77-18-5.
The state of NM CONTINUES to refuse to spend money on Wild Horse contraception or a Spanish Colonial Preserve and then complains, while they spend over $3Million on Game and “Non-Game” and buy land and ranches for them.
Representative McQueen like Senator Pat Woods continues to “mis-speak” or lie stating that the DNA for Spanish Colonial cannot be tested when they can and have been. See link below.
The two herds this bill are purported to address are not over-populating. One is stabilized at less than 200 utilizing contraception and the other is less than 100. WHOA has worked to provide 3 darters, for this second herd but has not been allowed by Lincoln County Commissioners yet.
A few typos and clarifications inserted herein. Sent on 9/24/24.
This CEASE and DESIST applies to ALL Hunting, Trapping, Shooting, Auctions anywhere of AZ, and NM Wild Horses as unauthorized livestock.
CEASE AND DESIST & MORATORIUM
+Treating Az and NM wildlife as livestock
+Treating Federally Wild Horses as livestock
+Treating Self Domesticated Wild Horses as feral.
+Treating a “feral” Horse as Non-Native or not Wild.
+Ignoring the necessary trophic cascade for Endangered Wolves.
+Putting out contracts for hunting and shooting cattle and/or horses together as unauthorized livestock.
+Looking the other way at “injuries”.
+Hiring pro-horse slaughter staff and using those with a clear Conflict of Interest in the Wild Horse and Burro Program.
+It is an illegal Conflict of Interest which has brought the Alpine Horses to this dangerous place where they are combined in extirpation contracts as indistinguishable bloody pests in a backwards range war which has invited dangerous and bloody terrorism toward the people’sWild Horses which both the state of Az and the USDA have fiduciary and legal duties to preserve and protect.
+Ignoring the American Fossil Records and up to date Science.
+Utilizing dangerous Police Actions against our Wild Horses under color of “Categorical Exclusion” when clearly this affects the human environment, Wild Horses, Safety, Controversy etc.
+Ignoring known Interested Parties which do not have a Conflict of Interest and do not make a living from Wild Horses or other wildlife.
+Denying the laws including those included herein including NEPA requirements for notifying Interested Parties.
+Discriminating against Wild Horse Advocates as a political class.
+Illegally Sabotaging, Hunting, trapping, and selling Alpine Wild Horses.
Wild Horse Observers Association (WHOA) was formed by Placitas, New Mexico community members to protect and preserve the remaining wild horses and their habitats in the areas of Placitas, New Mexico, the state of New Mexico, and all the United States. WHOA supports the preservation of wild horse family units (bands) and herds where they naturally roam. The members of WHOA observe, study, aesthetically enjoy and derive recreational value from wild horses.
WHOA supports the humane treatment of wild horses and the preservation of their natural habitat. Wild horses that have been illegally removed from their natural habitats should be returned and allowed to resume their wild existence. WHOA supports the maintenance and re-creation of wildlife corridors to afford wild horses and other wild animals the freedom to roam in their natural expanses of territory.
American wild horses evolved on this continent and were re-introduced by the Europeans. Today, American wild horses no longer have the full benefit of their natural predators of mountain lions, bears, bobcats and wolves, due to man’s impact. Accordingly, WHOA supports the use of PZP, a non-toxic immuno-contraceptive.
WHOA works with government, private and non-profit groups to find solutions to the problems faced by wild horses, including diminishment of their territories, removal from their open spaces, and slaughter. WHOA advocates that the existence of wild horses can be used for heritage tourism.
WHOA’s Mission now includes:
WHOA is a nonpartisan organization that works to defend and preserve the rights and liberties of all animal advocates in the United States, Tribal, Pueblo, and Sovereign Nations.
Defend the rights of all animal advocates nationwide
Protect civil liberties of all animal advocates nationwide
Defend and Advance equity and equal protection and due process for all animal advocates
Preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and the laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country
Defend their right to free expression and free assembly
WHOA’s work includes advocacy, education, litigation, legislative lobbying, organizing, and communications. Activities include: Preservation of Biodiversity including Native Predators and their trophic cascade, including Native Ungulates. Work to mitigate Climate Change for animals no matter the cause nature or mankind.
The Wild Horse Observers Association Filed Suit in Defense of NM State’s Protected Wild Horses on Nov. 20, 2023with change of venu accomplished on 5/13/2024.
versus NMLB, Sandoval County Commissioners, Sandoval Sheriff Jessie James Casaus, and three citizens
For details of the Wild Horse Family Theft and more, against the laws of New Mexico and against the need for biodiversity and the overwhelming intrinsic and spiritual will of its peoples, see WHOA’s complaint below and or use the download buttons at top or bottom.
WHOA* is an allvolunteer non-profit corporation (501 c3) and takes no salariessince 2004.
WHOA notes that New Mexico media miseducates the public as to these protections routinely through time: 1) Regardless of WHOA’s passed legislation of 2007 with Senator Steve Komadina MD to legislatively protect these wild horses. 2) Regardless of WHOA’s Appellate Court Wins upholding this law of 2007 and 3) Regardless of WHOA’s yearly wins against green-washed Kill-Bills carried yearly by those who have a conflict of interest with the Farm Bill $$, Corporate Developement, Developement, etc. Those working against NM’s Wild Horses include the Department of Interior’s Deb Haaland, an “animal protection” group with a clean green name for wide-spread corrupt NM legislators to hide their cruelty votes behind.
Posted inUncategorized|Comments Off on NM State’s Wild Horses Are Legally Protected since 2007 and are therefore subject to the NM Animal Cruelty Law and the NM Fence Out Law as upheld by the NM Appellate Court.
