By Katherine Nichols

Feb 18, 2010

The four-legged partners of the Honolulu Police Department’s Mounted Patrol Unit have a new home.

The seven horses that helped police officers protect the city will be transferred to Keawewai Ranch on the Big Island. Ranch owner Chandi Duke Heffner has agreed to house the horses, treat them with tender loving care, and allow representatives from HPD to visit their equine friends — Chief Lee, Cruiser, Scout, Kuhio, Trooper, Justice and Cinbad.

“We’ve been working very hard over the past several months to come up with a creative solution that will provide a suitable and healthy environment for the horses,” Mayor Mufi Hannemann said. “We are especially glad that the horses will be able to remain together and enjoy a well-deserved retirement after serving the department and the community so well for many years.”

After about nine years of service, the Mounted Patrol Unit was dismantled in July 2008 due to the high cost of caring for the animals. A plan to auction off the horses — deemed “property” by HPD — drew fire from animal lovers in Hawaii.

Julie Goodnight, who helped train the horses and police officers in the Mounted Patrol Unit, wrote on her blog that the horses and officers conducted crowd control by keeping protesters in line. They also did community service and ceremonial work, and were recognized and appreciated by the community during their tenure.

“Police horses are incredibly courageous and trusting — willing to walk into a 200-person drunken brawl — strictly on the assurance from the rider that it will be OK,” Goodnight wrote when she discovered the unit would be disbanded. She found the notion of auctioning off the animals to the highest bidder “appalling.”

Now, horse lovers can take comfort that the animals will remain together in relative comfort on Heffner’s ranch.

Find this article at:
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100218_hpd_horses_retire_to_green_pastures_of_big_isle.html

March for Mustangs Invitation
Please come to Washington DC to attend the “March for Mustangs” on Thurs., March 25th, 2010.
We will gather and hold a press conference in Lafayette Park on the north side of the White House where we will be making a stand for the preservation and protection of America’s Wild Horses and Burros. Then we will all march to the Bureau of Land Management Office as we call for the freedom and protection of all that is wild.

Please RSVP to: The Cloud Foundation, info@thecloudfoundation.org, 719-633-3842.

Details:

When: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 1:00-3:00pm, Press conference and speakers at 1:30pm (Filmmaker/Advocate Ginger Kathrens, Author RT Fitch and many more – including special guests to be announced)

Where: Lafayette Park (north side of Whitehouse, on H Street between 15th and 17th Streets, NW). At 3:00pm protesters will march with signs to the BLM office at 1849 ‘C’ Street.

Plus Mustangs on the Hill II: On Friday morning, we’ll brief advocates regarding their meetings with their Senators and Representatives in regard to saving our mustangs. Please schedule an appointment with your Senators and Congressperson for Thursday morning or Friday.

Why: The Bureau of Land Management’s cruel and costly mismanagement is destroying a vital piece of the American West. The American public is standing up for our horses and burros – Please join us in a March for Mustangs, rally and protest.

Background: Roundups increased significantly in 2000 in the Bush years and they haven’t let up under the Obama administration. 12,000 wild horses and burros are scheduled for removal from our Western public lands this fiscal year alone. These cruel helicopter roundups come at enormous expense to our wild herds and to the American taxpayer.

Recently the roundup of 1900 mustangs took place in the Calico Mountains of Northwestern Nevada during the dead of winter, ending early in February when BLM realized the herds were far smaller than estimated. To date 60 horses have died due to this roundup and the death toll continues to climb daily. This does not include the 30 plus mares that have aborted their late-term foals in the feedlot-style corrals in Fallon, Nevada, where the horses are being held. Two foals had their hooves literally separate from the bone after the helicopters ran their families for miles over rocky and sharp volcanic ground.

Secretary Ken Salazar, who oversees the BLM, has decided there is no room left for our mustangs on their legally designated lands in the West and has proposed purchasing private land and shipping wild horses (gelded stallions and mares) East to the first of seven “preserves” which many people call SalaZoos. The plan as it stands only adds to the financial train wreck that the Wild Horse and Burro Program has become.

So, rather than spending over $50 million this fiscal year to remove our wild horses and burros from the range plus $42 million to buy land in the East, let’s protect them on their Western lands. The intent of Congress’ 1971 Free-Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Act was not to warehouse our mustangs but to allow them to live in freedom in self-sustaining numbers on Western rangelands designated primarily for their survival. Drastic change is needed in the management of wild horses and burros if they are to survive, as wild animals, into the future. Wild horses benefit the land as they evolved in North America and they represent our living history in the West.

