‘PZP: Where hope, science and mustangs meet’

6 01 2016

Thanks to Kat Wilder for her Writers on the Range op-ed in High Country News. 🙂

It’s getting harder and harder to deny PZP and its success!

Houdini

This is Houdini, who, at best guess, is somewhere north of 25 years old. She shows her age but otherwise looks great. She has contributed her genetics to Spring Creek Basin and has daughters and granddaughters and grandsons (at least) still wild in Spring Creek Basin.

I’ve known at least two elder mares that have had foals in the spring and died that fall, leaving their weanlings as orphans. Houdini has contributed her genetics and deserves a long, healthy life  as the wild, wise mustang mare she is, adding her knowledge to the whole herd.

PZP makes that possible.





Rest in peace well deserved, Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick

19 12 2015

Winona

From American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign:

“It is with deep sadness that we inform you of the passing of Dr. Jay Kirkpatrick, a true pioneer in the field of humane wildlife management. Dr. Kirkpatrick, the founder of the Science and Conservation Center, passed away earlier this week from a brief but serious illness. He will be greatly missed.

“His passing is a terrible loss for the wild horse community. Our deepest condolences go to his wife and his colleagues at the Science and Conservation Center who are like family to AWHPC, as Dr. Kirkpatrick was.

“Jay was a rare ‘scientist with a heart’ and he dedicated his life to reducing the suffering of wild animals by developing a humane alternative to lethal management practices. The PZP fertility control vaccine that he developed and perfected (as affirmed by 30 years of published science) has kept countless wild animals – from wild horses to deer to bison and even elephants – wild and free by protecting them from capture and killing.

“‘I’m not a bunny hugger, but I’ll never attend another gather as long as I live. They’re flat-out inhumane,’ he told National Geographic in 2009 describing BLM wild horse roundups. ‘There are three reasons why these gathers are an unsatisfactory solution to the problem of numbers. Firstly, it’s genetically irresponsible to be constantly pulling off young horses whose genes will never get expressed; secondly, every time you pull horses out, the reproductive efficiency of the horses that remain increases. And thirdly, the behavioral consequences for the horses are profound.’

“Jay was a visionary, a humanitarian and a shining example of what one person can accomplish in his lifetime. We are so proud to have called him a friend and a colleague. Measures have been taken by the Science and Conservation Center to prepare for this transition and the seamless continuation of the work that he was dedicated to for 45 years.”

Godspeed, Dr. Jay. You trained many angels, and we honor you and your legacy to preserve mustangs and wild burros with every dart we fire.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.





NMA/CO fundraiser

13 07 2015

The Colorado chapter of the National Mustang Association held a fundraiser Friday night to benefit wild horses in Southwest Colorado. Held at the Sunflower Theatre in Cortez, the event featured a silent auction and the film “Roaming Wild,” after which, people could ask questions about PZP, bait trapping and other wild-horse-and-burro issues.

The place was packed. On behalf of Spring Creek Basin’s mustangs and other wild horses, on behalf of the NMA/CO board, who did an enormous amount of work for this event (in particular, executive director Tif Rodriguez), thank you to all of our wonderful donors and ticket buyers! You made our night a huge success, and you made our work for the horses easier.

NMA/CO fundraiser

NMA/CO executive director Tif Rodriguez and president David Temple welcomed people to the fundraiser event.

NMA/CO fundraiser

People started to fill the theater even before 5:30 p.m. This was a great time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. We are so thankful to everyone who attended to support our mustangs!

NMA/CO fundraiser

Many locals donated items for the silent auction. The donations were excellent, and we thank all the donors for their generosity!

Kathe Hayes arranges food at the NMA/CO fundraiser at the Sunflower Theatre in Cortez.

Kathe Hayes was in charge of food and did a fantastic job. She made some and picked some up from local eateries. She didn’t seem to have much to pack up at the end of the night!

Again, thank you so much. Our mustangs thank you! 🙂





NMA/CO fundraiser reminder

9 07 2015

The Colorado chapter of the National Mustang Association plans to host a fundraiser from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 10, with the film “Roaming Wild” at the center of the event. Funds raised from ticket sales and the silent auction will benefit Spring Creek Basin mustangs and other wild horses in Southwest Colorado (potentially those in Mesa Verde National Park).

Find more information and buy tickets on NMA/CO’s website.

According to promotional material provided by the film, “Roaming  Wild offers an insider’s look at an  invisible battle unfolding in the American West over wild horses  on public lands. Wild  horses find themselves at the center of an age-defining  controversy  where the demands of modern  development are colliding with the needs of the wild. A fiery activist rescues horses from slaughter, a cattle rancher struggles to keep his way of life viable in the modern era, and an unlikely hero invents new possibilities. Each searching for a solution to the pressure on their own disappearing ways of life in the West, they can agree on one thing – the current ‘bandaid’ solution is failing them all.”