It is an abusive and illegal RUSE against the 86% and against NM’s Protected Wild Horses, all for a Highway and Development on Federal Public Lands through Placitas, La Madera, and Puertecito without Due Process.
By Patience O’Dowd, president, Wild Horse Observers Association (WHOA) 10/2/2023
Ordinance 5-24-23.1 to BAN Water/Assistance to “FREE ROAMING HORSES” does not apply to Wild Horses.
WHY? Because Sandoval County did not want to be sued for something it has no jurisdiction to do. It is a RUSE for a Highway and a Development-Crime-Ring, folks. Counties do not have jurisdiction over wildlife AND it is not codefied in Sandoval County Animal Control Ordinance. Not even after September 1, 2023 as planned and as announced. Please continue to live your lives without fear of criminalization or fines.
Placitans have been terrorized all year by draconian threats to criminalize and jail elderly Placitans (to selectively harm Wild Horses and their advocates) and more. ALL with no legal basis beyond our ill-placed trust as Americans in our local government.
My goal for this article is to relieve some of the REAL STRESS caused by the Sandoval County government, in this instant case, nothing less than a Development/Developer-Crime-Ringagainst 86% of Placitans. Law abiding, tax paying Placitans with an average age of 60 have been harrassed all year by our County Manager Wayne Johnson, County Attorney Michael Eshleman, and County Sheriff Jessie James Casaus and their fellows on the County Commision. They picked up the shovel of dirt that our State “representatives” Senator Brenda McKenna and Representative Matthew McQueen were not able to pass at the 2023 legislative session (Senate Bill 301).
Instead, Sandoval County, without jurisdiction over wildlife, pounded us with a choreographed faux Ordinance in an abusive and authoritarian police-state manner. A three-ring circus, harming the innocent and the innocent constituents.
Our NM media from the Albuquerque Journal to the NM TV News to the local Sandoval County Signpost keep this information well hidden with false storiesabout Wild Horses, written by professional journalists. Their stories convincingly imply these horses are not legally protected, that they are starving, that their population is not managed, that they are causing all/many accidents; and each story implies that Our NM Media really cares! Sorry. They dupe meticulously and repeatedly.
Who and what caused four(4) recent seperate vehicle and road rage human fatalities in Placitas?Hint: Not the Wild Horses!
See section below titled: No HUMAN Vehicular Deaths in Placitasinvolving Wild Horses.
Twenty Twenty Three (2023), the year our government which is under oath to serve us, without bias, pursuant to NM Article XX, Section 1, has instead, endangered and all but detroyed some of their constituent’s lives. One good citizen’s son sold her house right out from under her to protect her from abusers, criminalization and jail — by getting her out of Placitas, essentially against her druthers. I am sorry and I hope she will move back. I know her, and what she has joyously and bravely lived for is the commune with nature here, in this Willdlife Corridor and the Sandia Mountains.
This is the beautiful Sandia Mountain Wildlife Corridor. During drought, compassionate citizens of Placitas, La Madera, Puertecito, and San Pedro Creek Estates, and around the mountain are literally asked and expected to water wildlife, including Bears, etc. However, Placitans are being terrorized and tricked against their personal and community morals into not helping the Wild Horses they enjoy and coexist with so that the State and Sandoval County can move forward with the non-transparent developement-ring’s plans and the illegal lack of due process on the Buffalo Tract. Note: The USDA FS appears to have been a party to wiping out wildife at the Sandia Mountain through intent and negligence regarding upkeep of springs and no provisions for drinkers/guzzlers.
Our Sheriff Jessie James Casaus has conflicts of interest that he has not mentioned. Was Sheriff Casaus setting up another woman in her sixties when he told her to go ahead on the “D.L.” (Down Low) and ignore the Ordinance? This is recorded. Or, does Sheriff Casaus just realize that this Ordinance is naught but a HOAX? Of course.
Thanks largely to NON-TRANSPARENT and Out-of-State Developers trying to DESTROY the Sandia Wildlife Corridor, with no due process, virtually every new Senator and/or Representative for this area works (outside the law) to find a Wild Horse “solution.” Solution for what? These Wild Horses are already under contraceptive population management (due to natural predator wipe-out) under the proactive preservation law NMSA 77-18-5. This law understands and navigated the rampant Conflicts of Interest in NM. The law which WHOA passed with Senator Komadina in 2007.
What they mean by “solution” is a “look good” way to get rid of Wild Horses by downgrading them from Wild Horse to “Free Roaming Horses,” or to “Dumped Horses.” This, to illegally deny preservation and to allow jurisdiction (and wipe out) by any political subdivision of the State with a Conflict of Interest who can hire a “look good” “equine expert” for political cover. They claim Saftey reasons against these peaceful herbivores or “range management” issues of private-property-yards! Ha!
By the way, feeding only preserves vegetation, makes up for pavement, drought, climate change and decreases concern about vegetation. Moreover, the mowing action of Wild Horses reduces ladder/vegatation height and decreases hazard of wild fire. With upper front teeth, unlike rumiunants, horses mow, they do not pull plants out by the roots as do ruminants (Cattle, Elk, Deer, Sheep, Antelope, Goats).
See below, excerpts of Sandoval County’s corrected and updated (in accordance with State Law NMSA 77-18-5) named “2019 planned Sandoval County Animal Control Ordinance,” Section 4.9 Prohibited Activites. a) They admit that prohibitions against “running at large” do not apply to Protected Wildlife. c) They admit that prohibitions against animals disturbing the peace do not apply to Protected Wildlife. e) They further admit that impounding Protected Wildlife is illegal.