Add to the millions spent for round ups is the annual loss of $123 million running a taxpayer subsidized grazing program, often referred to as “welfare ranching”. The fees charged to livestock permittees is currently the lowest allowed by law—$1.35 per cow/calf pair per month. This rate would need to be over $9.00 in order for the program to break even. If cows were removed on legally designed wild horse herd areas and horses allowed to stay, we’d save even more—including our valued mustangs. Holding the 1900 Calico horses alone in a feedlot style facility amounts to a staggering cost of over $10,000 per day!

But change is on the way for our wild horses and burros! Some 25 protests have been mounted from coast-to-coast including Chicago, LA, NYC, Denver, Las Vegas, Reno, and Sacramento since late December. Thousands of people have braved the cold and come out with their families to hold banners and signs demanding that President Obama react to the hideous mistreatment of our spectacular wild horses and respond to the incredible waste of taxpayer dollars on a broken program that only lines the pockets of powerbrokers and cattle barons. Now is the time to say enough is enough. Open the gates and return our wild horses to their rightful ranges.

Please take action for our wild herds. An immediate moratorium on all roundups is needed! This must be followed by hearings and investigations on BLM mismanagement; accurate and independent assessments of just how many wild horses we have left and the real range conditions. Then we need to develop a sustainable plan for our wild herds on our Western public lands and restore their protections set forth in the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Moving our wild horses in non-reproducing, broken families to the East is not the answer.

Join us on Thursday, March 25th, for a Mustangs March on Washington and take action today to save these incredible animals who are currently being managed to extinction.

Take Action: Call President Obama 202-456-1111, Call your Senators 202-224-3121

Please visit www.thecloudfoundation.org for more information on this event.

March 7, 2010

“Awaken Your Spirit” by Jennifer Gage - Click here to view original post with photos.

In my dreams thundering across the plains, race immense herds of mustangs, running like the wind-free in every sense of the word in all their glory. “In riding a horse, we borrow freedom.” –Helen Thompson.

We will never see this magic again and like the buffalo, the mustang too will be gone before we know what happened if we don’t act now. Please vote now on Change.org to save the mustangs: http://www.change.org/ideas/view/stop_cruel_blm_round_up_of_wild_horses

Every single day mustangs (wild horses) are being rounded up and put in holding pens like discarded waste. Families are torn apart, mothers and babies put in separate pens. Their fate is uncertain; to be slaughtered for Europe’s elite diners (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gAX5snG7-4 **Warning – Contains Graphic Material**) or to live in some holding pen the rest of their lives is not what most Americans believe they deserve. These horses have been grazing these lands for over 200 years, and in fact, horses are an integral part of American heritage and culture as even Congress declared in 1971 with the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

What the opposition and people like Sue Cattoor, Bob Abbey, Ken Salazar can’t see or feel is the true beauty these precious, magnificent creatures exude-their spirit is one with Mother Earth and all that She has to offer the mustang. Those that cannot see the treasure that is the mustang with all its beautiful colors, spirit, freedom, joy, fierce loyalty and love of family have grown dull toward this world in which we live; they have forgotten that it is not normal or scientific in any sense of the word. “Every once in a while something will come along and shock us right out of our dullness and resignation.” That’s what the mustangs and watching “The Stallion and the Foal” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JKKWF0ZUGk)
have done for me.

Thanks to photographers like Pam Nickoles, Carol Walker, and cinematographer Ginger Kathrens, I got to experience the mustang like I never have before. I didn’t even know they existed wild on the plains of 10 states. There used to be 2 million mustangs in 1900 throughout 16 states. They are now extinct in 6 states. If YOU do not act and do not let the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), President Obama, senators and congressmen know of the value these animals have, they too will go the way of the buffalo and the wolf. We cannot let that happen to them – to the horses that took us to battle when our nation was young and brought the pioneers to the west. I cannot let that happen.

“Just as we have lost our wonder at the world around us, we have forgotten what a treasure the human heart is. All of the happiness we have ever known and all of the happiness we hope to find is unreachable without a heart.”—John Eldredge.

My human heart is telling me the mustang is capable of bringing me this happiness-this borrowed freedom. To know this happiness yourself, go to YouTube and watch the videos about Cloud and his herd by Ginger or “Stampede to Oblivion”
(http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/news-update-the-stampede-to-oblivion-is-now-online/) or Calico, Nevada-Where the Wild Horses Roam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-0OK3i1YFI) or countless other wild horse videos found on YouTube.

The wild horses are protected by The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-195), which states that Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.

