Placitas' New Mexico Braces for BLM Round Up

WHOA

Feb 11, 2010

New Mexico

It is illegal to willfully remove or entice a legally wild horse off BLM lands per 16 USC 1334.

There is strong evidence that the BLM is performing/preparing a round up of the Placitas Wild Horses. It should be in the light of day and should be listed as an alternative in the next step of the RMP. The people of Placitas have proven to the BLM and their representatives their interest, concern, and desire to keep these horses in Placitas.

It is not proper in the middle of a Resource Management Revision (Unit 5 of the Rio Puerco) to make so many changes to the BLM before any final decisions. The BLM has opened right of ways, carelessly added new roads apparently to perform this round up, granted grazing permits in a clandestine manner, and has withheld much of the public record as well as misrepresented information regarding the public record.

Moreover, the BLM has deemed most of the Placitas public record as “Out of Scope” of their scoping process. Now Placitans and New Mexicans have the added insult of a round up without the light of day.

This letter will be followed by proof of birth in Placitas of these horses including pictures, as well as proof that they were here long before 1971. This by definition makes them legally wild on BLM lands.  This letter of proof will be shared with all Placitans and friends on the back side of the mountain. WHOA continues to offer and work every administrative remedy available to it. Call WHOA for round up details of the BLM. WHOA has written confirmation of this round up plan from the Honorable San Felipe Pueblo and again, visual evidence of the last 4 days shows it is in progress.

PLACITANS/FRIENDS - What You Can Do.

Though we continue to try every administrative remedy, the BLM will not entertain a discussion of the legal aspects of these Placitas Wild Horses. The BLM has deemed all comments approximately 2000 of them regarding the horses as "out of scope.

1. Please be out on the BLM walking up and down the Northern most side of it every day, as the apparent plan is to move them through the grazing permittees property to San Felipe Pueblo.
2. Please be open and professional when you see any BLM employees out there. Ask them what is your name, and what is your mission here? Record their license plate and send to WHOA.
3. Please take your cameras and recording devices and send WHOA any documentation.
4. Please send donations to WHOA Legal Fund, PO Box 932, Placitas NM 87043 (Every cent goes to the defense of the horses and the open spaces with they live.)

5. Please call/email your representatives below and ask them: (phone nos. below)

·        Please hold a mediation and include WHOA and all stake holders per WHOA’s request.

·        What did they knew about this round up plan.

·        What new proof does the BLM have that San Felipe owns these horses as they have denied it through the years.

·        Has the BLM used mining permits or other “incentives” to gain cooperation from the honorable San Felipe Pueblo?

·        Did the grazing permittee gain his new permit from the BLM in the middle of this BLM RMP by agreeing to “safe passage” of this secret round up across his property?

·          Will you please stop the round up at least until the BLM’s RMP is done and disputes are settled?

·        Please document the answers to these and your questions and send to WHOA via email.

Downtown Albuquerque Office Representative Heinrich
20 First Plaza NW Suite 603 | Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone: (505) 346-6781 | Fax: (505) 346-6723

Sarah Cobb for Senator Tom Udall

219 Central Avenue. NW Suite 210

Albuquerque, NM 87102

ph: 505-346-6791

WHOA to Senator Udall and Representative Heinrich -

Dear Representatives - Representative Heinrich, and Senator Udall

1. Please sponsor a mediation where WHOA and our legal counsel can discuss the legalities of this issue so important to the people of this state and to Placitas. Please ensure all the stake holders are there.
2. Please stop this clandestine round up.
3. Please answer the bulleted questions above as well

For the Open Spaces and the Animals that Grace Them,

Patience O’Dowd co-founder WHOA

Wild Horse Observers Association

A public 501 c3 non-profit corp.

PO Box 932

Placitas, NM 87043

505-867-5228

505-610-7644

Permission to cross post granted by WHOA

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The BLM’s plan is to push the horses through a grazing permittees property and over to San Felipe. San Felipe has always supported the horses and had earlier advised WHOA of this plan while asking for information. Over the last 4 days Placitans have observed the BLM employees out around the horses.