This is after they admit they should have updated their animal contol section in 2007 when WHOA and Senator Komadina passed the Wild Horse Protection and Preservation law. This is the law, whether they update their Animal Ordinance or not and they are not above the law which they fully undertand as upheld in the courts and on the books since 2007.
They also admit to the definition of a Wild Horse.
SANDOVAL COUNTY OFFICIALS ALSO KNEW AND CRIED OFTEN about SB301 being Tabled, meaning not passed at legislature.
Representative McQueen and Senator Brenda McKenna’s Bad Bill Senate Bill 301 (SB301) (2023) was TABLED 6 to 2 on March 7, 2023. Therefore, NMSA 77-18-5 is still the law of the land since 2007.
However, Sandoval County went ahead and tricked, abused, and harassed their consituents with the faux ORDINANCE regarding “Free Roaming Horses,” which was not law.
It was all revoltingly choreographed by both parties led by former NM STATE AUDITOR WAYNE JOHNSON(R) and pushed by COUNTY COMMISSIONERS KATHLEEN BRUCH(D) AND LUJAN GRISHAM APPOINTEE COMMISIONER JOSHUA JONES(D).
Presumptively, Representative McQueen doesn’t want wolves to compete with rancher’s livetock or hunter’s game animals or people’s pets. Without a plan for their diet, there is no real plan for re-intoduction. At the same time McQueen worked a Green-Washed, Indian-Washed plan, to wipe-out NM’s native Wild Horses which are the natural native PREY of our re-introduced native wolf.
SENATOR MCKENNA also sponsored SB301 in 2023 and sponored or supported three other BAD Bills in 2021: SB111, SB385, and SB32. WHOA fought them successfully and had SB32 (Roxy’s Law) amended to disallow illegal trapping of wild horses and defeated the others.
Senator McKenna sponsored another Bad Bill/constitutional amendment SJR2 in 2022 that WHOA worked to defeat. The Speaker of the House also joined in to defeat SJR2 the faux “Green Amendment” that if the people voted for through false advertisement, would have deleted our Green Amendment of 1971 Article XX, Section 21, and thus our Wild Horse Preservation Bill of 2007 as well as our other clean air and water protection bills, etc., passed since 1971!
Both Senator McKenna and Representative McQueen have been working to wipe out the Placitas horses from the moment they each won in our District. They have both used LOOK GOOD Bills and “Experts” who admit to knowing nothing about Wild Horses and are aligned with the Cattle Growers. These experts include both the NMLB and a group with an ANIMAL PROTECTION name that is, however, aligned with the Cattle Growers. Thus, legislators of both parties hide their cruel preservation-wipe-out votes behind LOOK GOOD experts with LOOK GOOD NAMES, while claiming they do not understand the bill. This is systemic corruption that has been occurring since at least 2017.
Like Representative McQueen (District 50), Senator McKenna (District 9) also claims to be pro-wildlife as a Director of “Wildlife For ALL,” but admits she knows nothing about Wild Horses. However, despite this admission, and with no basis, she has also claimed that the Placitas Wild Horses were dumped in Placitas in 2007. She additionally claimed, with no basis, that the Wild Horses are not native. However, we believe McKenna’s 2007 claim was to enable Sandoval County Planning and Zoning changes.
Senator McKenna herself was also surprisingly abusive to citizens and shockingly authoritarian, while completely ignoring civility and basic rights to due process. Commissioner Kathleen Bruch was also present, and condoned Senator McKenna’s shocking behavior. (Video-Recorded.)
STEFANIE GARCIA RICHARDS, NM STATE LANDS COMMISIONER
Stephanie Garcia Richards has also been part of the many plots to get the Placitas Wild Horses off the Buffalo Tract (BLM Lands) and out of Placitas, to allow for Highway/Development/Gravel Mining in this Wildlife Corridor.
Our State Representatives claim Safety Issues and together with Sandoval County/ Sandoval County Sheriff are the cause of Safety Issues:
1) Safety Issues with No KNOWN SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS? Other than a plan to kill the wildlife in the Wildlife Corridor against the will of the people and the Placitas Area Plan. This plan includes the USDA FS and Sandoval County. Wink Wink!
No HUMAN Vehicular Deaths in Placitasinvolving Wild Horses.
Wild Humans in Placitas have caused at least four (4) violent and tragic deaths in the last 6 years. However, there have been no deaths due to Wild Horses in Placitas since 1987 when the writer moved to Placitas, NM.
1) In September of 2017 a Sandoval County Sheriff’s officer tragically but accidentally backed over a Placitas female on her property and killed her while responding to a call from herself and her husband.
2) Placitas resident Attorney Paul S. Livingston who was advocating against Gravel Mining on the Buffalo Tract was killed by a driver under the influence of Alcohol in 2017. See the signage dedicated to him below.
Sign on Rt. 165 near the location of the intentional Wild Horse hit by a Dually Truck the first week of legislature 2023. WHOA will pay $10K for evidence leading to the arrest of the driver of the offending Dually Truck. Bad Bill SB301 was planned/plotted ALL year, throughout 2022, but was not filed at 2023 legislature (for lack of a Safety excuse) until AFTER this hit that was then falsely attributed to a small car although the double skid marks show otherwise. Falsification of a certified government document is a felony.
3) A local Placitas man was killed driving a motorcycle at night, no helmet, speed involved, 2018.
4)A road rage stabbing death in the Historic Village of Placitas – Road rage due to percieved speeding and associated road rage from being asked to slow down on a local road marked 10 mile per hour in June 2019. This was covered in the local “paper.”