“Less than one percent of humans who live in America have ever seen wild horses running free. I have spoken with many of the few who have and each has said the view they made will never be forgotten. As remarkable as a distant sight of wild horses can be it remains the tip of a glorious iceberg. The actual lives of wild horses reveal to humanity the privilege having a life on the planet earth and how vital it is to respect the privilege.” Twelve the King, -Michael Blake

“Before I purchased El Mariachi, that beautiful horse belonged to each and every one of you. All of the BLM managed Mustangs belong to you. Many people don’t even realize this, but the wild horses belong to the PUBLIC. You. Their futures are in your hands as well. If you ever have an opportunity to view a wild horse in its natural surroundings, I guarantee that you’ll be changed forever, and maybe you’ll begin to understand why many people work so hard to preserve them. Hopefully, you’ll become involved in the wild horse protection efforts yourself. There are so few wild herds remaining, it’s imperative that people act NOW. The wild horses are magical, spiritual creatures and they absolutely deserve their place on our Earth.” -Pam Nickoles

Some facts:
• The half-million acre Calico Complex herd management area is the last stronghold of the American mustang and was designated by Congress principally for the wild horses and burros. Millions of head of livestock graze at a cost of $1.35/cow-calf pair/month.
• Overall welfare livestock constitute a net loss of $123 million annually to the American tax payer.
• The scapegoating of wild horses and burros for range deterioration must stop—they comprise only a tiny fraction of animals and wildlife grazing on our public lands.
• Cows graze within a mile of water. In comparison wild horses are highly mobile, moving 5-10 miles from water and grazing on more rugged terrain.
• BLM does not adequately control cattle on the public’s land and has not sustainably balanced use of the “forage”, water and space.
• A 1000-lb cow not only eats 26 lbs. of forage daily, but they consume as much as 30 gallons of water a day and defecate in it as well.
• Private and corporate livestock outnumber wild horses at least 100 to 1 on public lands.

Search your deep heart and investigate what I have just told you if this has motivated or awakened you to the dullness of your life. Pass this on and awaken your family, friends, coworker, children and grandchildren. Let’s not leave a legacy of dust to our children and grandchildren where the mustang once roamed like the buffalo…YOUR HELP IS DESPERATELY NEEDED TO SAVE THE WILD HORSES OF THE WEST! YOU ALONE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES!

I leave you with this piece of beauty…All the Little Ponies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXl8GwrBkxM

May you be blessed,
Jennifer

Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.

Resources:
http://www.thecloudfoundation.org/
http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/resources/calico.html
http://www.wildhorsepreservation.com/
http://www.theamericanwildhorse.com/
http://www.madeleinepickens.com/
http://www.idablog.org/category/horse-campaign/

Jennifer has been involved in the wild horse protection efforts for only about 3 months. She is obviously passionate about the cause and she has done some research to back up her beliefs. I hope that others will be inspired by her words, follow her lead and decide they too can make a difference in the lives of our wild horses. Thanks Jennifer. I’m honored to have been a small part of your journey of discovery into the beauty of, and the issues facing our wild ones.

Stay updated with current Wild Horse news: http://nickolesphotography.com/HTML/wildhorseinformation.htm

More Wild Horse video clips: http://www.nickolesphotography.com/HTML/videoclips.html

Disappointment Valley… A Modern Day Western presented by filmmaker James Kleinert

Date/Time: Wednesday evening, March 24th from 6:00-8:00pm

Location: BusBoys and Poets, location 14th & V street (map here)

Disappointment Valley. . . A Modern Day Western.  This film examines the plight of America’s wild horses and the rapidly deteriorating condition of our wild and beautiful public lands in the majestic, haunting American west.

The film interviews such experts as, Jim Baca, former Director of the Bureau of Land Management under the Clinton Administration, Randy Udall, energy consultant, Michael Blake, (Writer of Dances With Wolves and Wild Horse Advocate), the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management, environmental attorneys, Sheryl Crow, Viggo Mortensen, Daryl Hannah and more. The film documents the struggle of an animal that has long symbolized freedom, individualism and unbridled passion in America.  Documenting wild horses in their authentic, beautiful pure essence (filmed in HD), Disappointment Valley, is a profound film that will awaken and touch all who view it.

The majestic band stallion known as Traveler, named after Robert E. Lee’s Stallion, and his family are, located in beautiful Disappointment Valley, Colorado. Traveler and his snow-white mare known as Alfa, live and thrive with their family until the Bureau of Land Management conducts a massive wild horse round up, taking two thirds of the wild horse herd away, destroying the wild band’s family dynamic and genetic viability in this brutal round up and removal.  Traveler is sent to wild horse prison, a short term holding facility, as is most of his family.   Following wild horse advocates as they work to get Traveler returned to his homeland, the threat of being shipped to BLM long term holding facilities is high. He may face euthanasia, or worse, being shipped to Mexico for brutal slaughter.

Disappointment Valley . . . A Modern Day Western captures the pure madness of the American West.   Greed and corruption take center stage, exposing how the United States failed energy policy and the current rape and pillage of western public lands by oil, gas, mining and corporate cattle grazing, is leading to the extinction of America’s wild horses and burros.  The film interviews such experts as, Jim Baca, former Director of the Bureau of Land Management under the Clinton Administration, Randy Udall, energy consultant, Michael Blake, (Writer of Dances With Wolves and Wild Horse Advocate), the Deputy Director of the Bureau of Land Management, environmental attorneys, Sheryl Crow, Viggo Mortensen, Daryl Hannah, American Indians, Cowboys and other colorful characters.

