Support H.R. 297

Jan. 25, 2005 - A bill has been introduced to reverse the Burns Amendment to the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act.

Please write your U.S. Representative urging them to co-sponsor H.R. 297, introduced by Reps. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY), which would restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses and burros. If your representative is already among the bill’s co-sponsors, simply thank them for speaking up.

Letters to Representatives should be addressed to: The Honorable [Name Here], U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Click here and enter your zip code to locate your U.S. Representative.

Letters sent via U.S. mail make a stronger statement than emails but are subject to significant delays due to concerns over anthrax. Therefore, we suggest sending your letters in both formats (faxes are also a good alternative). Click here for a letter template provided for your convenience.

For more suggestions on how to help, please visit our Take Action page.

Wild Horse Slaughter Prohibition Must Be Reinstated

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Wild horses roaming across our public lands, a symbol of the American West, would no longer be doomed to certain slaughter under legislation introduced today by U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV). Rahall is the Ranking Democrat on the House Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over wild horse policy on federal lands.

"Very few icons of the West remain, and wild horses are certainly a symbol of the frontier era and our nation’s spirit. To allow them to be slaughtered without exhausting all other options, such as adoption, is an affront to our history," declared Rahall.

Rahall’s legislation addresses a provision inserted in a must-pass appropriations bill last year that allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service to essentially turn a blind eye to individuals or corporations who buy these animals with the clear intention of cruelly slaughtering them for profit. The Rahall legislation would restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros.

"It has been illegal for the past 33 years to sell or transfer wild horses and burros for processing into commercial products because many Americans abhor the thought. They would be aghast to know that these animals now can and will be slaughtered so their meat can be offered on menus in France, Belgium and Japan," stated Rahall.

The current slaughter policy does not acknowledge the fact that humane alternatives exist and federal agencies have the authority to carry out such actions as adoption, sterilization, relocation, and placement with qualified individuals and organizations.

"To suggest that an acceptable solution to a federal agency’s management dilemma is commercial slaughter is an irresponsible approach to our public lands and the wildlife that roam them," said Rahall.

The federal government has a mediocre record in enforcing wild horse and burro protection laws. But instead of addressing these long-term and widespread management problems, the recent change is simply a quick and dirty fix. Under the guise of "managing" these living symbols of the American West, the agency is now permitted to allow the slaughter of animals that they had been previously charged with their protection. "A public outcry has again begun across the United States over the change in law that now allows this disgraceful deed. We need to act before it is too late for thousands of these animals," concluded Rahall.

Sample Letter

Dear Honorable ______________:

I am writing to urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 297 introduced by Representatives Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) and Ed Whitfield (R-KY). This Bill reverses the amendment to the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horse & Burro Act stealthily introduced by Senator Conrad Burns as a rider to the 2005 Appropriations Bill. If allowed to stand, the Burns provision will lead to the slaughter of thousands of wild horses for human consumption abroad.

Our wild horses are a vital part of our national heritage. The law that was enacted for their protection thirty years ago was the result of a greater public outcry than over any issue except the Vietnam War, and was passed without a single dissenting vote. I am extremely distressed over the fact that this law enacted by the people for the people was eviscerated without so much as a hearing or opportunity for public review.

In addition to co-sponsoring H.R. 297, I also urge you to support a moratorium on round-ups until actual numbers of wild horses on public lands have been independently assessed, and a Congressional investigation into current wild horse management practices.

I respectfully request a prompt response from you stating your position with regard to H.R. 297 which would restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild horses and burros.

Signature
Name
Address

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