WHE_Webinar FAFY18 | Page 12

Wolverton cartoon should include "wild horses." (used after contacting source for this illustration of federal resource threats)

Wild horses are a public resource

The real threats to wild horses run deep

In February Jason Chavetz (R-UT) introduced H. R. 621, a bill to transfer federal land "directly into the hands of private profiteers" through states. Today both H.R. 621 and Chavetz are gone, but the threat they illustrate clearly never went away, it just got a bit craftier with language.

Under the blanket of "sage grouse protection" we have watched partners in that bed hop in and out faster than at a truck stop brothel in Nevada.

It becomes a real challenge to address wild horse advocacy bombarded daily with "crisis" mailers to rescue, sign a letter or petition that is often based on rumor and conjecture or to address "accelerated removals," when in truth

we had a deceleration in removal numbers.

One of the first actions in this calendar year was to dismantle "2.0." 2.0 was far from perfect and gave priority to industry. Yest 2.0 did not exclude all interests and it's flaws were subject to litigation.

With 2.0 gone a plethora of bills and meetings have been held under "sage grouse." These show the real promise of meeting the objective of those that crafted them, state and local control of federal resource.

It is easy for people to see a National Monument shrink, but not as easy to see the rest of this profiteer land grab.

One of the most disturbing actions that sits at the bottom of a huge pile of paper is a bill to rid federal law enforcement of funding.

Without any federal law enforcement present who is in complete control? Would you feel safe being out n the middle of nowhere knowing that if someone challenged you for trying to "see wild horses" that the enforcement of any right you might still have might very well fall into the jurisdiction of someone that feels you have "no right?"

Remember federal jurisdiction is all that keeps a public voice, no matter how limited, in process.

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