The untamed natural beauty of the last few remaining wild horses is a strong sign of hope for many people. Real-life heroes take peaceful action to save this noble symbol of American freedom and raw beauty.  Go behind the scenes as these hero vigilantes work to get wild horses returned to their homelands and stop the cycle of abuse that continues to haunt America and the world.  The wild horses’ plight is our own!

Disappointment Valley. . . A Modern Day Western, is a film that is impressionable, haunting and will inspire people to take action towards positive change.  The film presents solutions for America’s wild horses and burros and the preservation of our public lands.

Copyright 2009 Moving Cloud Productions Inc.  All Rights Reserved.

Gather Activity Update

Urge your Illinois Representative to vote NO on HB 4812

A bill to reopen cruel horse slaughter plants in IL

VOTE COULD TAKE PLACE ANY DAY – CALL NOW!

Dear Illinois Humanitarian,

Urgent calls are needed to protect equine welfare in the state of Illinois. Please contact your State House Representatives to help preserve the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter which ultimately resulted in the closure of the last remaining horse slaughter plant in the United States.

To no surprise, the Illinois State House Committee on Agriculture and Conservation passed HB 4812, a bill to reopen cruel horse slaughter plants in the state.  State Rep. Jim Sacia, introduced the bill to repeal the state ban, paving the way for horse slaughter to reappear in Illinois.  As has been discussed and voted on many times before, the slaughter process subjects horses to extreme cruelty and an inhumane death.  Supporters on both sides of the issue agree that we have a nationwide crisis right now, and something must be done to save these majestic beings from cruelty.  We disagree, however, on how to handle the problem.  The Animal Welfare Institute does not believe subjecting horses to the trauma of slaughter by captive bolt or being stabbed in the neck by puntilla knife is the answer.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn reiterated his desire to protect the welfare of animals this weekend, “As long as I am governor, we’re never going to pass any kind of legislation that allows cruelty toward animals, whether it be dogs, cats or any other living things.”

We are confident Illinois House and Senate representatives are strongly opposed to HB4812, and will vote NO on the bill.  However, Representative Sacia has begun to employ a new tactic to garner support for the bill.  Claims that the bill has no chance of passing and a vote in favor of the bill as a political nod to Rep. Sacia have started to swirl around the State Capitol.  Representatives must not play political games with this bill, which holds the lives of about 100,000 horses annually.  It is critical that you urge your representative to vote NO on HB 4812.

Also, please reiterate the fact that Illinois horse rescues will not accept any money as once offered by Rep. Sacia, in an attempt to appease the animal welfare community. Illinois horse rescues submitted a letter to the State House denouncing the acceptance of monies collected from slaughtering horses.  Ask that your Representative to record a NO vote on the bill with or without amendments.

It is unfortunate that the Illinois General Assembly and individuals from Illinois and around the country must continue dealing with this issue year after year, but we must remain vigilant against any and all attempts to overturn the 2007 ban on horse slaughter. It is a shame that our limited resources must be used to repeatedly engage in this fight, rather than expend the resources further protecting horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The Illinois House will bring take up HB 4812 at any time now.  The exact date is not yet set but may appear soon.  Please contact your Representatives today to register your opposition to this inhumane bill.  To find House member contact information, visit www.ilga.gov/house or see below.

For your convenience, below is a list of talking points to aid in placing calls and drafting emails. Again, please take action for the horses today. They are counting on us!

Talking Points:

• Please apologize for having to call your representative on this issue yet again. The Illinois General Assembly resolved this issue back in 2007, but Rep. Sacia continues to take up everybody’s time with this unpopular bill.
• No matter what is said, please vote NO on HB 4812.  Soundly defeating this bill will send a message across Illinois and the U.S. that horse slaughter and efforts to promote it are not acceptable.
• Strongly oppose HB 4812 and any amendments because horse slaughter is a cruel and unnecessary practice.
• The Illinois General Assembly banned horse slaughter by an overwhelming majority in 2007, and Rep. Sacia’s bill, HB 4812, must be rejected. There is no evidence to support Rep. Sacia’s claims that the slaughterhouse closure has led to an increase in horse abandonment or abuse. Horse slaughter itself is abuse because of the way in which horses react to the stress of slaughter plants and the multiple hits required to immobilize a horse.
• Ending horse slaughter stopped an overt form of animal cruelty and has only been good for the horses. The state ban is important.
• The animal welfare community, equine rescues and the majority of Illinois residents DO NOT support the overturning of this ban no matter what Rep. Sacia may claim.
• If Rep. Sacia actually cared about the welfare of horses he would support the federal ban on horse slaughter which would stop the export of horses from the U.S.

