As most of you know DeAnna and I are avid supporters of wildlife and especially wolves and wild horses. We have heard some bad news in regards to the wild horses of the Placitas area. I have attached a letter we received from a good friend of ours outlying the current plight of the Placitas wild horses. Please do what you can to help, a few simple e-mails to the right people can make a difference.
Thanks for taking the time to help,
Rick Meiers

Hi Everyone,

I’m writing to request your assistance. If you have kept up with the news on the status of wild horses throughout the western United States, you know that the Federal Government, and in particular the BLM, has been rounding up thousands of horses from managed wild horse areas. Now it looks imminent that the Placitas horses are soon to be rounded up. Placitans and supporters of the horses have worked hard to protect these animals and have tried to communicate their importance to our community to the local BLM office. As we have received little recognition, and the BLM has been secretive about their plans, another option has been to work with the State of New Mexico to develop an interest in creating a State Wild Horse Park. We have received signs of interest in this endeavor. There are several ways you can help us protect these animals from round up. Writing an email, and copying it to me, is the preferred first step. That provides us evidence of your interest, and can help in future negotiations. If you decide to also place a phone call, please send me an email detailing the call (whom you spoke to, date, topic of conversation, response received from their office).

1. If you live outside New Mexico and I have guided you to view/photograph the horses, please write an email to the following individual and express how much your visit to New Mexico was enhanced by the experience:

Jennifer Hobson, Deputy Secretary for New Mexico Tourism Department of Ecotourism
email: jennifer.hobson@state.nm.us
phone: 505-827-6674

2. Email the following individuals to express your desire for New Mexico to establish a Wild Horse State Park. If you live out of state, let them know how much you enjoyed visiting our wild horses.

Dave Simon, Director New Mexico State Parks
email: nmparks@state.nm.us
phone: 1-888-667-2757

Governor Bill Richardson
internet: http://www.governor.state.nm.us/email.php?mm=6&type=opinion
phone: 505-476-2200

3. If you are a resident of New Mexico, please contact our local federal representatives and ask them to assist in the following:
+ Please hold a mediation and include WHOA and all stake holders per WHOA’s request.

+ What did they knew about this round up plan.

+ What new proof does the BLM have that San Felipe owns these horses as they have denied it through the years.

+ Has the BLM used mining permits or other “incentives” to gain cooperation from the honorable San Felipe Pueblo?

+ Did the grazing permittee gain his new permit from the BLM in the middle of this BLM RMP by agreeing to “safe passage” of this secret round up across his property?

+ Will you please stop the round up at least until the BLM’s RMP is done and disputes are settled?

+ Ask them to request a delay in any attempts by the BLM to round up or relocate the Placitas wild horses.

Congressman Martin Heinrich (ABQ office)
internet: http://heinrich.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=72&sectiontree=7,72
phone: 505-346-6781

Senator Tom Udall (ABQ office)
internet: http://tomudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
phone: 505-346-6791

Thanks to all of you for your help!

David