US Land Gobbling: NY Times Article by Dave Philipps
The following is a letter that Monika sent to Dave Philipps and the pro-wild horse community. It alerted us to the misinformation being spread by the New York Times. Monika has given us permission to reprint her original letter. – HfH
Dear Dave,
Since your name has gone national your biased, fork tongue speak stance must be exposed. In reporting on the race of land grabbing maggots you seem to have excluded the real culprits: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/energy/renewable_energy.html The U.S. Department of the Interior and the BLM are working with local communities, state regulators, industry, and other federal agencies in building a clean energy future by providing sites for environmentally sound development of renewable energy on public lands. Renewable energy projects on BLM-managed lands include wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass projects and the siting of transmission facilities needed to deliver this power to the consumer.
Where is your coverage of the New Energy for America ? Where is your coverage on Solar Solyndra ? Where is your analysis of “all must go” to make room for
green/solar/wind ? “All “means the total monopolizing of our Western lands by $ multi-million government business relations – controlling water, ridding tortoises, wildlife, and of course wild horses and burros, the prime scape goat and black sheep of the renewable energy project head honchos. You are buying into this; yet fail to document the deeper gist ? Where is your report on how hugely outnumbering livestock grazing (the illegitimate political child) has left irreparable damage to our public lands ?
How about telling your audience some details on the Dry Lake Valley North SEZ ? The Silver King HMA, where BLM planned to remove 88% of horses to offset the loss of up to 5.4 % of the HMA to solar energy developments within the SEZ ? How about telling the Reid solar thriller? http://beefycow.com/senator-reid-helped-kill-wild-horses-for-no-purpose-solar-land-sits-empty-big-companies-profit/
Imposing certain terms to intensify a campaign solely aimed to discredit latest scientific findings or scape goating mustangs has ever been the tool of wild horse enemies. In your writings you fail to mention who really gobbles up the land. It is the multi-million $ corporations who are after the Western states for the “New Energy Frontier” – speak solar, wind, geothermal, transmission lines and stations… did you miss this in your bout on land grabbers? Mustangs are the constant target for blame… by those refuting science and transparency to serve their agendas. Furthermore, to refute the existing evidence of wild horses’ native status as “feral” reflects a pitiful status quo of misinformation. Ross MacPhee, Ph.D. from the American Museum of National History has been kind enough to allow this reprint of his response to Ms. Simon of WSJ, and it is one of the best explanations regarding the wild horse’s evolution. http://www.wildhoofbeats.com/news/wild-horses-an-excellent-defense-for-a-returned-native-species
Please find the updated version of the Kirkpatrick/Fazio piece at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/3kg8p5y
The reintroduced, native wild horses of America enhance the eco-system. The public domain was declared as their protected home with the 1971 Act passed by Congress. In the competition of multiple use the wild horse enemies cleverly dismiss scientific evidence, historic facts and disseminate a myth that is false to mustangs’ authentic status, origin and current census. The good ol’boys’ creativity in this quest is testimony to their archaic, self-serving stance. With massive PR gigs the BLM tries to convince of a problem that does not exist (They ought to still justify the loss of over 20 million acres of federally protected habitat for mustangs, since 1971, when WFRHBA was passed).
It should be your duty to explore truth and factual evidence. As rational minds rest their case on the latest independent scientific findings to contribute to the education library about the important historic presence of wild horses in Northern America, some paying mouths and all those reflecting otherwise ought to get a clue on the jaundiced views which are a product of pro hunting, special interests/gov’t biz $$$ and greed driven personal agendas. There are no excess horses, only excess lies. Deception and manipulation of the American public. Betrayal and cruelty to the horses. The fact that your shady findings omit the truth to accuracy of census and who really grabs the West… leaves a sour taste. Why don’t you suggest counting horses with drones ? It would shock the nation to see how few wild horses and burros are left, despite the inflated sagas by your sources. The BLM even wants to send wild burros to Guatemala now. Who pays this ludicrous idea – sending our wild equines protected by law, yet pushed off the ethically sane radar to unknown foreign shores?
May your audience not fall for the propaganda and misinformation you spread. I am looking forward to reading your next article which should focus on the new destructive Energy Frontier of the United States and how it impacts the West, our future – by manifesting the losses besides the gains we have yet to see – as they are carried out secretly and covert. What once sounded so intriguing with hope and promises…renewable energy… has become a national GOBBLE $$$ agenda that runs on shams and greed. Instead of finding a voice in support for our wild horses (such as Reserve Design) to co-exist in this wide huge West… you join the deception train of those wanting them gone. Shame on you.
Monika Courtney