Please ask your representative to urge Rep. Sacia to discontinue his attempts to overturn the horse slaughter bill. Your representative should also urge Rep. Sacia to support the federal bill, Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S.727), in order to truly advance the welfare of equines in Illinois if he is truly concerned with the welfare of our horses. H.R. 503/S.727 ensures horses from Illinois and all over the U.S. will no longer be hauled to Canada or Mexico for slaughter.

Please share this “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert with all family, friends, colleagues and fellow horse enthusiasts! Also, please take a minute to visit AWI’s Compassion Index at www.awionline.org/takeaction and take action on the federal Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727).  For more information on horse slaughter, you may visit www.awionline.org.

Thank you for all you do on behalf of the horses!

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs
Animal Welfare Institute

House Member                D/R        Phone #                               Email

Edward J. Acevedo          D             (217) 782-2855                   eacevedoed@ilga.gov

Luis Arroyo                         D             (217) 782-0480                   repdistrict2@yahoo.com

Suzanne Bassl                    R             (217) 782-8026                   NA

Mark H. Beaubien            R             (217) 782-1517                   strepmbeaubien@aol.com

Daniel V. Beiser                D             (217) 782-5996                   dvbeiser@sbcglobal.net

Patricia R. Bellock             R             (217) 782-1448                   rep@rbellock.com

Maria Antonia Berrios    D             (217) 782-1032                   repberrios39gmail.com

Bob Biggins                         R             (217) 782-6578                   bobbiggins@comcast.net

William B. Black                 R             (217) 782-4811                   wbblack@sbcglobal.net

Mike Boland                       D             (217) 782-3992                   ilrepmikeboland@aol.com

Mike Bost                            R             (217) 782-0387                   rep.bost@hotmail.com

John E. Bradley                 D             (217) 782-1051                   repjohnbradley@mychoice.net

Dan Brady                           R             (217) 782-1118                   dan@rep-danbrady.com

Rich Brauer                         R             (217) 782-0053                   brauerri@ilga.gov

Daniel J. Burke                  D             (217) 782-1117                   burkedj@ilga.gov

William D. Burns               D             (217) 782-2023                   repwillburns@att.net

John D. Cavaletto             R             (217) 782-0066                   john@joncavaletto.com

Linda Chapa LaVia            D             (217) 558-1002                   chapa-laviali@ilga.gov

Franco Coladipietro         R             (217) 782-8158                   franco@il45.com

Sandy Cole                          R             (217) 782-7320                   representativesandycole@comcast.net

Annazette Collins             D             (217) 782-8077                   collinsar@ilga.gov

Marlow H. Colvin              D             (217) 782-8272                   repcolvin@sbcglobal.net

Michael G. Connelly        R             (217) 782-8028                   Repconnelly48@gmail.com

Elizabeth Coulson            R             (217) 782-4194                   Coulson@ilga.gov

Fred Crespo                       D             (217) 782-0347                   fred@fredcrespo.com

Tom Cross                           R             (217) 782-1331                   tom@tomcross.com

Barbara Flynn Currie       R             (217) 782-8121                   repcurrie@sbcglobal.net

Shane Cultra                      R             (217) 558-1039                   shanecultra105@yahoo.com

John D’Amico                     D             (217) 782-8198                   johnd@ilga.gov

Monique D. Davis            D             (217) 782-0010                   davismd@ilga.gov

William Davis                      D             (217) 782-8197                   williamd.hds.state.il.us

Anthony DeLuca               D             (217) 782-1719                   repdeluca@sbcglobal.net

Lisa M. Dugan                    D             (217) 782-5981                   lisadugan@sbcglobal.net

Kenneth Dunkin               D             (217) 782-4535                   kendunkin@msn.com

Jim Durkin                           R             (217) 782-0494                   jimd@ilga.gov

Roger L. Eddy                     R             (217) 558-1040                   reddyunit1@aol.com

Keith Farnham                  D             (217) 782-8020                   krfarnham@gmail.com

Sara Feigenholtz               D             (217) 782-8062                   feigenholtz@ilga.gov

Robert F. Flider                 D             (217) 782-8398                   bobflider@repflider.com

Mary E. Flowers                D             (217) 782-4207                   flowersme@ilga.gov

LaShawn K. Ford               D             (217) 782-5962                   lkf@ilga.gov

Mike Fortner                     R             (217) 782-1653                   mike.fortner@sbcglobal.net

Jack D. Franks                    D             (217) 782-1717                   jack@jackfranks.org

John A Fritchey                 D             (217) 782-2458                   mystaterep@aol.com

