JANUARY 31, 2018
URGENT ACTION NEEDED: the Nevada Department of Ag has Released the RFP to illegally "Transfer Ownership" of our Beloved Virginia Range wild ones!!!
Hidden Valley Wild Horse Image
THE VIRGINIA RANGE WILD HORSES ARE IN URGENT NEED OF YOUR HELP ONCE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!
As you recall, 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 non-existent 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 belong to YOU! They belong to ALL OF US!! They are NOT available for transfer to anyone!!

UPDATE AS OF JANUARY 31ST, 2018 - the NDoA has released its 'Request For Proposal' (RFP) to give away our precious Nevada icons!!!!! You can review it online at: http://agri.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/agrinvgov/Content/About/Administration/vre_rfp_final.pdf

This is a devastating development for these wild horses! Not only is this action illegal, it is also irresponsible, and reprehensible!

HOW YOU CAN HELP - It's Easy!!!! It's URGENT!!!!

There are 11 Board of Ag members. We want each of them to know just how wrong they are, how reckless their behavior is and how much we all care about our wild ones!!!!!
Your action is URGENTLY needed to protect the Virginia Range wild horses!!!! We all said back in 2012 that WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY!!!! And with your help we won!!!!!!!!!!!! We got an important and effective Cooperative Agreement signed between wild horse advocates and the Nevada Department of Agriculture. 
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED AGAIN MORE THAN EVER BEFORE!!!!!
Our beloved wild horses have once again been put in dire straits by a mini-group of misinformed miscreants who are too blind to see the huge mistake they have made in misjudging the Power of the People!!!!!!! 
LET THE ROAR BEGIN!

ACTION ITEM - DAY 1

We are asking you to send the letter below to a different Nevada Board of Ag member each day for the next 11 days!!!!!
  • we will give you a new name each day - watch your email
  • we want to ensure each member knows how we feel
  • we want to inundate their email - numbers count big time, share & forward
  • we want to pound on them and make them listen
YOU CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN FOR THE WILD ONES!!!!

  1. Open an email and paste the letter (see below) into the body of the email
  2. Type a.bartosz@agri.nv.gov in the "TO" box
  3. Type "Request for a Special Meeting of the Nevada Board of Agriculture" in the subject line
  4. Type your Name and Address at the bottom of the letter under "Sincerely" - this will give your message legitimacy and identify it coming from a human and not generated by a "robot" computer
  5. Hit send - you're done for Day #1!!!!

February 1, 2018

Dave Coon, Nevada Board of Agriculture
405 South 21 st Street
Sparks, NV 89431

Dear Dave Coon,

I am writing to you regarding the decision you voted on at the Tuesday, December 12, 2017 meeting of the Nevada Board of Agriculture, 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 giving away 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 this State.

I am opposed to the action taken by the Board as mentioned above. I encourage you to request a special meeting of the Nevada Board of Agriculture to include an agenda item similar to the following:
 
“ The Nevada Board of Agriculture reverses its December 12, 2017 decision to transfer ownership of all feral/estray horses, commonly known as the Virginia Range Estrays, and directs the Nevada Department of Agriculture to implement a Cooperative Agreement with local wild horse advocacy organizations to humanely manage the horses commonly known as the Virginia Range Estrays."

IT IS UNREALISTIC to consider the insurance liability coverage a non-profit would require to satisfy the “transfer of ownership” as noted above to be nothing more than a simple “open range” policy option. The Virginia Range by definition cannot be considered “open range” – see NRS 568.355. The land in question includes residential and business areas within the cities and townships of Reno, Fernley, Silver Springs, Stagecoach, Dayton, Moundhouse, and Carson City, as well as the villages of Washoe City and Lockwood. It is also surrounded and transected by 7 major area highways, namely, Interstate 80, Interstate 580, (old) State Highway 395, State Highway 50, State Highway 95A, State Highway 341 and the new USA Parkway (SR 439).

IT IS ERRONEOUS of the Nevada Board of Agriculture to assume the NDoA has the authorization to grant access for any one person or any organization to graze their horses on private land, which comprises the majority of the property ownerships of the Virginia Range – see NRS 568.340 and NRS 568.350.

IT IS FISCALLY IMPOSSIBLE for the NDoA to finance the $10,000’s - $100,000’s of tax payer dollars it would cost to just initiate the “transfer of ownership” of the Virginia Range wild horses - see NRS 569.080.4.

Wild horses belong to the people of Nevada and are revered by Nevadans, Americans, and people from around the world. I urge you to do the right thing! I urge you NOT to give away our Nevada icons!!!

Sincerely,



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

IF YOU CAN'T SEND AN EMAIL

FAX:
You can use the following website to copy & paste the letter or write your own 
Send a FREE fax to NV Board of Ag member Dave Coon from your computer.
  1. Simply fill in your full name, email and phone number (including area code) and paste the letter above into the text box.
  2. Fill in Dave Coon in the 'Name' field and 775-353-3661 in the 'FAX#' field
  3. Fill in the confirmation code provided.
  4. 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. 
Your fax will go to Dave Coon of the Nevada Board of Agriculture office. EASY!

Have access to a fax machine?
Print, sign, and send it yourself to
Dave Coon, Nevada Board of Agriculture - Fax: (775) 353-3661

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 Dave Coon, NV Board of Agriculture, 405 S. 21st St, Sparks, NV 89431

CALL:
You can also CALL the Nevada Board of Agriculture office and leave your polite, respectful comments – 775-353-3619.

FACEBOOK:
You can post to Dave Coon using NV Dept of Ag on facebook

TWITTER:
You can tweet the NV Board of Ag through twitter @NVAgriculture

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 much further by staying calm, strong, united, and committed.

PLEASE ASK YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND CO-WORKERS TO EACH DO THE SAME! SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER!

We need to FLOOD the Nevada Department of Agriculture's office! We have not given up and we NEVER will!!!

LET THE ROARING BEGIN!!!!!!!!