Sunday, October 31, 1999
Wild horse care challenged
Bill proposes that states take responsibility
By Bart Jansen
Associated Press
the webmaster notes: these horses are not native to the america's. back when the spanish army invaded north and south america and declared that it was the property of the king of spain they used horses instead of tanks. some of these horses excaped, some were stolen by the native indians.
WASHINGTON - As lawmakers grope for a - better way to manage wild horses roaming the West, a, Nevada proposal to shift care for the animals from the federal to state 'governments reopened an emotional debate.
Nearly 45,600 wild' horses and
,burros roam Western states, about half in Nevada. Federal law has protected the a animals since 1971. But after recent fires and drought, the herds have become a concern to ranchers competing for grass and water for their cattle.
Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who sponsored the bill, says local officials could react faster to fires, drought and starvation. He also proposed $5 million to better advertise a national adoption program for the animals.
Critics suggested that states
would sell, horses for slaughter, which denied
"Let me state for 'the record that my intention is not to shoot horses on the range or I round I up all the wild horses' :and lead them to slaughter," Gibbons said at a hearing of the:, House Resources subcommittee on I parks and public.. lands. "My intention is to give states and all interested parties the flexibility to come up with Common' sense real working solutions."
The Bureau Land Management is looking into ways to cut the number of horses to 26,000 by 2003, including using fertility drugs and gelding. In the meantime, the agency is trying to improve its adoption program.
"To date, the management of wild horses and burros under existing legislation has been in-effective," rancher and Nevada state Sen. Dean Rhoads, R-Tuscarora, told the subcommittee.
subcommittee. The ,Bureau of Land Management sheltering 6,000 wild. burros chich
to the governmeot $50,000
feed, Gibbous said - have. become too 'Ad or dieased to adopt,'he said.
"Unfortunately,, many, of these animals are destined to live. out their days as federal welfare cases,, as facilities across the U.S. are, filled beyond capacity," Gibbons ,said.,
The land bureau opposes the bill, arguing that spreading adoptions across multiple could leave
more horses in with
little prospects for- adoption.
"Tins
would . effectually thwart, ifjorreverse, our efforts,
said Henri Beason, assistant director of re - nei~abiie resources and planningat,~e bureau. ,
Another concern is that the ,animals,. which cost $125 to adopt, ~qo sometimes sold for slaughter ,Phil afterward. The owners aren9t I supposed to have them killed.
State Sen. Dina Titus, Dallas * aid, said the state government would be unable to manage the -horses because only one worker at the Department of Agriculture is assigned to wild horse management. She also argued against using 'Statewide taxes -to benefit a few ranchers.
I , She" predicted that in order to cover costs, the state would privatize' the program, with horses sold for slaughter.
"This will be a travesty and an absolute reversal of the intent of the original 1'971 legislation," she said.