Sulphur Springs Mustangs

These photos are some examples of the beautiful Sulphur Springs mustangs in the care of Coyote Canyon Caballos d'Anza.

For more information on this breed of horse, see link below:

Sulphur Springs Mustangs

They are incredible beautiful!!

Letter to Protest Wild Burro Gather

RE: Wild Burros Gather Hearing

All,
Please accept the following comments regarding the Barstow meeting and burro gather plan. Please forward also to Hector Villalobos, and the Palm Springs BLM office.
In addition to the West Douglas decision and in light of Dr. Kings notations below the Mojave Burro gathers must stop pending resolutions of the legal questions raised. Quote from BLM "The decision to not manage for a herd area is NEPA document which is subject to change should new, prevailing data become available, As such through NEPA"
Additionally the deficiencies in the management plan that zeroed out herds of free roaming wild horses and burros must be immediately corrected to restore the herds to genetic viability on lands where they existed in 1971 that were inventoried, and omitted in the inventories. Some of these heritage herds are extinct in the wild NOW, pending redesignation of OCCUPIED historic herd areas.

Please enter these comments into the record.

Thank you,
Kathleen Hayden
Coyote Canyon Caballos d'Anza
POB 236
Santa Ysabel, Ca. 92070

Let's Not Forget Our Wild Burros! They Too Suffer in the Hands of the BLM!

excerpt from

http://americanherds.blogspot.com/

According to a 2007 Wild Horse & Burro Capture Status Report obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request by American Horse Defense Fund, 12% of the burros rounded up in March of 2007 were dead within six months of the gather. That’s a far cry from the 1-2% BLM is so fond of sharing with the public.

With BLM providing little to no answers about continuing public concerns regarding maximum running distances, miscarriages and spontaneous abortions, hoof wear, lung tear, capture mypopathy or impacts from helicopter driving on various age classes with respect to wild horses, what hope is there of getting any answers to these same questions when it comes to the little burros?

Oh by the way, the 12% mortality rate wasn’t the only interesting statistic to be found regarding BLMs record keeping of the Gold Butte burros.

According to BLMs 2006 Gather Schedule, only 132 burros were reported to the public as having been removed. Yet, according to the FOIA’s Capture Status records, 152 wild burros were found listed as removed instead – 20 more burros than the Gather Schedule was reporting. When it came to the 2007 round-up records, things got a whole lot messier still…..

* The 2007 Gather Schedule reported 149 burros were captured and removed.

* The Las Vegas Field Office Post-Gather Report reported 140 burros were captured and removed.

* In the Wild Horse & Burro Capture Status Records, only 135 burros could be accounted for, either through adoption, sales, holding or death.

Furthermore, the Las Vegas Field Office reported zero deaths on the Post-Gather Report while the Capture Status records reported one burro died during the gather that apparently has “disappeared” from the Las Vegas Field Office’s records.

And the deaths didn’t stop there….Fifteen more were found in the Capture Status records to have either died or were euthanized at BLM CA Holding Facilities between April 10 and April 22 – less than one month after being driven by the helicopters to the capture pens.

Currently, BLM has scheduled a legally required Public Hearing on the Use of Helicopters to continue driving California’s pitiful handful of “excessive” burros to the capture pens as well.

California was once home to the largest wild burro population in America. Through a long progression of rotating DOI Secretaries charged by Congress to protect our wild horses and burros and the critical habitat they need to survive, they have allowed, approved, authorized, overseen and officiated over what was often a brutal demise instead.

Turning a blind eye to “direct reduction programs”, (a.k.a., shooting these federally protected animals unless advocates could intervene) of once protected burros implemented by National Park Service or military installations, they have sat silently by as authorized officers fenced water sources or designed land use plans that removed habitat from Herd Management Areas containing critical water sources (such as the recently approved land use plans in Arizona, which removed all the land around the Colorado River from the HMAs – a stunt they learned from managers who yanked all the acreage around Lake Mead from its Herd Management status as well). Of course, these are just steps leading toward the final goal of “zeroing out” the herds completely.

Anyone remember when former DOI Secretary Kempthorn just rolled his eyes and walked away from those begging for his intercession to allow volunteers to install a fully paid for water line to preserve one of Southern California’s last burro herds - and not just any herd either! Genetic tests revealed the Clark Mountain burros contained the most unique and “rare” genetic variants of any herd found throughout the West.

