Co-plaintiffs Wild Horse Education and Rewilding America Now Brought Court Action to Protect Horses.<\/i><\/p>\n \u2014 Manda Kalimian<\/p>\n<\/div>\n LOCUST VALLEY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, April 1, 2024 \/EINPresswire.com<\/a>\/ — The Honorable Miranda M. Du ruled on Friday March 29 that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has unreasonably delayed crafting Herd Management Area Plans (HMAPs) for wild horses in the Pancake Complex in central Nevada. The order from the court remands the Pancake Gather Environmental Assessment (EA) back to BLM for further analysis including those involving wildfire risk and orders that an HMAP be prepared for the complex within one year.<\/p>\n The Order from the Honorable Miranda M. Du reads: <\/p>\n \u201cEngaging in the decision-making of an HMAP without actually preparing an HMAP could therefore deprive interested parties of the administrative review processes to which they are entitled.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cBLM\u2019s decades-long delays in developing and approving HMAPs have therefore been \u201cnothing short of egregious\u201d and clearly violate the rule of reason.\u201d <\/p>\n BLM has never completed an HMAP for the Pancake complex or the individual Herd Manage-ment Areas (HMAs) included in the complex. This failure has denied the public an opportunity to address how forage is allocated, water improvements to distribute population, specific ge-netic preservation, mitigation measures for mining and livestock expanding in the area and more.<\/p>\n BLM defines the HMAP in the 2020 Report to Congress: \u201cI am simply elated. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act is about more than just removal. Today, the court affirmed the intention of that law,\u201d stated Laura Leigh, President of Wild Horse Education (WHE). \u201cFor over twelve years I have been trying to address critical is-sues of on-range management planning with BLM and have been repeatedly denied. There is no replacement for the HMAP where the public has the only opportunity to address specifics of management planning and actions to achieve those goals. Finally, after 38 years, BLM will need to provide that opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Co-plaintiff Manda Kalimian, founder of Rewilding America Now (formerly the Cana Founda-tion) added, “Rewilding America Now would like to thank the court, for its fact-based verdict, Jessica Blome and her team for their hard work but most of all Laura Leigh from Wild Horse Education for her tireless work for our wild horses. Environmental rewilding with wild horses is the way forward to protect our lands, horses and all wildlife on the range. The Pancake verdict has set precedence for procedures in managing our wild horses and range lands.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cThe concepts of rewilding, healing the landscape through the integration of species, are im-portant,\u201d continued Kalimian. \u201cWith this ruling, we will have an opportunity to propose the re-wilding alternative for the horses of the Pancake Complex during the creation of the HMAP.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cFor a long time frustration has grown as the public is denied an opportunity to participate in management decisions beyond removals,\u201d stated Wayne Pacelle, Director of Animal Wellness Action, \u201cWe thank the court for recognizing the importance of HMAPs.\u201d<\/p>\n The case was handled by Greenfire Law of Berkley, California, and the De Castroverde Law Group of Nevada.<\/p>\n Additional information:<\/p>\n The Pancake Complex spans approximately 1.5 million acres, about 30 miles west of Ely or 80 miles northeast of Tonopah, Nev., consists of the Sand Springs West and Pancake Herd Man-agement Areas (HMAs), Jakes Wash Herd Area (HA) and Monte Cristo Wild Horse Territory (WHT). The BLM Battle Mountain District, Tonopah Field Office administers the Sand Springs West HMA. The BLM Ely District Office administers the Pancake HMA and Jakes Wash HA. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ely Ranger District administers the Monte Cristo WHT.<\/p>\n Link to Judgment Ruling Order for Case Number: 3:22-cv-00034-MMD-CLB: https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/mvru2r5y<\/a><\/p>\n Link to Pancake Order: https:\/\/tinyurl.com\/3zhv75zt<\/a><\/p>\n BLM report to Congress, 2020: https:\/\/www.blm.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/WHB-Report-2020-NewCover-051920-508.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n For more information on RAN and their conservation efforts, About Rewilding America Now (RAN) Follow Rewilding America Now on Instagram<\/a> Facebook<\/a> X (formerly Twitter<\/a>) Youtube<\/p>\n REWILDING AMERICA NOW CONTACT: WILD HORSE FOUNDATION CONTACT: MEDIA CONTACT: Rick Markovitz
\u201cJust as with surveys and monitoring, HMAP development is a key component in the decision-making process for BLM\u2019s wild horse and burro management activities on the ground. In addi-tion, these documents often include public involvement through the NEPA process.\u201d<\/p>\n
visit their website at www.rewildingamericanow.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The mission at Rewilding America Now is to conserve and restore the North American land-scape through innovative rewilding initiatives, with a focus on wild horses as a keystone spe-cies. Using science-backed research and partnerships with tribal nations and incorporating tra-ditional ecological knowledge, RAN advocates for public policy that protects wild horses and native lands, and allocates new resources for breakthrough rewilding projects. Rewilding America Now is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Member, Global Rewilding Alliance<\/p>\n
Manda Kalimian, Founder\/Chair
Manda@RewildingAmericaNow.org <\/p>\n
Laura Leigh, President
laura@WildHorseEducation.org<\/p>\n
Weissman\/Markovitz Communications:
Rick Markovitz
rick@publicity4all.com<\/p>\n
Weissman Markovitz Communications
+1 818-760-8995
email us here<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/img.einpresswire.com\/large\/645498\/wild-horses.png#1466x714\")
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