Historic Village of Plactas
Malicious Negligence
IF there is ever a human death due to Deer, Coyotes, Bears, or Wild Horses in Placitas or at I-25, it will be due to malicious negligence of the Governors, NMDOT, and Sandoval County, et al., with intent and refusal of:
3) known mechanical safety improvements, including,
4) functional cattle guards, and
5) fencing,
while stressing the elderly in Placitas (average age of 60) with criminalization for being kind to the wildlife they coexist with on their own property regarding this faux Ordinance.
Or they will be blamed for choosing not to make real mechanical improvents because the wildlife crashes (hits/mile/10yr) in Placitas clearly do not rise to the level of a HOT SPOT per the 2022 Wild Life Corridor Action Report, See Appendices C and E. If so, this faux Ordinance is again undue harassment of Wild Horse Advocates and protected Wild Horses. However, not being a top hot spot is no excuse not to have a Cattle Guard at the interection of Rt. 165 and I-25.
See page ES-5 of the link above for the Wildlife Corridor Action Report. “The WVC hotspot modeling resulted in identification of 60 WVC hotspots across the state, totaling 349 miles of NMDOT roads. The hotspots ranged in size from 1 to 34 miles. The number of wildlife crashes per mile per 10 years ranged from 17.6 for the top hotspot to 1.0 for the 50th to 60th hotspots. The hotspots were selected based on sheer numbers of wildlifevehiclecrashes per mile. Deer (both mule and white-tailed deer) were overwhelmingly the topanimals involved within the hotspots, with 2,579 reported crashes (2009-2018); the hotspotswere therefore largely located where these two species were reported to be involved in crashes. Elk were the second most often involved wild animal within the hotspots, with 737 reported crashes in the database. There were 118 reported black bear mortalities and 13 cougar mortality data points in the 60 hotspots. . .”
Those guilty will be: Governor(s), NMDOT, Sandoval County, and the USDA FS working jointly to kill off the wildlife by thirst and cause accidents with intent, as their “solution” is an inhumane political RUSE and is not a Safety Remedy.It is neither a proven or standard traffic accident remedy nor is it scientific. Moreover, it is against the will of the people in this beautiful and important Wildlife Corridor, and all moving to Placitas know upfront that it is a Wildlife Corridor.
WILDLIFE CORRIDOR Next 6 Miles.
Near this Wildlife Corridor Signage in Placitas at mile 3 is a cattle guard leading to the USDA FS lands and Wilderness Area. This cattle guard is defunct and Deer or Wild Horses can pass through and go all the way to I-25 where there is no cattle guard unlike everywhere else along I-25.
DEER HITS in Placitas. Despite NMDOT Wildlife Corridor Signage gained by WHOA and an Attorney about 13 years ago, the NMDOT/USDA FS fencing here is useless given that the cattle guards are completely filled in with decades of dirt.
The NM Wildlife Corridors Action Plan published 6/2022. See page 6-191 (this is one page folks, not 185 pages like it sounds) showing Deer hits on Rt. 165 in Placitas from I-25 to the back of the mountain. (See red diamonds above for Deer Hits.) In this report one can also SEE how much Money is spent elsewhere on Wildlife Corridor safety — it is an astounding contrast.
Understand that the “First Harmful Event” (See Table below and at link above on page 14), may not have occurred if the driver was not a contibuting factor as in at least 58.6% of the crashes, i.e., under the influence, speeding, etc. See full table of Contibuting Factors on page 10 of link above. There are another 36.1% of unknown reasons. Note: The horse numbers below include owned or “domestic” horses across the state.
Link: See page14 for entire table.
NATURAL RESOURCE FUNDING
OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES also KNOW there is plenty of funding for Wildlife Corridors.
THE END
Just FYI
NOTICE OF TORTS filed in 2023 regarding Sandoval County et. al,
Posted inACTION ALERTS!!!, Uncategorized|Comments Off on The False-Alarm-Ordinance to BAN Watering or Feeding, TARGETING “Wild Horses” in Sandoval County NM — It is not law, it is not on the books, and is fraudulently worse.
Deer are hit from the Sandia Mountain all the way to I25 near exit 242. Wild horses are not near I 25.
M.L.G.S., also at legislatue to oppose SB301 (2023)
To: Sandoval County Commissioners, Wayne Johnson Mgr. S.C., Mitchico Martin USDA FS
From: M.L.G.S.
Re: I oppose the Sandoval County Sheriff’s Proposed Ordinance against feeding and WATERING wildlife. The sheriff’s office cannot control speeding, so now they are going to control wildlife and people’s private property rights and give out wildlife feed and water permits here and there, monthly?
At the same time perennial springs of Placitas are literally being destroyed, and stream catchments or acequias and perennial springs are being fenced away from wildlife. This Proposed Ordinance attempts to inhumanly take control over water for wildlife and on private property.
Date: 2/22/2023
Dear Sandoval County Commissioners, Wayne Johnson, Mitchico Martin USDA FS
I am the living Matriarch of the Gonzales family of La Madera NM on the East side of the Sandia Mountains in Sandoval County. La Madera Rd intersects Gonzales Rd where we were raised on the La Aguapa Ranch, still there today and where Sandoval County considers putting a highway connecting Rt14 to I25.
I was literally born there in Sandoval County at La Madera by mid-wife on May 14th 1938 along with most of my 15 siblings who also were born there, and not in a hospital.
We have run cattle, horses, goats and pigs on the East side of the mountain. My family still has some of the land there. Our family members that we have lost are ALL buried in the La Madera Cemetery nearby. My Dad and his brothers were also born there at La Madera on the ranch. Some are buried on the ranch.
