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Craig Downer’s letter to Wyoming BLM re: Checkerboard Removal EA/EIS Comment
Subject: Checkerboard Removal EA/EIS Comment Rock Springs FO, BLM USDI Email: blm_wy_checkerboard_hmas@blm.gov Re: Checkerboard Removal EA/EIS Comment Dear Sirs/Mames: Concerning EA 2014 Removal of wild horses from Checkerboard areas within the Great Divide Basin, Salt Wells Creek, Adobe Town HMAs as per document WY-040-EA15-104, I earlier gave comment on this. Please refer to the reasons I gave and here wish you to reconsider. Furthermore, I discern that there is a conflict of interest regarding decisions being made about the wild horses and that the American citizens’ paid BLM officials are not adequately and fairly representing the public interest in the wild horses and their rightful resources to maintain viable populations in the long term. Rather, Wyoming BLM is catering to a few bullish and stubborn, unfair-minded and monopolistic public lands resource exploiters, especially livestock ranchers but also including natural gas extractors, and other tunnel-vision interests. BLM officials are thus ignoring the average citizen of the U.S., whos greatly appreciates the wild horses in the wild and to whom such are of paramount importance as concerns his/her experienced quality of life! The public land ranchers receive huge subsidies from the U.S. taxpayer through BLM programs and other programs such as Animal Services as well as favored, low-interest loans that are huge, giving them an unfair advantage over other ranchers. Public land ranchers should be grateful, not backbiting cur dogs snapping at the hand that feeds them! They should be obliged to share the natural resources with the wild horses that are, by the way, returned natives in North America who restore the ecosystem of Wyoming. And Wyoming’s prairies and plains are ideal habitat for these wild horses. Ranchers should not be allowed to scapegoat the wild horses but rather take responsibility for what is the sacred duty of every American citizen — to abide by the fair laws of the land. They must not be allowed to continue to hogg the natural resources as they are presently doing. This type of unbridled selfishness and greed must not be allowed, and it is the duty of U.S. public officials to stand up to ranchers’ bullying! Livestock grazing is a cancellable privilege on the public lands not a right. However, the wild horses have a legal right to occupy their legal Herd Areas established by the WFHBA of 1971 according to where they occurred on a year-round basis in 1971. This is the law and no amendment has changed this! All else is lie and corruption, a twisting of the sacred intent of this unanimously passed Act! I have visited those herds of the above named HMAs and protested the recent gutting of these herds. It is utterly outrageous that you are again going in to further reduce the few vestiges of these wild horses! These beleaguered animals must not be again jeopardized by further excessive roundups. This is truly cutting to the quick! As BLM public officials, you must not cater just to the Rock Springs Grazing Association, but rather honor your commitment to the WFHBA and all of America! I object to any further decimating roundups of the remaining very small and substandard, sub-viable wild horse herds. You should instead exercise C.F.R. 4710.5 to reduce livestock in order to free up resources needed by a truly viable population of wild horses on the above named HMAs, and restore the original HAs you have zeroed out wherever possible. Wyoming has zeroed out more millions of acres than any other Western state having the duty to preserve these herds on the public lands long into the future. I have written an erudite and well researched book concerning the wild horses as well as articles both professional and popular and am willing to testify on behalf of Wyoming’s and America’s last overly reduced and underpopulated wild horses. These are magnificent animals and a true aesthetic resource that lend enhanced quality to all of our lives and enhance the ecosystem. And they are also of great historical value, preserving the heritage of America, both as concerns its White settlers and its aboriginal Native American tribes. But what certain factions of our society are doing to them is truly evil! I would appreciate a timely response to my letter. Happy Holidays! Sincerely, Craig C. Downer |
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