Debbie Coffey Investigative journalist/PPJ

(c)copyright 2011 All Rights Reserved     

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         “Under this option, any facility could become a focal point for public, media or Congressional attention.  Increased levels of security would be needed at all locations, or the activity may need to be moved off-site to a more appropriate and secure facility.  Increased support from public relations and management staff would also be needed to insulate those doing the actual work from public, media and Congressional scrutiny/criticism.”               

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After the many horrific photos and videos of the Antelope HMA wild horse gather being conducted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contractor, Sun J, the BLM Review Team appointed to do an internal investigation (AKA cover-up) found “no violation by wild horse gather contractor of existing BLM policy and procedures” and Director Bob Abbey called for a “NEW NORMAL” for doing business. 

1)    The helicopter pilot for Sun J Livestock (owned by John and Jody Holmes of Vernal, Utah) is Josh Hellyer of Sky Aviation (Worland, Wyoming).  Sky Aviation does aerial crop spraying and fish planting (the helicopter lifts a container of water containing fish and empties the contents over a lake). 

2)    The BLM’s report states: “The gather contract solicitation requires that all proposals demonstrate a minimum of 1,500 hours of flying experience in similar projects for the proposed primary and secondary helicopter pilots.”   Did Sky Aviation’s helicopter pilot Josh Hellyer have 1,500 hours of flying experience on similar projects?  Does hauling equipment or containers of water or aerial crop spraying seem even remotely similar to rounding up wild horses? 

3)    What prior BLM experience did Josh Hellyer have other than hauling equipment in June, 2010?

4)    At the Warm Springs wild horse gather in Oregon (where Blue Moon died), which was also run by Sun J, Laura Leigh was told that the helicopter pilot, Josh, was just learning.  See how the helicopter and Sun J operated:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM_V4TIGrrA&feature=player_embedded

5)    The BLM Investigative Report concludes: “Allegations that the helicopter is dangerously close to the horses or trap are inaccurate or exaggerated.”   (In the following photo, it sure looks like the helicopter is close to the trap.  It also looks like the rotor blades are close to hitting the ground.)

6)    “There is no indication that the helicopter or crew was acting in a cruel or inhumane manner.” – BLM

 

7)    “There is no indication the helicopter was flying dangerously low, too close to the horses, or in an unsafe manner.” – BLM investigation report

8)    The BLM Investigation Report states that the helicopter “kept a safe distance” from the wild horses. 

 

Photographs by Laura Leigh

9)    3 out of 8 pages of the BLM’s investigation report focus on ONLY one incident, the mare that fell on Jan. 27, 2011.  This seems like the old “narrow the scope of the investigation” ploy.  The report called the fact that the mare fell down “an unfortunate accident.”  (Like she didn’t have a loud, 1500 lb. helicopter bearing down on her.)  (In this link, the mare falls at 2:10 and the helicopter flies close to her at 3:14 and 3:40)

10)           The BLM’s report states (regarding the Jan. 31 photos shown on  8 above): “BLM was unable to acquire images from the owner to allow for review and evaluation.”  This statement is untrue.  For one thing, the BLM could’ve easily seen the images on the internet and also here:

 Laura Leigh, who took the photographs, met with BLM Schell Field Manager, Mary D’Aversa, and Ely District Public Affairs specialist, Chris Hanefeld, and offered to send copies of her photographs/videos DIRECTLY to the people doing the investigation.  D’Aversa and Hanefeld wouldn’t identify who was doing the investigation, only that the investigators were “higher up” and from Washington D.C.  On Feb. 1, Maureen VanDerStad of www.grassrootshorse.com called Chris Hanefeld and informed him that the pictures taken on Jan. 31, 2011, were on Laura Leigh’s blog.  Hanefeld told her that he didn’t have time to read blogs. 

11)           Laura Leigh took photos on Jan. 31,  but was not at the gather on Jan. 27, when the mare fell.  However, BLM Spokesman Tom Gorey didn’t get his facts straight, and stated:  “BLM believes the photos were taken the same day of the video but from a different angle.”  This was not true. 

12)           The BLM investigative report does not give the name of the BLM’s COTRs (Contracting Officer’s Technical Representatives).  Nor does the report give the names of the members of the “public” the BLM team questioned.  Since this investigation goes back to Oct. 2010, it includes the Warm Springs, Oregon gather, and most of the “public” who were able to get on the very limited attendance list were BLM “friends” who were invited by the BLM.  

BLM Director Bob Abbey’s “new normal” is the same as the “old normal”:  The BLM’s continued assault on the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971.

Three of the four members of the BLM’s “review team” who did this “investigation” should be investigated themselves, in a Congressional investigation. 