We walked to Puertecito to grade school a round trip of 9 miles per day. My Dad later drove us to Algodonas to school for eighth grade and to Bernalillo to get our groceries. That is to say, I know this area, la gente, and the wildlife.
The wild horses have ALWAYS been here on both sides of the mountain throughout my lifetime, and including to this date.
There were ALWAYS deer, wild horses, cows, Mt. Lions, Jack Rabbits, coyotes, drinking from our water in La Madera and from the Ojito on our property. We used to cover a spot in Ojito Spring to have clean water for the family but allowed the water to run out for the wildlife. ALL the wildlife, including the wild horses. (I don’t recall any bears.)
We kids carried the water from the Ojito to our home every other day.
We regularly sold fire wood to the San Felipe Pueblo and enjoyed the wild horses along the way there.
My grandchildren live in Placitas and I spend many happy days there every year often 6 to 12 stays per year enjoying family, horse riding (used to ride all the way to the back-side), the mountains, and the wild horses and I have done so since about 1987.
I am sad to say that the local Placitas Land Grant – San Antonio De Las Huertas and the local Acequias are fencing Wildlife out of acequias and perennial waters in the national forest and Placitas.
There is a huge holding tank acequia up the mountain in the national forest blocking waters from flowing to Placitas where the wild horses have always roamed along with other wildlife. (See below)
Perennial springs and stream catchments in Placitas are being fenced AWAY from wildlife and even destroyed. See pictures below. There are those that stand to gain from commercial activity on the Buffalo Tract BLM lands, and therefore stand to gain from creating a humanitarian issue for wildlife in order to cause the removal of the wild horses.
In seeming unison, Sandoval County Sheriff’s Proposed Ordinance attempts to inhumanely control homeowner’s personal rights and generosity to share water with wildlife.
This is not how to improve road Safety, this is how to create a humanitarian issue only.
Picture 1: October 2020 Extreme Deepening this water evaporation pit that most didn’t even know was there has removed waters from ALL wildlife and also reduced the amount of water that makes it to Placitas just 1500ft away.Picture 2: All this water that was trapped just evaporates. No wildlife except the birds can use it. This is also stopping water from going down the Las Huertas Creek to Placitas unless there is a tremendous storm.Picture 3: Fuller on Dec 8th 2022 but, all it did was evaporate…. You can see on the left side how high the water line has to reach to flow out of this evaporation tank.
How much money was spent on this in our National Forest, a wilderness area? For a picture of water?
Picture 4: This is a Wildlife Corridor. Rt 165 – The Sandia Mountains are part of the Rocky Mountain wildlife corridor. There is little farming from the acequias in Placitas. Basically a few apple and fruit trees.
“Si haces mal, bien no esperes.”
Picture 5: Placitas is not a big agricultural community, mostly it grows houses in recent decades and the vineyards behind this scene are not on an acequia. The apples may be…
Creating a road hazard This is already illegal, see the police cleaning up this lure trap of apparently local apples on RT165?
These are the things that intentionally and unlawfully cause a Safety Hazard, not the wild horses.
Picture 6: This is a spring along Camino de La Rosa Castilla Road and may be reduced due to the holding pen or water evaporation tank up the mountain of Pictures 1,2, and 3. It may also be reduced due to homes pumping ground water. It is only fair to share the water of the springs, of the acequias, and of the ground water we pump, with wildlife.Picture 7: Here is another perennial spring fenced away from wildlife and also perhaps suffering due to the same reasons as the spring above.Picture 8: The Springs here at El Osos are fenced away from Wildlife in Placitas. This seems to be the standard practice here in the Village of Placitas.
There are other perennial springs in Placitas out along Tecolote and San Francisco Rd and some there have also been destroyed too, but there is at least one left that is not destroyed, reduced, or fenced.
TUNNEL SPRINGS?
The famous year-round spring at Tunnel Springs at Placitas in a WILDERNESS AREA is blocked off, literally PLUGGED as I now understand. An act against wildlife roaming in this wildlife corridor? Now to be called, just TUNNEL?
FIRE HAZARD
I also have to say a short note about the fire hazards caused by the acequia just 1500ft past the houses of Placitas in the Sandia National Forest. There are all kinds of cut dead branches and dead trees that were cut along this acequia and or caused by this acequia changing the water flow, JUST WAITING for a fire. If it was allowed for people to CUT trees in a Wilderness Area, or remove their water source, it should be allowed to remove them. Both Placitans and the wildlife deserve better.
POOR ROADS for ingress and egress up the back of the mountain IF and WHEN there is a FIRE add to the danger. I have a close-relative who is a professional in this area who is very concerned.
Picture 9, 10: Sandia National Forest near Acequia behind Placitas Dec 8th 2022
FIRE HAZARD REDUCTION IN PLACITAS
Is also reduced by wild horses grazing between homes, reducing spread of fire that can spread due to dry yellow grasses. Remember Wild Horses and Deer do not compete as wild horses are grazers and Deer are browsers (leaves and Forbes.)
Deer stay nearer to the mountains than horses. They are not grazers, and would not move far from the mountain into Placitas in any case. I understand that two Deer were recently hit on 165 in Placitas near Tunnel Springs Rd and the Library.
OVER ALL
Some folks want a constitutional “right to hunt” on public lands, but Sandoval County and Sheriff Jesse James Casaus want to take away our “right to water” on our own private property. Instead, I’d rather they just do their job of traffic control. Water is life!
It is sad that this has to be said, and I am sorry it had to be said.
M.L.G.S, address redacted.
Posted inUncategorized|TaggedDeer hits, Placitas, wild horse|Comments Off on Opposition to Sandoval County NM Proposed Ordinance to Ban Feeding or Watering of Wild Horses in Placitas to “improve road safety”. “Cattle” Guards for Safety are prevalent across NM and US, but NONE in Placitas.
