Will hear back from Forest Service again later today (3/21/2022)
Forest Service Response below: (emphasis added)
From: Patience O <patience_odowd@yahoo.com>
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022 1:43 PM
To: Madrid, Anthony -FS <anthony.madrid@usda.gov>; judy.palmer@usda.gov; Luna, Ericka – FS <ericka.luna@usda.gov>; Kohrman, Elaine -FS <elaine.kohrman@usda.gov>
Re: HALT/STAY the plans to round up the Apache National Forest and include WHOA in the meeting today via phone. (updated)
Elaine KohrmanDeputy Regional Forester United States Department of AgricultureForest Service Southwestern Region333 Broadway Blvd. S.E., Albuquerque, NM 87102
Re: Open request for STAY of this “Police Action of Impoundment” of the Apache National Forest Wild Horses as advertised quietly in a local paper on Dec 21st, 2021 .
3/18/2022
Dear Forest Service Professionals,
With all due respect, I am contacting you to let you know that this round up of Wild Horses has not been legally justified and must in fact go through a thorough and Holistic NEPA process.
I have spoken in some detail with Anthony, Ericka, and Judy day before yesterday in good faith.
I have given them good cause to delay/stay/halt these round-up plans. Very likely you have each taken notes and recorded as did I.
If you would like the recordings I will openly share them with you. We are all public servants though I myself am not paid intentionally. Hence, we should all be on the same team.
WHOA, WHOA-Voters board members, and CAES do have standing in the issues of the Apache Forest Horses and this does not only stem from our previously established standing in the public process and affidavits regarding the Apache Sitgreaves horses.
There has been so little advance notice in this ill-advised project that I am writing this to attempt to save you and the tax payers time in court and also in the hopes of a true positive.
Please schedule a meeting with WHOA and please STAY this project. WHOA is a long term team member with the USDA FS and we have a 22 year history together. We have always been able to manage to sort things out. Our goal is not to find new “homes” for these horses.
We have a holistic win win goal for the tax payer, the environment, green jobs for public lands ranchers, the trophic cascade, and the USDA FS. We are willing and able to be a functional part of this on and off the ground.
I am personally asking you to STAY this project and to understand that WHOA and the public will work with you including making an actual count of these horses as well as a sucessful management plan for these horses/families at no charge.
My only request is that the USDA FS not pay people with a known history of anti-wild horse to “work” on the project at the outset.
Note: There has also been no proof of horses with halters or brands provided to the public. There has been no proof given to myself, (though I have asked), WHOA, WHOA-Voters, to the public, or listed in the Federal Register pursuant to the U.S. District Court District of Arizona )Tucson Division) Civil Docket #4:20-cv-00525-LCK that shows or tends to show, that these wild horses have had any negative impact on any endangered specie listed.
There is no proof that these horses themselves not native and WHOA has evidence on the contrary. This issue is well known to be very controversial with the overwheming majority of Americans pro-wild horse and even more so those without a conflict of interest.
Mismanagement of this issue has also had a very damaging culmulative impact across a number of areas including: climate change, the 6th mass extinction, chronic wasting disease, hunting, public lands ranching, ski resorts, public health, horse rescues, horse business’, invasive species, tax payers, watersheds, water, firesheds, and more.
Instead, let us forge a new and different path and win together for all of us including biologic diversity itself, as we really must, and right away, according to the IPCC Report for Policy Makers taking into account, jobs, the 6th mass extinction, and humane requirements on morality as well as our future here together.
We/I will deeply regret if the USDA FS goes down this path in this manner thereby requiring lawyer involvement.
As always, I personally look forward to working together. Lets get together asap.
With ALL due Respect,
Patience O’Dowd
Wild Horse Observers Association. a 501 c3 non-profit corp. since 2004
Wildlife Protection of NM WHOA-Voters a 501 c4 non-profit corporation
Citizens Against Equine Slaughter a 501 c3 non-profit corporation
PO Box 932 Placitas, NM 87043
whoanm.org 505-610-7644
—– Forwarded Message —–From: Linda Kemp >To: Patience O <patience_odowd@yahoo.com>Sent: Friday, March 18, 2022, 12:30:33 PM MDT
Subject: Forest Service contact
HI,The following people were contacted so I could be included in the meeting with the advocates on March 17,2022. I left 2 voice messages with no response to: Supervisor’s Office
P.O. Box 640
30 S. Chiricahua Dr.
Springerville, AZ 85938 928-333-6280
Fax:928-333-5966
Fron Salt river post used their number”And we are calling for the humane treatment of this historic wild horse population by the Forest Service, this is the correct number: (928) 235-5764.” I also contacted Samone Netherlands from the Salt River advocates early March 18 for a link for the meeting and was told there is no room for WHOA in the meeting. The texts forwarded on the conversations. Linda Greaves contacted Jeff from the Alpine Forest Service and was told that AHOA should attend the meeting. The Alpine Forest service, PR for the Forest service, Jeff, and the Salt River team knew nothing about President’s Biden’s plan for wildfire abatement plans in the hot zones where native wild horses are moving thru. Thank You Linda Kemp