Lili Thomas, Gus (Victor) Warr and Al Kane, USDA’s AHPHIS veterinarian, were all part of a BLM “team,” whose conference calls and Alternate Management Options were obtained by the Freedom of Information Act by The Conquistador Program, a non-profit equine welfare organization in Phoenix, AZ.   In these conference calls, they discussed using taxpayer money to pay for psychological counseling for BLM employees who would be euthanizing healthy horses.  They discussed experimenting on our wild horses with unapproved drugs and using our horses for research.  Also, in these conference calls:

  • Al Kane, a USDA APHIS veterinarian, would be sending info on SpayVac and GonaCon.  It’s noted that SpayVac is “not commercially available; barely available as a research project; Indications it may be permanent in horses;  It is unclear whether we can get it in the country.  Alan Shepard will be working on this with Al Kane.
  • SpayVac has not been approved by the EPA or FDA for investigational use.
  • A single vaccination of SpayVac…could be permanent…Based on the Nevada estray horse trials…
  • The use of PZP under an investigational exemption…the products are technically challenging to mix and administer and their safety has not been confirmed by the FDA or EPA.
  • If large numbers of animals become eligible for euthanasia at one time or at one location…euthanasia could be performed on or off-site.
  • Under this option, any facility could become a focal point for public, media or Congressional attention.  Increased levels of security would be needed at all locations, or the activity may need to be moved off-site to a more appropriate and secure facility.  Increased support from public relations and management staff would also be needed to insulate those doing the actual work from public, media and Congressional scrutiny/criticism. 
  • How many could be euthanized during a gather without having NEPA?
  • If proven to be permanent, SpayVac could be used to create non-reproducing herds of mares.
  • Adjusting sex ratios of herds:  “Does it affect behavior and do we care?…

There are many reasons there should be a Congressional Investigation of the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program.  Some go back to the 1990s.  The PEER White Paper “Horses To Slaughter” (April, 1997) stated: “the BLM has tolerated and in some instances facilitated the routine and illegal trafficking of wild horses to slaughter…

This included “black booking” or phony double branding of horses so that duplicate branded horses could disappear without a paper trail.  The agency obstructed efforts by its own law enforcement officers to expose commercial theft of wild horses, fraudulent adoption schemes and fictitious ‘sanctuary’ herds, not only to avoid embarrassment, but also to maintain the flow of horses off the range.”

An investigation backed by former BLM Director Jim Baca had “been accepted for prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Texas by the time he had left office.  This investigation, by BLM law enforcement agents from New Mexico, centered around the direct participation of BLM employees and contractors selling wild horses for slaughter with the knowledge and approval of BLM managers. Their scheme involved the use of satellite ranches and horse sanctuaries to hide the horses for profit operation.

Troubling aspects of this investigation were the apparent obstruction and witness tampering by BLM managers.  In some instances, BLM officials warned suspects of impending search warrants and  revealed the identity of undercover investigators.

After Baca left office, the Department of Interior began a campaign to shut down the U.S. Attorney’s investigation, even though a grand jury had already been convened to hear evidence in the case.  The U.S. Attorney was pressured into limiting the scope of the investigation to the actions of low level BLM employees.

After the investigation was limited, the BLM reassigned investigators working on the case and began a campaign to drive the original investigators out of the agency.  When agency lawyers blocked the execution of subpoenas, it struck the death blow to the grand jury probe.  The grand jury was cut off from getting the evidence it needed to continue.

Lawyers from the Department of Justice urged that the case be dropped because the tolerance within BLM for the horse to slaughter trade was so widespread that it would be unfair to single out any one person for prosecution.  The Assistant U.S. Attorney objected, but the recommendations of the Justice Department lawyers were accepted and the grand jury was dismissed.”

Will there ever be any justice for our wild horses?  Will there be any justice before they become extinct?

To watch the current wild horse gathers, go to www.grassrootshorse.com or the blog for grassrootshorse.com at http://blog.grassrootshorse.com/

Sources:

www.conquistadorprogram.com  (Implementation Team Conference Calls and Alternative Management Options documents are available on this website)

An excellent analysis of the documents above, titled “BLM’s Final Solution for the Wild Horses and Burros” was done by the Animal Law Coalition 

 Sky Aviation’s helicopter (N34CM) at Sun J’s Antelope wild horse gather.

http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N34CM.htm

Fish Planting by Sky Aviation:  http://skyaviation.us/fish_planting_5.html

Sky Aviation’s services:  http://skyaviation.us/services_2.html

Sky Aviation does aerial crop spraying: 

Josh Hellyer listed as a Sky Aviation pilot

Josh Hellyer hauled equipment for the BLM in June, 2010 at Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range: 

Page 14:  http://www.docstoc.com/docs/61498386/No-Contract-Cell-Service-Grand-Junction

http://www.manta.com/c/mtg5lts/sun-j-livestock

http://rtfitch.wordpress.com/tag/laura-leigh/

http://articles.latimes.com/1997-03-23/news/mn-41176_1_wild-horses

BLM colluding and conspiring agianst wild horses and you

BLM’s press release regarding their investigation:

Full copy of the BLM’s Investigative Report:

http://www.peer.org/pubs/whitepapers/1997_horses_to_slaughter.pdf