Re: OPEN LETTER; Please postpone SB301 and SB271 3/5/2023 and replace with discussions for Wild Equine Board under the NM Parks Department. See WHOAnm.org
To: Dear Senator Brenda McKenna, Representative Matthew McQueen, cc Senator Carrie Hamblen,
Thank you for your response in the email string (See Attachment 1) which I will address herein.
To: Dear Citizens of New Mexico,
From: Patience O’Dowd for WHOA, Wildlife Protection of New Mexico(WHOA-Voters), PO Box 932, Placitas, NM 87043
THIS IS PLACITAS.
This is where we live on Wild Horse Mesa in Placitas. 86% or more of Placitas is all about Wild Horses as was the San Antonio De Las Huertas (SADLH) Land Grant in 2007 prior to pressures in the form of rewards of BLM lands. It was old Spanish families of New Mexico who wanted all Spanish Colonial Horses to be specially preserved and not adopted out, however, only, if necessary, to put them on a preserve with their families.
The NMLB’s own DNA result from UC Davies on the Placitas Wild Horses (that Nancy Henry of New Mexico for Equine Rights and Open Government, a Dixon Award Winner, obtained by inspection of public records) confirmed the special bloodlines of the Placitas Wild Horses. This DNA test was done on horses that had been illegally rounded up by a Placitan and taken for public auction by the NMLB. WHOA responded with court action and won in the NM Appellate Court. 86% of Placitans want the horses to remain, and this is the lowest poll result of 4 polls in 20 years. https://whoanm.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/South-West-Planning-Poll-Placitas-Horses.pdf
THIS IS ALTO/RUIDOSO OF LINCOLN COUNTY
There are similar stories in Alto/Ruidoso including a petition with 95,000 signatures in support of the Wild Horses there. These horses roam amongst thousands of Deer and Elk there. Together, these wildlife thrill visitors who keep coming back, spread the word, and create a tourism economy for New Mexico.
MY RESPONSE TO EMAIL
I will respectfully address the points made in the email below regarding the current Safety and Welfare of the wild horses in detail. Senators, Representative, please, let me know what I am not understanding or what I have missed in your next response.
SAFETY ISSUE FROM SENATOR PAT WOODS
Senator Pat Woods’ family is a $3 Million Big-AG FARM Bill Recipient and pays no property taxes on approx. 8200 acres in Curry County, NM where there is no wildlife corridor, and there are no wild horses bothering his crops for livestock. He has worked legislatively since 2017 to wipe out OUR NM Wild Horses. WHY? His expert witnesses have been the NMLB, Animal Protection Voters, and Mount Taylor Mustangs. (Don’t judge a book by its title, ever again!)
Under current law NMSA 77-18-5 wild horses are already protected from slaughter because they are wildlife, not livestock, and not estray, and therefore subject to the Animal Cruelty Laws of the state.
NO IMMINENT SAFETY ISSUES
There are no imminent Safety Issues for, or caused by, the Wild horses in Placitas, Alto, Ruidoso, or anywhere in NM that would preclude us from working together towards a Wild Equine Board and our proposed amendment of SB301/SB271 (See Attachment 2).
This Proposed Sandoval County Ordinance is an attempt to offset the recent WHOA win in court stating that the fence-out laws of New Mexico apply equally to Wild Horses as well as cattle and all other animals. Meaning, if one does not want wild horses on their property, they can fence them out. In fact, the Proposed Ordinance does NOT apply to ranchers and others who own more than 24 acres. If passed, this will be animal cruelty toward a protected animal, as well as unequal protection under the law, and retaliation.
This may well be a conspiracy or a “collaboration” between the federal BLM, NM State Legislature, and political subdivisions (Sandoval County, Land Grant, and Acequias) to retaliate against the fence out ruling of the courts and to commit a TAKING of our native NM Wild Horses under color of law.
Traffic Data state and local show relatively NO Wild Horse safety issue (outside staged hits). Is this why we not addressing road safety improvements?
New Mexico Animal Crash Statistics, 2016 – 2021. (Raw Data from Public Records Request) This shows Placitas had 8 animal accidents in 6 years: 3 Deer/1 Coyote/4 Wild Horses.Totaling 1.3 hits/yr., or about 0.13 hits/mile/yr. including Deer, Coyote, Horse. Nearby 550 has 10 hits/mile/year. See No. 3 below.
Pages 6-187 to 6-194 showing the GAME hits on Rt. 550 at 10 hits/mile/year. Santa Ana Pueblo waters ALL the wildlife and provides cameras for viewing Cougars, Bear, etc. Are you suggesting they stop sharing water with wildlife?
UNCONSTITUTIONAL SB301 and SB271
Senator McKenna has declared that the Placitas Wild Horses are “not wild,” which is contrary to the long-term DNA studies, contrary to the science of Domestication, contrary to the Wild Horse Experts who the courts relied upon, and contrary to the NM Attorney General Opine regarding the White Sands Wild Horses. We ask that she please provide her scientific basis, as Domestication is well understood for decades to be a genetic change, not simply habituation or taming.
Senator McKenna has written that the Placitas horses were dumped here in 2006 and 2007. We ask that she please provide her documentation. I have asked and am asking again that Horse Dumping be outlawed in New Mexico. It is only utilized by Kill Buyers and a Retaliatory Federal Government.
We offer again our Wild Equine Board proposed in 2019 and placed under the State Parks Department by our current respectfully proposed Amendment to SB301/SB271. This would provide an avenue to address any of your perceived or potential short comings of the current law NMSA 77-18-5.