But what did it matter to BLM or Secretary Kempthorne that they were the rarest herd on record or that a free water system was being offered off the backs of the American public in efforts pick up their slack and preserve what they are legally charged with protecting anyway?

Today, the maximum burro population allowed on California public lands is “officially” 476 burros. I say officially because, as is so often the case with BLMs numbers, they are deceptive and misleading.

While this is the official tally, BLM continues to report California’s AMLs as 98 burros higher than it really is due to the fact that two HMAs, Lee Flat and Piper Mountain, haven’t publicly reported a burro living there for years. So when you subtract the padded numbers from the real numbers, the actual number of true, allowed, maximum, “non-excessive” wild burros is merely 378 throughout the entire state.

Then, if we add in the fact that BLM usually reduces this “maximum” population by at least 60% after the round ups (according to BLM, this is to allow for population expansion between removals), when the dust finally settles, the public can realistically expect about 150 burros to still be “free-roaming” on the range by the time BLM gets through with the round ups - that's for the entire state of California!

While Carol Walkers video of the Sandwash round-up shows a behind the scenes glimpse of what happens to wild horses being driven to the pens, when it comes to burros, they too have had witnesses leak stories of what is really going on during the helicopter round ups. Some examples include:

* In Nevada’s Spring Mountain Complex round up, local news reporters at the scene confirmed wild burros being run straight down the chutes directly into the trailers – no sorting pen necessary. Film footage also captured a wrangler incessantly kicking a burro trying to turn around and escape the chaotic pile up of burros, as here again, too many burros were being jammed too fast down the chutes.

* In the last California Clark Mountain burro gather, L.A. news crews filmed a helicopter flying so low, its skids clipped its target; one lone burro moving at a dead run that was sent sprawling to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris.

* American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign was able to obtain a single photo slipped through by a concerned citizen revealing yet another accounting of brutal round up practices in their shocking expose, “Death of a Mojave Burro”.

Here, an eyewitness exposed how yet another lone burro was run for miles via helicopter until it collapsed. If this weren’t enough, contractors then proceeded to jump up and down on the helpless burros rib cage and belly, grabbed its ears and repeatedly slammed its head into the ground until, finally satisfied, walked away to leave the burro to die a long and agonizing death. Click Here to learn more.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

BLMs Press Release announcing the removal of the California wild burros is vague and obscure at best. Legally, public hearings are required to obtain public input and comments in order for “public servants and stewards” to work together with the community in order to address concerns regarding official proposals.

Public hearings on the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles to remove wild horses and burros are required by law, mainly due to the fact that there has never been a time when those who monitor the effects of helicopter driving on wild horses and burros have not expressed some very serious and real concerns about its humane results. But again we find BLM stretching the very limits of what is “legal”.

This time, BLM carefully words the announcement by telling the public its only about what they have to tell you, not what you may want to tell them. If you have any questions, they are to be funneled through PR Specialists but don’t try to voice your concerns via mail, fax or email because, well, there’s no addresses provided!

The meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 19th, 2009 at the BLM Barstow Field Office located at 2601 Barstow Road (California Route 247) in Barstow, California at 6:00 p.m. BLM burro specialists will explain BLMs plans to gather the burros as well as answer public questions. The planned gathers will also be available exclusively at the Barstow meeting, so everyone get their plane tickets in order and try to head out early from work to be there!

If you want more information or have questions, contact:

BLM Ridgecrest Field Office (760) 384-5434 or,

Public Affairs Specialist
David Briery (951) 697-5220 or Stephen Razo (951) 697-5217

For those of you who would like to respond in writing so that your comments and concerns will be included in the public record rather than have them disappear through one ear and out the other of the PR guys now in charge, here’s some additional contact information you can use.

BLM Ridgecrest Field Office
300 S. Richmond
Ridgecrest, CA 93555
Fax: (760) 384-5499

They also have a webmail form you can use by Clicking Here.

