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The information below was forwarded to us by
H.O.R.S.E. Rescue and Sanctuary. It is based on a report originally
published by the Wild Horse and
Burro Freedom Alliance, and so far it seems to hold up. Furthermore,
I was informed by BLM that they were aware that something was happing in
El Rito and that they had not been contacted for processing and placing
the horses, which is generally the case when FWS wants gathered horses to be processed
for adoption rather than "disposed of" in a more expedient manner. We're not sure
what all this means as of yet, but we're following the story, we have official NFS
documents headed our way to review, and we will update this feature
as more details are known and/or verified.
The following bulletin has been distributed by Mike Dodge of H.O.R.S.E. Rescue and Sanctuary and is reproduced in its entirety.
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 irradiate 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 'permittees' who want to eliminate these
horses to enable them to run more privately owned cattle n 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 than 'eradicate' 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 than 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 must now take action to prevent this proposed action from beginning
in 2001. Beginning with letters and calls to:
Pat Shea, Director
Senator Pete Domenici
Please e-mail copies of this to as many people as possible!!!
Chris and Mike Dodge, Founders
Webmaster's notes. Carson National Forest has a web page about the El Rito District where the wild horse herd is mentioned. You can find this page by clicking Here. We should receive original legal documents prepared by the Carson National Forest any day whereupon we will update this web feature. Also, if anyone has updated information that can be verified, please email me at willis@kbrhorse.net.
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