They may have been gone for about 7000 years max, though certain First Peoples say they were never gone. In any case, they were self-domesticated long before any modern human or Neanderthal could have domesticated them. There is proof of self-domestication, and no genetic proof otherwise, only presumption.
They have never lost their natural wild family structure that is also still seen in two of three zebra species in Africa. (By the way, all equines evolved here in North America, including zebras.) Self-Domestication made horses less reactive and gave them their varied coloration prior to their migration back and forth over the
Federally-Wild-Horse Wipe-out
Thanks to the NMLB, NM went from almost 8000 federally protected wild horses and burros in the first census of 1974 to only 563 wild horses and zero (0) burros in 1978, just 4 short years later. At the same time, the NMLB wiped out the legally Wild Donkeys NM had in Lincoln County. The NMLB took them as estray livestock in rebellion against the 1971 Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act. The feds took the NMLB to court for breaking the law and won.
This case is detailed even in Wikipedia under Kleppe v New Mexico where the NMLB lost in the Supreme Court of the United States.
To this day you can hear Justice Thurgood Marshall delivering the verdict. No other western state flushed their wild horses out of existence once the law was passed, even though other states had more wild horses than NM.
Shameful lawless legacy of Wild Donkey wipe-out remains The NMLB lost but claimed the Donkeys had been in a corral too long during the court case to let them go (which was incorrect). Tragically, the Wild Donkeys were not released. The only Donkeys we have left in Billy the Kid’s famous Lincoln County of NM, are painted STATUES of Donkeys, literally all over Carrizozo; on roofs, in buildings, on side-walks, and in court yards.
THE HIDDEN AGENDA Motivating The “Wild Horse Crisis” Story Line
There have been no public meetings regarding the unconstitutional plan to wipe out our natural resource, our state’s native Wild Horses. There have been many false testimonies in committee and on the Senate floor.
The powers that be: BLM, Gov. Lujan Grisham, and Sandoval County would like to have the following projects on the 3000-acre BLM Lands called the Buffalo Tract. The BLM denied Placitans due process in their planning regarding the Wild Horses and the Highway, and perhaps the Energy Corridor.
Mr. Miles and I Met in person with in Santa Fe Round House per my request of Feb 11, 2023 https://whoanm.org/wordpress/?p=1201 . For our meeting of 2/14/2023 I provided a printout of the information below for discussion. This information clearly showed a governmental map of the Energy Corridor plans in NM (See Below).
Discussed: Energy Corridor; Mining; and the NE Corridor (LOOP ROAD) and attempted to have real dialogue regarding areas where we/WHOA could be negotiable.
Representative McQueen denied or side stepped the Energy Corridor was coming though Placitas though I communicated: 1).That clearly it could not go through high density Albuquerque. 2) It could not go over th Sandia as it was a protected Wilderness Area. 3) We/WHOA would not oppose it since it did not need to be so wide as it had been originally planned in 2008.
Representative McQueen was dismissive and and condescending and said it was being discussed to cross somewhere SOUTH of Albuquerque. (Recorded)
ON March 3rd, 2023 THE SANDOVAL SIGNPOST (Government Rag) ANNOUNCED THE ENERGY CORRIDOR just 2.5 weeks later.
WHEN will Sandoval County and our State and Fedral Representatives communicate to us in person rather than through their government media, after the fact?
2023 Legislative Session
Patience O’Dowd
SUMMARY
2/14/2023
I. ISSUES
CONSPIRACY of SPECIAL INTEREST GOVERNMENT to EXTIRPATE WILD HORSES:
The last x hundreds of iconic native wild horses of NM that remain from the mere approx. 10,000 that lived and roamed in NM in 1971 and many more prior to that. (HB33, SB271, SB301, HJR04, SJR06 & Sandoval Co. Draft Ord.)
This is not REPRESENTATION of the will of the people, nor balanced.
This is not being done openly.
This a taking.
This is against the public trust.
A few hundred Wild Horses is too few, versus 1.4 million cattle; 115,000 deer; 90,000 sheep; 70,000 Elk; 40,000 antelope; 4,000 non-native; 5 to 6,000 Oryx, non-native Barbary Sheep; 400 non-native IBEX.
This is unequal protection under the law.
This is against the animal cruelty laws of the state and others under color of law.
ROOT CAUSES for PLACITAS – Transparency Lacking & Required
ENERGY CORRIDOR
NE EAST COORIDOR – LOOP RD HWY – Connection of I25 to I40 – Development
CRIME, Destruction of Wildlife Corridor
GRAVEL MINING
WATER
POLITICS OF A LIVESTOCK STATE – Education Regarding Sustainability Needed
Votes, Farm Bill, Land Grants
PLACITAS HORSES ARE ENDANGERED SPANISH COLONIAL HORSES
ROOT CAUSES for the rest of New Mexico
LIVESTOCK Competition
HUNTING competition
PREDJUDICE AND FEAR of overpopulation, as Wild Horses are not managed as game animals/hunted.
EXTIRPATION OF NATIVE NON-RUMINANT – AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE and PRESERVATION OF BIO-DIVERSITY
WILD HORSES ARE A FAVORED NATIVE SPECIES IN USA, UNLESS ONE HAS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST
UNEQUAL PROTECTION OF AMERICANS WHO OVERWHEMINGLY WANT TO ENJOY OUR NATIVE WILD HORSES versus of the MEAT INDUSTRY WHICH ALREADY RECEIVES $86 BILLION/YR FROM THE FARM BILL.