Finally, in case you are worried the webmail form is also designed to have your comments and concerns disappear into oblivion, you may also contact:

BLMs California Wild Horse & Burro Specialist
Amy Dumas at Amy_Dumas@ca.blm.gov

Picken's Rescue Plan in Peril

Madeleine Pickens continues to fight for wild horses despite setbacks.

Last fall when the BLM announced it would consider euthanizing the nearly 30, 000 wild horses at its various holding facilities, wild horse advocates scrambled for solutions.

To date, the most promising plan is one proposed by Madeleine Pickens, wife of Texas oil billionaire, T. Boone Pickens. Her solution includes the private purchase of nearly one million acres of land in Nevada, and would save the taxpayers millions of dollars.

The BLM countered with two new options, and has subsequently created a real catch-22 for the Pickens' Plan. Please read the details in the very informative article by Nancy Cole, Publisher of The Equestrian News, a newspaper "Uniting Southern California's Horsepower."

(Madeleine Pickens is pictured here at a fundraiser at the Del Mar Country Club in June 2009 with yours truly - P.S. I'm the redhead :)

In a letter to Congressman Hunter, Kathleen Hayden of Coyote Canyon Caballos d'Anza writes:

"Dear Congressman Hunter,
Thank you in advance for reviewing the following information and request.
Despite your vote against ROAM, advocates are asking you to support restoration of San Diego and Riverside county's Heritage Coyote Canyon Herd to original Native American (now public) lands in the Beauty Mountain Area. Please NOTE that the existing vacant Beauty Mt cattle allotment expires 2012 and has been vacant for over ten years more contiguous private property has been added to the public domain. The multiple and historic uses of these lands benefit all Americans.
Were you aware that the purpose of ROAM was an emergency act to support the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro Act which mandates were circumvented by adverse political and agency policies? Also circumvented was the supporting National Historic Preservation ACT Sec 106 and applicable ESA Congressional mandates for distinct population species segments. Were you aware that there are only 16000 free roaming horses and burros left on public lands which constitute less than 1% of grazing animals on the western ranges? How does this constitute your concern of significant competition with other multiple uses of our public lands?
We are asking you now to support existing law and correct the oversights that removed our local Heritage Herd of Coyote Canyon free roaming horses.
The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-195) mandated management and protection in accordance with the provisions of the Act as components of the public lands. THE USFS or DOI secretary could designate and maintain specific ranges on public lands as sanctuaries for their protection and preservation, after consultation with the (anti equid) wildlife agency of the State wherein any such range is proposed and with the Advisory Board established in section 7 of this Act deems such action desirable. The mandate was designed to achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance on the public lands. He shall consider the recommendations of qualified scientists in the field of biology and ecology, some of whom shall be independent of both Federal and State agencies and may include members of the Advisory Board established in section 7 of this Act. See also Supreme Court decision Kleppe v New Mexico.
It is important to note the US Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board was instructed not to address the Coyote Canyon Herd issue despite the fact that some members of the Board supported restoration.

The Coyote Canyon Heritage Herd evolved into distinct population while sequestered more than two centuries from other wild horse herds. This meets the Endangered Species criteria of state and federal statutes as stated below.

(1) “Endangered” when its survival and reproduction in the wild are in immediate jeopardy from one or more causes, including loss of habitat, change in habitat, over exploitation, predation, competition, disease, or other factors; or

(2) “Rare” when either: Although not presently threatened with extinction, the species is existing in such small numbers throughout all or a significant portion of its range that it may become endangered if its environment worsens; or

(3) The species is likely to become endangered within the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range and may be considered “threatened” as that term is used in the Federal Endangered Species Act.

following Opinion of Wildlife ecologist Craig Downer

----- Original Message -----
From: Craig Downer
To: Kathleen Hayden

Sent: Saturday, September 13, 2008 10:03 AM
Subject: Re: Final Report: Feral Horses in Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State -- Evaluation and Reply from Craig re ESA & Final Report:Horses in Coyote Canyon, Anza Borrego Desert State Park
One Page Fact Sheet