Among other things, this film addresses the benefits of fertility-control vaccine PZP, which has been used in Spring Creek Basin for four years. By slowing the population growth of the herd, at least one roundup has been prevented, a trend we hope to continue.

Sunflower Theatre in Cortez will provide the venue. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for the silent auction, with appetizers and a cash bar available. The film will start at 6:30 p.m. Afterward, NMA/CO board members will be available for a question-and-answer session about issues challenging wild horses and burros, their advocates and managers.

We hope to see “old” friends and meet new ones interested in our mustangs!





NMA/CO fundraiser

23 06 2015

Attention locals: The Colorado chapter of the National Mustang Association plans to host a fundraiser from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 10, with the film “Roaming Wild” at the center of the event. Funds raised from ticket sales and the silent auction will benefit Spring Creek Basin mustangs and other wild horses in Southwest Colorado (potentially those in Mesa Verde National Park).

Find more information and buy tickets on NMA/CO’s website.

According to promotional material provided by the film, “Roaming  Wild offers an insider’s look at an  invisible battle unfolding in the American West over wild horses  on public lands. Wild  horses find themselves at the center of an age-defining  controversy  where the demands of modern  development are colliding with the needs of the wild. A fiery activist rescues horses from slaughter, a cattle rancher struggles to keep his way of life viable in the modern era, and an unlikely hero invents new possibilities. Each searching for a solution to the pressure on their own disappearing ways of life in the West, they can agree on one thing – the current ‘bandaid’ solution is failing them all.”

Among other things, this film addresses the benefits of fertility-control vaccine PZP, which has been used in Spring Creek Basin for four years. By slowing the population growth of the herd, at least one roundup has been prevented, a trend we hope to continue.

Sunflower Theatre in Cortez will provide the venue. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for the silent auction, with appetizers and a cash bar available. The film will start at 6:30 p.m. Afterward, NMA/CO board members will be available for a question-and-answer session about issues challenging wild horses and burros, their advocates and managers.

We hope to see “old” friends and meet new ones interested in our mustangs!





Special visitors

31 05 2015
Katie and Ben Masters in Spring Creek Basin with Chrome's band.

Katie and Ben Masters in Spring Creek Basin.

The “Unbranded” crew may not have ridden through Colorado, but ahead of Telluride’s Mountainfilm festival last weekend, Ben Masters and his very lovely wife, Katie, came to Spring Creek Basin to see our “beautiful” mustangs.

We talked about wild horses and wild burros and public lands and challenges and solutions. As you might imagine, Ben’s mustangs, partners in his and friends’ trip of a lifetime, have made him a mustang advocate. “Unbranded” has catapulted him into a unique position of being respected by a variety of disparate interests.

Ben Masters checks out the NMA/CO sign on the water catchment in Spring Creek Basin with wife Katie. Chrome's band is beyond.

Ben checks out the NMA/CO sign on the water catchment in Spring Creek Basin with Katie.

One does not travel from Mexico to Canada with mustangs and friends alone. It requires preparation and support from numerous people along the way. When traveling across public lands with a pack string and a camera man (at least one), one needs permits from the government: the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service. Observant travelers notice the tread of others on those lands, and Ben and Ben and Thomas and Jonny were no different. To say they made the most of their observations and appreciation of America’s remarkable public lands is a huge understatement.

Katie and Ben Masters in Spring Creek Basin's east pocket with Comanche's, Aspen's and Hollywood's bands.

Katie and Ben enjoy a wonderful visit with beautiful mustangs in the basin.

“Unbranded” is a journey story, and like all good journeys, it includes challenges and obstacles and perseverance and education. While their physical journey may have ended at the Canada border, their education is ongoing, and their search for solutions for America’s wild horses and burros likewise is ongoing.

Ben Masters with Chrome's band in Spring Creek Basin.

Ben was pretty stoked by his visit with our mustangs!

Not surprisingly to the sold-out crowds fortunate enough to see “Unbranded” in Telluride (350 people in line were turned away from the Saturday showing after the theater filled), the film won the Audience Award.

This was the second film festival for “Unbranded”; it was the second Audience Award. Ahhhhhhhhhh-mazing!

When you get the chance to see “Unbranded,” see it. It’s not the typical mustang film. It will leave you wanting more – more mustangs, more conservation of public lands, more involvement, more “what can I do.”

Ben Masters with Chrome's band in Spring Creek Basin.

Ben … mustangs … a wide-open place.

We were so fortunate to meet Ben and Katie Masters and some of the rest of the “Unbranded” crew. What an amazing film. They’re carrying an important message, as Ben says, to show the worth of America’s mustangs.





Little Book Cliffs darting team earns kudos

3 02 2015

And rightly so!

The Daily Sentinel in Grand Junction did a story about BLM’s team of volunteer PZP darters and the benefits they (and PZP) bring to the mustangs of Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range: “Wild-horse control; dart shooters help manage fertility of herd in canyons behind Bookcliffs.”