II. WHOA ALTERNATIVES TO Wild Horse Extirpation
NM EQUINE BOARD – Bill HB445 2019, Memorial HM93 2019 NM & Placitas WILD HORSE STATE PARK – FOR PLACITAS/SPANISH C., SJM16 & SM26 2008 Placitas TRAIN CONNECTION EAST WEST — I25 to I40 Placitas WHOA NATIONAL PLAN & Population Modelling by POD NM/US ALLOW THE ENERGY CORRIDOR THROUGH PLACITAS NM & Placitas AMEND WILDLIFE CORRIDOR LAW- TO INCLUDE WILD HORSES NM/Placitas AGREE NM WILL KEEP WILD HORSES IN CERTAIN & EXISTING AREAS NM & Placitas
ENERGY CORRDOR – Necessary – Not Exclusive of Horses – Add (Horse Symbol)Fencing
Note: Sandia – Wilderness Area, Alb – Dense, San Felipe has I25 and Train, up to them.
NE CORRIDOR – Not Necessary or Update BLM RMP – Amend NM Wildlife Corridor Law
Even the Sign Post finally admitted to the LOOP Road HIGHWAY to Connect I25 to I40 through the Placitas BLM here on page 7 in May of 2019. Buried in the article. Where they misrepresent the Pueblos as well.
GRAVEL MINING No MAS! AIR Pollution Water Table Loss Watershed Destruction
Two cars stop respectfully, a third car refuses to stop, crosses double yellow line and swings out into oncoming traffic. Road Rageand law breaking, which our Sandoval County government encourages.
Posted inUncategorized|Comments Off on WHOA’s proactive and respectful road safety suggestions to NMDOT in 2019 and to Sandoval County Manager NM in 2021. (However, neither interested. . . clearly rather risk people, rather than protect wild horses.)
NM Representative Matthew McQueen matthew.mcqueen@nmlegis.gov
Re: Request for Audience Date 2/11/2023
Good Afternnoon Representative McQueen,
I have provided a number of compromise bills, mediations, alternatives, etc. The state seems rabid to continue their 52-year grinder for NM’s wild horse wipe out.
I have sucessfully worked with ranchers using this plan: The WHOA National Plan. Would you please take a few minutes to read it? I could design another for Developers, etc. Along with this, I have also developed mathmatical modelling for the USDA FS and the BLM at no cost.
Undeniably, I and mine are the experts of the state, as proven in court, WHOA v. NMLB I and II, wherein NM called on their state’s experts Dr. Smallidge (NMSU), Dr. Washburn DVM (Veterinary Board Chair), and Dr. Zimmerman DVM (State Veterinarian) but fell short under the science and the law. Not once, but twice.
I have always managed to remain civil because I am a humanitarian. That is a choice I make. I neither set myself up to profit or to harm.
However, Representative McQueen, although I avoid “you” statements like the plague, you and Senator Brenda McKenna went straight after OUR wild horses the minute you were elected to “represent” us, the stupid masses who don’t know what is good for us in Placitas.
Wrong there Matthew, Placitans are a highly educated crew and many moved here BECAUSE of the wild horses.
So why discuss anything with me?
I am now your consitutent.
In all the years you have seen me at legislature, you have never seen me be anything but respectful.
I am representative of 86% of Placitans by independant poll. 90% PLUS by many other polls in the last twenty some years.
Instead, you act on behalf of the monority: 16% of Placitans (including about 100 or less of the SADLH Land Grant), MINING, DEVELOPEMENT/HWY.
The MINING has already taken our water and clean air for years. Those few Placitans that were intervenors in court against the horses and the people, were told NO — due to equal protection under the law, it’s a fence out state, these horses are native wildlife, etc., etc., etc.
We Placitans have been orderly, used the legislative process, and the courts openly and honestly. We have won in the Appellate Court twice. We have paid the court bills against a THUG state whose law enforcement agencies break the law and claim then they are IGNORANT of the law on their $90K/yr. salaries we tax payers pay.
Moreover, our special interest media HIDES the legislative protections and our hard-fought, citizen-paid-for Court Wins for the Wild Ones. The state of NM works like bees at legislature to KILL what the people want, and have fought and paid for, our NATIVE HORSE. Additionally, legislature intentionally left them OUT of the new wildlife corridor laws which tally only accidents for Game Animals and PRIVATELY OWNED CATTLE to determine where to put their corridors.
Wild Horses are not included just because 83% of the people of the US don’t want to shoot or slaughter and eat them. However, the people have compromised with dartable immuno-contraceptioves legislatively in NM for population management because the state has wiped out their native predators. Still, only meat can cross the street in NM. Importantly, and luckily there are very few collisions with wild horses in the state as they are almost non-existant.
Our government has clearly abused its power and continues to: 2023 proposed non-transparent legislation — HB33, HJR04, SJR06, SB301, SB271.
When the wild horses are in remote areas, the government allows them to be shot by the ranchers and hunters. “Shoot-shovel-shut-up” is the motto. If we have them in a community where they can be protected, where there is no Big Ag., then comes special interest government. This will not stand, Representative Mcqueen. It is not necessary, and it will not stand. Just sayin’.
What is the REAL issue? Please meet with your constituent Patience O’Dowd, in Good Faith, Mr. McQueen. If you cannot meet this civil servant and humanitarian in Good Faith, then please let me know and I’ll thank you for your honesty.
Thank you,
Patience O’Dowd – Chemical Engineer
Wildlife Protection of NM – WHOA Voters
Wild Horse Observers Association
PO Box 932
Placitas, NM 87043
whoanm.org
505-610-7644
Posted inUncategorized|Comments Off on REQUEST FOR NEGOTIATION
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