Thanks for this report, Kathleen, which I have just read. I notice a real tendentiousness among the authors of the report to skew their conclusions contrary to much of the evidence that was gathered. This bias is apparent at the onset when the horse is referred to as a feral non-native species rather than a returned native species, thus ignoring the substantial evidence that establishes the place of the horse as a native in North America. I am also concerned about the oversight of the early Spanish contribution to this population and the ignoring of the positive beneficial contributions of the wild horses here, i.e. increased plant diversity, soil enrichment. Whoever interpreted the results of this study did so with a clear bias against the wild horses and their place here, both historic and in terms of the past evolution of this ecosystem. It is clear that the deciders of this report were out to favor the bighorn and justify the removal of the wild horses, regardless of a fair and balanced interpretation of the study's findings. This unique herd of Spanish-stock descended mustangs is very undervalued and its contribution to the native diversity of the region is being ignored. I believe that a strong case could be made to reinstate/restore this herd under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act, treating "species" as this particular historical lineage of coadapting horses, it would be fully justified. It is apparent that Calif. State Parks favors the bighorn species over the returned native horse and skews the information and full knowledge concerning the horses so as to arbitrary recommend their elimination from the area. No mention is made either of the local or visiting human appreciation of the wild horse, their aesthetic value, and their ability to establish a harmonious relationship with their fellow plants and animals over time and given the chance by we humans! I conclude that while the study has some merit, the conclusions of the study recommending the elimination of the horses from Coyote Canyon are incongruous and were almost certainly politically rather than scientifically decided.

I could very effectively argue for the Endangered Species Listing. I have worked with the endangered mountain tapir and contributed to its categorization according to the IUCN (World Conservation Union) criteria for endangered species. This has been in regard to the endangered Mountain Tapir of the northern Andes, of which only around 2,000 remain according to several considered evaluations. While I have done descriptive species inventories of plants and animals here in the West and am familiar with many of the endangered species and the reasons for their listing. I am especially aware of the tremendous scapegoating that has occurred against the wild horses and burros and of the deluge of lies and distortions that has been disseminated by public employees, vested interests, and even people who call themselves conservationists or ecologists but who have turned a blind eye to the horses and burros and their deserved place here in the wilds of the West.
Anxiously awaiting your reply,
For restoring the horses to their deserved freedom,

Craig C. Downer, Wildlife Ecologist
P.O. Box 456
Minden, NV 89423

Again, Thank you Congressman Hunter for your attention to this issue and request for support.

Very truly yours,

Kathleen Hayden
Coyote Canyon Caballos d'Anza Inc.
POB 236 Santa Ysabel, Ca. 92070
760 782 3340"

Wild Horse West Douglas Decision

In a letter to the BLM Wild Horse and Burros Managers, Kathleen Hayden of Coyote Canyon Caballos d'Anza writes:

"Dear BLM Wild Horse and Burro Managers and interested parties,

By now you have probably reviewed the attached West Douglas decision/ conclusions.

Please compare similarities between the Douglans case issues with removal of non excess Mojave burros and Coyote Canyon herds.

We were pleased that the court addressed the basic intent of the Wild Horse and Burro Act based on preservation and believe this decision can be helpful in saving and restoring our local heritage herds with your help.

AS a member of multiple organizations and personally, I am requesting initiation of emergency ACTION on the following issues.

Some members of the Wild Horse Advisory Board have personally voiced support in this particular matter.

Particularly we would appreciate and welcome comments and statements from you (receiving this email) that could support correction of the deficiencies that removed these free roaming heritage herds such as:

1. redefine the deficient 1971 Coyote Canyon herd area boundaries based on additional Beauty Mt area information

2. determine that the zeroed out herd areas removed animals that were not in excess.

3. examine and correct deficiencies in the management plans inconsistent with the Congressional intent of the free roaming wild horse and burro Act.

Not addressed in the attached litigation but necessary and imperative in reviewing the management plans used to remove the southern Ca. herds :

Issues of NEPA, NHPA Sec 106 , forage evaluations, AMLs for genetically viable herds, compliance with ESA distinct population segments (comparable with Peninsular Bighorn), and consultation with county governments etc.

This is a time sensitive issue. We are requesting that burro gathers be halted until these issues are corrected. Your anticipated assistance is greatly appreciated.

Kathleen Hayden

(representing following organizations)

Coyote Canyon Caballos d'Anza INC.