Paul D. Froehlich              D             (217) 782-3725                   statereppaul@sbcglobal.net

Esther Golar                       D             (217) 782-5971                   esthergolar@sbcglobal.net

Careen M. Gordon          D             (217) 782-5997                   staterepgordon@sbcglobal.net

Jehan A. Gordon              D             (217) 782-3186                   repjehangordon@gmail.com

Deborah L. Graham         D             (217) 782-6400                   st.rep.graham@sbcglobal.net

Julie Hamos                        D             (217) 782-8052                   julie@staterephamos.org

Betsy Hannig                      D             (217) 782-8071                   betsyh@ilga.gov

Greg Harris                         D             (217) 782-3835                   greg@gregharris.org

Kay Hatcher                        R             (217) 782-1486                   vote4kay@att.net

Elizabeth Hernandez      D             (217) 782-8173                   repehernandez@yahoo.com

Jay C. Hoffman                  D             (217) 782-8018                   hoffman@legis.state.il.us

Thomas Holdbrook          D             (217) 782-0104                   NA

Constance A. Howard    D             (217) 782- 6476                  howardca@ilga.gov

Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr.    D             (217) 782-5951                   NA

Naomi D. Jakobsson       D             (217) 558-1009                   naomi@naomijakobsson.com

Charles E. Jefferson        D             (217) 782-3167                   staterepchuck67@aol.com

Kevin Joyce                        D             (217) 782-8200                   kjoyce@hds.ilga.gov

Renee Kosel                       R             (217) 782-0424                   rkosel@ilga.gov

Lou Lang                              D             (217) 782-8400                   reploulang@aol.com

Michael J. Madigan         D             (217) 782-5350                   mmadigan@hds.ilga.gov

Sidney H. Mathias            R             (217) 782-1664                   repmathias@hotmail.com

Frank J. Mautino              D             (217) 782-0140                   patti76th@ivnet.com

Karen May                          D             (217) 782-0902                   karen@repkarenmay.org

Emily McAsey                    D             (217) 782-4179                   repEmily@gmail.com

Michael P. McAuliffe      R             (217) 782- 8182                  macauliffe20@yahoo.com

Kevin A. McCarthy           D             (217) 782-3316                   kevmac37@sbcglobal.net

Jack McGuire                     D             (217) 782-8090                   jmcguire86@sbcglobal.net

Deborah Mell                    D             (217) 782-8117                   deborahm@ilga.gov

Susana A. Mendoza        D             (217) 782-7752                   staterepmendoza@gmail.com

David E. Miller                   D             (217) 782- 8087                  repdavidmiller@sbcglobal.net

Bill Mitchell                         R             (217) 782-8163                   repmitchell@earthlink.net

Jerry L. Mitchell                R             (217) 782-0535                   repjmitchell@comcast.net

Donald L. Moffitt              R             (217) 782-8032                   moffitt@grics.net

Rosemary Mulligan         R             (217) 782-8007                   repmulligan@usa.net

Richard P. Myers              R             (217) 782-0416                   repmyers@macomb.com

Elaine Nekritz                    D             (217) 558-1004                   enekritz@repnekritz.org

JoAnn D. Osmond            R             (217) 782-8151                   osmondjoann@aol.com

Harry Osterman                D             (217) 782-8088                   hjo17@aol.com

Brandon W. Phelps         D             (217) 782-5131                   bphelps@yourclearwave.com

Sandra M. Pihos               R             (217) 782-8037                   sandrapihos42@gmail.com

Raymond Poe                    R             (217) 782-0044                   poe@ilga.gov

Robert W. Pritchard        R             (217) 782-0425                   bob@pritchardstaterep.com

Randy Ramey, Jr.             R             (217) 558-1037                   staterepramey55@aol.com

Dennis M. Reboletti        R             (217) 782-4014                   dennisreboletti@sbcglobal.net

Davis Reis                            R             (217) 782-1018                   repreitz@egyptian.net

Al Riley                                 D             (217) 558-1007                   rep.riley38@sbcglobal.net

Robert Rita                         D             (217) 558-1000                   robertbobrita@aol.com

Chapin Rose                       R             (217) 558-1006                   chapin@chapinrose.net

Jim Sacia                              R             (217) 782-8186                   JimSacia@aeroinc.net

Angelo Saviano                 R             (217) 782-3374                   skip@saviano.com

Timothy L. Schmitz          R             (217) 782-5457                   info@timschmitz.org

Darlene J. Senger             R             (217) 782-6507                   sengerstaterep@gmail.com

Carol A. Sente                   D             (217) 782-0499                   senteforstaterep@gmail.com

Michael K. Smith              D             (217) 782-8152                   repmikesmith@gmail.com

Keith P. Sommer              R             (217) 782-0221                   sommer@mtco.com

