Wild Horse Preservation in the U.S.
Dear First Lady,
dear President and Vice President,
I am also writing to you to express my terrible distress over the passage of Section 142 (SALE OF WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS), attached to the Omnibus Appropriations bill. The fact that it was attached right before Thanksgiving 2006, giving absolutely no opportunity for review or discussion, is most disconcerting.
The 1971 Free-Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act protecting these animals called them a living symbol of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West, an important part of our history, and recognized their importance to diversity of life forms in this nation. As a resident of Germany, I have little contact with wild horses and burros, but I am truly
horrified at the prospect that these animals may be in danger of being sold to supply horsemeat for human consumption abroad.
It is my hope that you will support a Congressional hearing on your current wild horse management policy. There should be a review of scientific findings that contradict the Bureau of Land Management's claims of wild horse overpopulation and negative impact on the range. Round-ups of wild horses should be stopped until there can be an independent assessment of the actual numbers of wild horses and burros on public lands. The Herd Management Areas designated by the 1971 Act should be restored, and an in-the-wild management program should be implemented.
Sincerely,
