| Yellowstone Bison Slaughter
|
| News
Article 2/22/05 |
 |
| |
|
|
| Wild
horses
By Chris Heyde, National Horse Protection Coalition,
Montana Standard Butte
2/22/05 |
There
are so many misstatements in the Sunday article "Saving
icons of the West," I don't know where to begin,
but that is expected when you only interview the myth
spreaders.
It is unfortunate that anyone gives either Merle Edsall
or John Falen any serious consideration. Both are known
for spinning a wonderful tale and now the wild horse and
American taxpayer are caught in the middle of their make
believe world.
Too many horses? That is a sad joke that when really examined
doesn't hold water. Ranchers aren't having to remove their
cattle for any reason, but the horse is facing the brunt
of the issue.
The BLM manages over 250 million acres of land and for
some reason, a few people are trying to make you believe
that 37,000 or so wild horses can't live there while millions
of cattle graze away.
Just think about the numbers for a second. Only 3 percent
of all beef consumed in the U.S. and sold abroad is raised
on public lands. Out of this, millionaires, billionaires
and corporations hold most of the grazing permits. Talk
about destruction.
Even the federal government disputes the claim that wild
horses are a problem, as reported in the 1990 General
Accounting Office study entitled "Improvements Needed
in Federal Wild Horse Program." The study was a clear
and strong declaration redeeming wild horses and can be
summed up by this sentence, "... the primary cause
of the degradation in rangeland resources is poorly managed
domestic (primarily cattle and sheep) livestock."
The real problem is greed.
Mr. Falen wants all of the land and all of the federal
taxpayer subsidy for himself while Mr. Edsall wants to
make a profit off of our national treasures. Neither cares
about horses or the condition of the range.
As for Sen. Conrad Burns? Who knows. He claims it is about
saving money, but then he ignores the real waste of taxpayer
dollars doled out each year under the federal grazing
program.
A program that wastes $300-$500 million of our hard earned
taxpayer dollars each year. Even the Missoulian newspaper
noted, "The state made famous for its wanton slaughter
of Yellowstone National Park's bison as they struggle
to reach winter range now has a senator who wants to feed
enduring symbols of the Wild West to Frenchmen."
Horses, unlike cattle, aren't sedentary animals. Hence
the name of the bill Sen. Burns quietly gutted behind
closed doors — Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros
act of 1971. Why didn't he do this in the public eye?
Because he knew he would fail if the facts were presented.
It is about time every taxpaying American citizen took
notice at how a few greedy individuals are destroying
public lands, eliminating wild horses which are a natural
treasure and defrauding everyone for millions of dollars
a year. This is the real problem and we shouldn't be distracted
by a few out to profit.
Chris Heyde Executive Director National Horse Protection
Coalition P.O. Box 1252, Alexandria, Va.
Top
of Page |
|
|
|
|
|
|
