THE VIRGINIA RANGE WILD HORSES ARE IN URGENT NEED OF YOUR HELP ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!
On December 12, 2017, the Nevada Board of Agriculture voted 8 to 1 in favor of transferring ownership of our precious wild ones over to some nonexistent non-profit animal advocacy group! Transferring 2,000 to 3,000 wild horses over to a private entity? These wild horses belong to the citizens of Nevada! They are NOT available for transfer over to a private owner!
THEY NEED YOU NOW. THE FIGHT BEGINS. ARE YOU IN?
ACTION STEP #1
We need your help to flood Nevada Governor Sandoval's office with letters expressing your opposition to this action.
There are several ways you can do this. And you don’t have to be from Nevada – it doesn’t matter where you are from around the globe – send a FAX! Send an email! Let your voice be heard on behalf of our wild ones!
FAX:
You can use this website to copy and paste the letter below or write your own
Send a FREE fax to Nevada Governor Sandoval’s office from your computer.
Simply fill in your full name, email and phone number (including area code) and paste the letter into the text box.
Fill in the confirmation code provided.
Click “Send Free Fax Now”.
You MUST check your email and click to confirm before your fax will send.
You will receive another email when your fax goes through.
These faxes will go to Nevada Governor Sandoval’s Carson City office. EASY!
Have access to a fax machine?
Print, sign, and send it yourself to Governor Sandoval - Fax: (775) 684-5683
OR stop by Foothill Feed & Mercantile at 1330 Geiger Grade in south Reno (10-6 M-F) and sign the pre-printed letter - it will be faxed on the spot for FREE!
SNAIL MAIL:
Mail your signed letter to Governor Sandoval, 101 N. Carson Street, Carson City, NV 89701
ACTION STEP #2
CALL:
You can also CALL the Governor's office and leave your polite, respectful comments – 775-684-5670.
FACEBOOK:
You can post to him through Facebook at @BrianSandoval
TWITTER:
You can tweet him through twitter @govsandoval
Please remember to keep ALL comments, written or voiced, calm and respectful. Be matter of fact and stick to the point. We understand the frustration and emotion that goes with this issue, but we will get nowhere if people are losing their cool at this point.
PLEASE ASK YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND CO-WORKERS TO EACH DO THE SAME! SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER!
We need to FLOOD the governor’s office! We have not given up and neither should you!
Letter Draft:
Governor Sandoval
101 N. Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701
Dear Governor Sandoval,
I am writing to you regarding the Nevada Board of Agriculture’s decision on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, to approve the following agenda item (voted 8 to 1 in favor):
“The Nevada Board of Agriculture directs the Nevada Department of Agriculture to transfer ownership of all feral/estray horses, commonly known as the Virginia Range Estrays, located south of I80, north of Highway 50, east of Highway 395, and west of Alternate 95, to a non-profit animal advocate organization through a ‘Request For Proposal’ process, in accordance with NRS 569.010 and NRS 569.031” submitted by Boyd Spratling, Vice Chair of the Nevada Board of Agriculture”
I am shocked that this entity, despite the hundreds of public comments received from persons and organizations opposed to this proposal, would vote in favor of selling off one of Nevada’s most iconic herds of wild horses. The history, culture, beauty, wildlife, and environment that encompass the Virginia Range, located east of Reno, Nevada, should be one that is cherished and embraced by the State of Nevada. People from around the world visit this area just to see the wild horses, bringing valuable dollars to the State.
I am opposed to the action taken by the Board as mentioned above. I encourage you to stick to your word and provide counsel and direction to your Board that mirrors the statement made by your office just a few weeks ago, as follows:
“This is a complex issue that has to consider first and foremost, public safety, but also preservation of the Nevada’s unique horse populations and ecological sustainability. Overall, the State is seeking to remediate public safety issues, improve rangeland and horse population health, reduce conflicts involving horses and citizens, and protect private and public property. Ensuring the safety of Nevadans and families traveling in south Reno and near the Virginia Range Area is a priority for the Governor. Additionally, proper management and preservation of our horse populations is also a responsibility that he recognizes and expects the Department of Agriculture to manage in collaboration and partnership with local organizations. The Governor continues to support the state partnering with non-profit management organizations to help manage Nevada’s unique wild horse population. These partnerships should include a combination of practices to manage feral livestock including fertility control, adoption, diversionary feeding and watering and managing stray horses which often enter into residential and high traffic areas.”
The Board’s decision to “transfer ownership of all feral/estray horses” is not only illegal according to NRS 569, it is irresponsible, irrational, unrealistic, unachievable, and will cost the State of Nevada tens to hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars to just initiate (see NRS 569.080.4. - each animal must be ‘marked, branded or identified with an individual animal identification before sale or placement’).
Great work is currently underway as local volunteers work with the City of Reno and developers to increase public safety and keep the horses on the range. They are working with the NDoA, they move and rescue horses, identify areas of concern, install fences and provide diversionary feed to keep the horses on the range. But without this special partnership, work of this type will suffer. A new Cooperative Agreement should be considered more valuable than the privatization of the Virginia Range wild horses.
I urge you to oppose the Board’s decision and advise them to sign a new Cooperative Agreement with local non-profit organizations – partnering with them to manage Nevada’s unique wild horse population, specifically and in this case, the wild horses of the historic Virginia Range.
Sincerely,