Ca.Equestrian Trails and Land Coalition

CCCDA of Ca.State Horsemen's Assoc.

bcc, groups

p.s Note;

The BLM was required to identify the areas "presently occupied" at the passage of the Act to be recorded and preserved as Herd Areas and thereby included as federally protected habitat and populations in conformance with the federal mandates of PL 92-195. The case study for inquiry and pursuit of this line of thinking for the Beauty Mt. Allotment is taken from the lead direction provided in 2004 Resource Management Plan for the Nevada Wild Horse Range (NWHR).

The original acreage was dedicated due to a cooperative agreement by then BLM State Director and the Commander of Nellis as the nations "first" wild horse range in 1962 with acreage revision done in 1965 - 6 years before the passage of the Act. Acreage ballpark of 400K, maybe a little more or less.

After the passage of the Act, the NWHR became absorbed into the general WH&B Program and all cooperative agreements were dissolved in 1972 (approximately) and re-established through new agreements. And so, BLM managed the NWHR for the next 35 years.

According to BLM in their 2004 Resource Management Plan, they completely came out of left field and stated that the original Herd Area was never properly identified for the NWHR at the passage of the Act and 30 years later, they were attempting to remedy this error.

After an interpretation of data that had everyone involved in the RMP up in arms, BLM went ahead and expanded the NWHR acreage to 1.3 million acres based on this new assessment (this is three times what the original Range was established at and twice as much as what the National Program Office statistics cited)

One of BLMs leading arguments for this massive increase in acreage was, just because WH&Bs had not been documented in the areas did not mean that they weren't there when the Act was passed.

This assertion was approved despite a Protest filed by the Nevada Department of Wildlife and "Viola!" 33 years after the passage of PL 92-195, BLM went back in and finally identified the original HA acreage and it legally stands now at 1.3 million acres; a more accurate assessment of the true territory of the WH&B populations in 1971 .

So this is the premise and the precedence for the idea behind the Beauty Mt. Allotment. There is precedence established that BLM did not always accurately record HAs as was required but that it is "never too late" for them to remedy their previous errors.

Evidence has been found to support Beauty Mountain Herd Area (as used to justify the NWHR), and the argument is applicable to that same argument already used and approved that, if BLM failed to properly identify the HA at the passage of the Act and with evidence in hand to show WHs did occupy the area, then by law, BLM would have to "revisit" their Coyote Canyon HA designation.

Evidence that WHs were identified in the allotment in 1971 or before, changes the ball game with respect to the CC HMA usurped by State Parks. Now its back in BLMs jurisdiction and as such, they are required to go through the motions as required by law of preserving and protecting WH&B habitat as identified as occupied in 1971."

Federal Judge Blocks Plan To Remove NW Colo Horses -comment by plaintiff

This is applicable to our local Heritage Herds as well. Insist on NEPA to correct deficiencies in management plans.
Kathleen Hayden
Coyote Canyon Caballos d' Anza


Barbara Flores Plaintiff,
Wish you had the whole story. It is much more than this. There were more than 9 horses in the area of the West Douglas HA in the 1970's, and the BLM had eye witnesses to the fact at that time. This is a fair and thorough judge, who looked carefully at both sides. BLM has NEVER had the authority to simply decide not to manage for wild horses in an area they used in 1971, when the Act was passed, but they have wiped out wild horses from approximately half the herd areas established at that time, and some that they have never publicly recognized, like the 600+ wild horses eradicated from the Douglas Mountain HA in the 1970's and 80's. With more wild horses now in holding facilities than on the range, and the BLM proposing to kill all those in holding facilities, we will soon have none of this heritage left to us. I only hope this will make a difference.

Barbara M. Flores
American Mustang & Burro Assoc., Inc.
plaintiff
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/20295785/detail.html

DENVER -- A federal judge in Washington has blocked the Bureau of Land Management's plan to use helicopters and baits to trap and remove 100 wild horses from 128,000 acres of federal and private land near Rangely in northwestern Colorado.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Collyer ruled Wednesday that the BLM overstepped its authority because it had not determined whether removing the horses was necessary to preserve the ecological balance and multiple use of that area.
BLM officials said energy exploration and development since the 1980s has caused overgrazing in part of the West Douglas Herd Area and areas outside their range.
Originally numbering nine in the 1970s, the herd has grown to 147.
The BLM planned to remove the horses in September.