Page 51 - 2008 DT 12 issues

soil. Thousands continue to be shipped 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. in summer, Monday General Membership Meeting
across the border, however, to die in through Friday. Volunteer groups rou-
Mexico and Canada. tinely inspect the adopters’ facilities to The Third Quarter Friends of
Wild horses still roam Nevada’s ensure compliance. Red Rock Canyon General Meet-
federal lands in designated Herd The Warm Springs Correctional ing was held at the Calico Basin/
Management Areas. Palomino Valley Facility’s Wild Horse Adoption Pro- Red Spring picnic area on Saturday,
Center (PVC) is the largest govern- gram in Carson City, Nev., one of May 17. After a catered breakfast at
ment wild horse and burro holding several such facilities in 11 states the picnic pavilion, Treasurer Rose
facility in the country, located north working with the BLM, pairs mustangs Porche distributed copies of the latest
of Reno, Nev., run by the Nevada with prisoners who’s job it is to gentle financial report showing a deficit of
BLM. It is available to the public the horses prior to adoption, improving ($17, 870.22). Memorial Walkway
by appointment, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. the animals’ chances to be taken home. Tile sales halted due to construction
Manager Hank Curry over- have been reinstated and merchandise
sees the gentling regimen sales in the gift store are increasing,
which enriches both horse therefore, the deficit is expected to be
and human. During the ten a temporary situation.
weeks or so of training, the Norman Wolin, Chairman of
men develop a bond with the License Plate Committee, asked
their charges and learn members to please purchase our Red
a marketable skill in the Rock Canyon License Plate as soon
process. Adoption requires as possible and to solicit friends and
a background check of the family to do the same.
adopter and facilities. By Natural Resources Committee
federal law, title is granted Chairman Mark Beauchamp reported
after one year if conditions that the committee has done repair
are met. Internet adoption work on several trails, including
is possible for those unable Lost Creek, Calico 1 and Pine Creek.
Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to attend adoption auctions.
to noon on Saturdays for adoptions. Several wild horse sanctuaries also
Estimates put the number of horses in exist throughout the West, though the
U.S. holding at between 20,000 and number of animals they can support is
30,000. BLM requires that all wild limited. Most are sponsored by private
horses must be freeze branded with organizations. The largest of these is
a registration number linked to a file in the Black Hills of South Dakota,
with all their particulars. an 11,000 acre property operated by
The Ridgecrest, Calif. facility, run the Institute of Range and American
by the California BLM, is a sight to Mustang. The National Mustang As-
behold. Three-acre corrals each house sociation in Cedar City, UT is a well
mares and foals, or stallions, with known group that invites membership
enough room to romp a bit. The facil- and runs their own sanctuary where
ity is clean and well kept with shade horses run free.
structures in just a few of the corrals, Although we would hope to see He reported that all of the trails are
with more to come if funding comes these American icons continue run- in need of work. If you’d like to get
along. Manager Art DiGrazia runs ning free in the vast, empty spaces of involved with this fun group and help
adoptions here seven days a week by the West, development will soon claim to get trails up to par, contact Mark at
appointment for the standard $125 per more of their dwindling range. Is it just rockdude3@juno.com.
horse, but for as little as $25 a head, a matter of time before they will vanish Bob Taylor, BLM Las Vegas Field
large groups of horses can be adopted from their homeland forever? Or must Office (and soon to be Field Manager
by permit for legal and humane com- those school children get out their pens for Red Rock Canyon and Sloan Can-
mercial purposes. Official hours are and begin writing once again? o yon), introduced Mary Jo Rugwell,

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