The overall article is about the benefits of and process behind using PZP to manage a wild horse herd. This nugget is a little bit buried, but check it out: “The result [of the PZP program] has been a smaller, more manageable herd, longer lives for mares and, this year, recognition by the head of the Colorado office of the BLM of the team as its volunteer of the year. The award, which was presented on Thursday by Ruth Welch, the BLM state director, means the team is a nominee for the agency’s national award for volunteerism.”

Marty Felix and Billie Hutchings are among my original inspirations. This award could go to no better team and for no better reason. Ditto the national award for which they’re now nominated.

Best of luck! I’m going to speak right up for Colorado mustang advocates and say we’re behind ya’ll!

Drummer and Kestrel, stallion and mare in Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range.





Scoping period’s deadline extended to Feb. 28

9 01 2015

Kudos to all who already have sent letters and emails in response to BLM’s request for comments about future bait trapping in Spring Creek Basin! We are so appreciative.

For you procrastinators out there (you’re in good company with yours truly), BLM has extended the deadline to comment. It’s now Feb. 28.

To repeat some information, the scoping letter and National Mustang Association/Colorado chapter- and Disappointment Wild Bunch Partners-submitted bait-trapping proposal are linked at NMA/CO’s website.

When you comment, please consider including your address to be added to BLM’s mailing list for future contact about issues related to our Spring Creek Basin mustangs – including the forthcoming EA. The scoping notice is the step that will lead to an EA that should include the potential to use bait trapping in Spring Creek Basin – in the future, when needed.

It is important to know that NO ROUNDUP is scheduled in Spring Creek Basin this year, and with the success of our PZP program, we shouldn’t need one for at least a year or two.

This is a very positive step forward in the evolution of good management of Spring Creek Basin’s mustangs. We already are using native PZP to slow the population growth of the herd. Bait trapping will provide a means of safe “gathering” and removal of horses when needed to keep the herd’s size in balance with the resources of Spring Creek Basin. In our fragile, high-desert environment, we must protect the range for the good of all generations of our mustangs.

Please pass the word, and send those comments! Thank you!

Maia, Alegre and Houdini

 





Tell BLM …

5 01 2015

… you want to see bait trapping in the future in Spring Creek Basin.

Today, BLM sent a scoping letter to gauge the public’s interest in doing bait trapping there in the future as opposed to helicopter-driven roundups. I think you’ll all agree that we want bait trapping instead of a helicopter. It was very successful in Little Book Cliffs in 2013, and we’re confident it can be successful in Spring Creek Basin – when needed.

The scoping letter (and bait-trapping proposal submitted by our groups to BLM last year) can be found through links on NMA/CO’s website.

It is important to note that there will NOT be a roundup in Spring Creek Basin this year. Our population is below the appropriate management level of 35 to 65 adult horses, and the use of native PZP has slowed population growth. Apparently, all of Colorado’s wild horse herds were put on the “2015 gather list,” but none were approved because of lack of funding and lack of corral space (this information is as of November 2014).

Note that the name of our herd management area is Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area. Also note that Spring Creek Basin is in Disappointment Valley (there’s no such thing as Disappointment Basin – at least not locally).

Please submit respectful and positive comments by Jan. 30. Members of the Colorado chapter of the National Mustang Association, Four Corners Back Country Horsemen and Mesa Verde Back Country Horsemen (a coalition known as Disappointment Wild Bunch Partners) have established a long-term working partnership with Tres Rios Field Office managers with regard to managing our Spring Creek Basin mustangs well. Our network of mustang advocates helps reinforce this partnership.

Thank you for your support of our mustangs in Spring Creek Basin!

Comanche, Piedra and Aurora





National Academy of Sciences report on BLM’s management of wild horses and burros

7 06 2013

It’s out. The National Academy of Sciences has completed its report about wild horses and burros, and BLM’s management of them.

Some links to reports about the study:

“New report offers science-based strategies for management of Western free-ranging horses and burros; ‘business-as-usual’ practices will be increasingly expensive and unproductive for BLM”: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=13511

Th National Academy of Sciences link (above) includes a link to the brief summary of the report: http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/materials-based-on-reports/reports-in-brief/wild-horses-report-brief-final.pdf

*** Updated to add this link, by the always-thought-provoking Andrew Cohen of The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/after-wild-horse-report-jewell-faces-first-moment-of-truth-at-interior/276545/

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/independent-panel-readies-review-blm-mustangs

http://www.returntofreedom.org/national-coalition-calls-on-interior-secretary-to-halt-wild-horse-roundups-in-wake-of-scathing-independent-report/

http://m.sltrib.com/sltrib/mobile3/56416617-219/horse-report-wild-horses.html.csp

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/05/horse-burro-blm-nrc/2388947/

http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2013/06/nrc-gets-it-right-in-panning-blm-wild-horse-program.html

Apollo, Killian and Tenaz

Practically speaking, what will it mean? Time will tell.