Cynthia Soto                      D             (217) 782-0150                   csoto@ilga.gov

Ron Stephens                    R             (217) 782-6401                   ron@repstephens.com

Ed Sullivan, Jr.                    R             (217) 782-3696                   ILhouse51@sbcglobal.net

Andre M. Thapedi           D             (217) 782-1702                   rep32district@gmail.com

Jill Tracy                                R             (217) 782-8096                   jilltracy@jilltracy.com

Michael W. Tryon             R             (217) 782-0432                   Mike@miketryon.com

Arthur L. Turner                D             (217) 782-8116                   gene@turnerforillinois.com

Patrick J. Verschoore      D             (217) 782-5970                   pverschoore@legis.state.il.us

Ronald A. Wait                  R             (217) 782-0548                   repwait777@aol.com

Mark L. Walker                  D             (217) 782-3739                   repmarkwalker@gmail.com

Eddie Washington           D             (217) 558-1012                   washington60th@aol.com

Jim Watson                         R             (217) 782-1840                   jimwatson@localnetco.com

Dave Winters                     R             (217) 782-0455                   repwinters@aol.com

Karen A. Yarbrough         D             (217) 782-8120                   kyarbrough@ilga.gov

Michael J. Zalewski          D             (217) 782-5280                   michaelz@ilga.gov

Here We Go Again:

Dear Humanitarian,

Your help is once again needed in order to preserve the 2007 Illinois ban on horse slaughter which ultimately resulted in the closure of the last remaining horse slaughter plant in the United States.

HB 4812, sponsored by Illinois State Rep. Jim Sacia, would repeal the state ban, paving the way for horse slaughter to once again rear its ugly head in Illinois. Every year since the Illinois General Assembly overwhelmingly passed a bill banning horse slaughter in the State, Rep. Sacia has attempted to overturn this responsible legislation and reestablish an industry well known for its widespread abuse of equines. We are at a loss to explain his support of this abusive industry or his persistence in advocating for it.

It is unfortunate that the Illinois General Assembly and individuals from Illinois and around the country must continue dealing with this issue year after year, but we must remain vigilant against any and all attempts to overturn the 2007 ban on horse slaughter. It is a shame that our limited resources must be used to repeatedly engage in this fight, rather than expend the resources further protecting horses.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

The Illinois House Agriculture & Conservation Committee will hold a hearing on February 23, 2010 2:00PM. If your representative is on the Committee, please call her/him immediately in opposition to HB 4812. To find contact information for Agriculture & Conservation Committee members, visit http://www.ilga.gov/house/committees/members.asp?committeeID=626 or see below.

If your representative is not on this Committee, please take a minute to call or email her/him in opposition to HB 4812 as soon as possible. Visit http://www.ilga.gov/house/ to find your legislator and her/his contact information. For more information on horse slaughter you may visit http://www.awionline.org.

For your convenience, below is a list of talking points to aid in placing calls and drafting emails. Again, please take action for the horses today. They are counting on us!!

Talking Points:

• Please apologize for having to call your representative on this issue yet again. The Illinois General Assembly resolved this issue back in 2007, but Rep. Sacia continues to take up everybody’s time with this unpopular bill.
• Strongly oppose HB 4812 because horse slaughter is a cruel and unnecessary practice.
• The Illinois General Assembly banned horse slaughter by an overwhelming majority in 2007, and Rep. Sacia’s bill, HB 4812, must be rejected. There is no evidence to support Rep. Sacia’s claims that the slaughterhouse closure has led to an increase in horse abandonment or abuse. Horse slaughter itself is abuse.
• Ending horse slaughter stopped an overt form of animal cruelty and has only been good for the horses. The state ban is important.
• The animal welfare community, equine rescues and the majority of Illinois residents DO NOT support the overturning of this ban no matter what Rep. Sacia may claim.
• If Rep. Sacia actually cared about the welfare of horses he would support the federal ban on horse slaughter which would stop the export of horses from the U.S.

Please ask your representative to urge Rep. Sacia to discontinue his attempts to overturn the horse slaughter bill. Your representative should also urge Rep. Sacia to support the federal bill, Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S.727), in order to truly advance the welfare of equines in Illinois if he is truly concerned with the welfare of our horses. H.R. 503/S.727 ensures horses from Illinois and all over the U.S. will no longer be hauled to Canada or Mexico for slaughter.

Please forward this “Dear Humanitarian” eAlert to all family, friends, colleagues and fellow horse enthusiasts! Also, please take a minute to visit AWI’s Compassion Index (www.awionline.org/takeaction) and take action on the federal Prevention of Equine Cruelty Act (H.R. 503/S. 727).

Thank you for all you do on behalf of the horses!

Chris Heyde
Deputy Director
Government and Legal Affairs
Animal Welfare Institute

House Agriculture & Conservation Committee
Representative Brandon W. Phelps (D), Chairman – (217) 782-5131
Representative Patrick J. Verschoore (D), Vice-chair – (217) 782-5970
Representative Jim Sacia (R), (217) 782-8186 (bill sponsor)
Representative John D. Cavaletto (R), (217) 782-0066
Representative Shane Cultra (R), (217) 558-1039
Representative Lisa M. Dugan (D), (217) 782-5981
Representative Robert F. Flider (D), (217) 782-8398
Representative Mary E. Flowers (D), (217) 782-4207
Representative Julie Hamos (D), (217) 782-8052
Representative Donald L. Moffitt (R), (217) 782-8032
Representative Richard P. Myers (R), (217) 782-0416
Representative David Reis (R), (217) 782-2087
Representative Dan Reitz (D), (217) 782-1018

One of the largest wild horse roundups in Nevada history is over. The Bureau of Land Management says it gathered more than 1,900 mustangs from the sprawling Calico Range in Northern Nevada, but that’s far fewer than the agency expected to capture.

Critics of the BLM say the Calico roundup is a perfect illustration of what’s wrong with the BLM wild horse program, which uses roundups as its principal management tool.

BLM often says it is “mandated by law” to gather up wild horses from public land. The fact is, the law doesn’t say that. It allows BLM to use roundups as one of the management tools at its disposal, but it doesn’t order the agency to gather up mustangs.

Critics say BLM always uses roundups as its first choice. The fact that there are now more wild horses in captivity than on tens of millions of public acres proves something is wrong with the program.

The Black Rock Desert and surrounding range is stark and beautiful, but not what you would call a garden spot. But it is just fine for wild horses and is one of the last remaining mustang strongholds in the nation — at least it was.

The BLM determined that 3,000 horses spread across more than half a million acres were simply too many, so they set out in December to gather them up.

The imagery of the roundup is unmistakably moving. On one January day, BLM contractors herded yet another band of mustangs across miles of rocky terrain, and then into a temporary corral, but the cowboys missed the stallion of the band.

Observers watched as he inched closer and closer to his mares, oblivious to the possibility of capture, and repeatedly called out to them, as if to ask, “What the heck was happening?” It’s one of the questions the public has been asking about BLM’s aggressive schedule of roundups, including the Calico roundup conducted in weather so harsh it repeatedly shut down the operation several times.

As always, BLM says it was done for the good of the horses.

“The reason we did go forward was based on the fact that if we didn’t gather this winter, we would really have an emergency situation this summer,” said BLM District Manager Gene Seidlitz.

According to Seidlitz, BLM is mandated by law to gather excess horses, and he says the bureau did extensive monitoring to confirm the numbers. But the fact is, the numbers were wrong and BLM knows it.

Critics told BLM before the roundup there weren’t nearly as many horses in Calico as predicted. BLM said it planned to gather up to 2,700 mustangs, but it couldn’t find that many.

They stopped about 700 horses fewer than their its target. How could they be that far off?

“There’s a lot of migration of wild horses going on that we didn’t realize until recently,” said Seidlitz.

Wild horses migrating across invisible boundary lines? Who knew?

Critics like Cindy MacDonald say the problem is inherent because BLM doesn’t do much observation work. Rather, it depends on estimates to create what’s called AML — Appropriate Management Level — desired targets that were written up 10 or more years earlier.

“They are supposed to being doing these population levels based on range land data. Instead they use population charts and just check off little boxes, no proof required. Then they turn around and authorize tons of livestock units,” she said.

BLM says its primary job is to protect the land and that horses are incredibly destructive. In roundup after roundup, the agency claims horses are starving and that the range is imperiled, but the agency sometimes has trouble keeping its story straight, especially when it comes to cattle.

In January 2008, for instance, BLM authorized a 300-percent increase in the number of cattle that could graze in the very same Calico area. BLM experts said at the time that the impact from wild horses in the area as minimal, which meant the number of authorized cattle could increase.

Two months after the jump in cattle was approved, BLM produced a new survey claiming the wild horse population was had jumped from 500 to more than 3,000 in just four years — an increase critics say is preposterous.

Nonetheless, more cattle were authorized and the horses had to go.

Attorney Valerie Stanley accomplished what no one else has done. She stopped a BLM roundup by taking them to federal court in Colorado. Stanley argued that BLM tends to make stuff up as it goes along. The judge agreed.

“BLM for so long has just had this position of whatever they say goes,” she said.

BLM might get used to seeing Valerie Stanley. She has agreed to devote her practice to stopping planned roundups, and there are a lot of them in the works.

Even though the Calico roundup is over, its effects are still being felt in the form of horses that are dying after being captured. Friday at 5, a look at the consequences of this equine harvest.