Thanks
Chantal
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letter (extra)
Subject: SHAME ON YOU, WHOLE FOODS, being responsible for the ROUND-UP of MUSTANGS in OREGON ,YOUR BEEF RESOURCES!
Sir, Madam:
I am appalled and disgusted to learn that Whole Foods is participating in the destruction of the wild mustangs in Oregon by purchasing meat from suppliers who are forcing their way onto protected land reserved for wild mustangs, an American icon.
The massive roundup under way in Oregon is being conducted specifically due to pressure from the Beatys Butte Grazing Association, so its members can run more cattle on the public lands in the Beatys Butte Herd Management Area, which is a federally designated wild horse habitat.
Several members of the Beatys Butte Grazing Association -- including its president -- market their beef through a cooperative called Country Natural Beef, which is a major provider of beef to Whole Foods Market.
This means that right now, wild horses are being brutally rounded up, removed from their families and their homes on the range, all so that ranchers can profit by selling beef to Whole Foods, which then sells the meat as "grass-fed" to its customers at a premium.
Whole Foods must not provide a market for meat supplied by ranchers who graze sheep and cattle in wild horse and burro Herd Management Areas (HMAs).
Whole Foods must adopt policies that promote protection -- not decimation -- of America's iconic wild horse and burro herds!
Sincerely,
GREED ONCE AGAIN. LEAVE THE HORSES ALONE, GRAZE YOUR CATTLE SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT'S A BIG COUNTRY!
ReplyDeleteGREED ONCE AGAIN. LEAVE THE HORSES ALONE, GRAZE YOUR CATTLE SOMEWHERE ELSE, IT'S A BIG COUNTRY!
ReplyDeleteThe ranchers of Country Natural Beef have more in common with wild horse advocates then you are giving them credit. They have always maintained that cattle and horses can run in common on rangelands in a way that is beneficial to each other.
ReplyDeleteIf we completely remove cattle and quit controlling horses, what happens in 10 years when there's 5000 head, or 15 years when there's 10000 head of horses on the range? How do we protect the Antelope, Sage Grouse, and hundreds of birds and small mammal species that also have a right to use those areas?
Last year the BLM would have allowed Roaring Springs Ranch to use 2500 AUMs in an Allotment that legally allows 15000. They VOLUNTARILY used 0 AUMs to leave feed for the horses.
Stacy Davies (the manager of Roaring Springs, and marketing director of Country Natural Beef) has repeatedly suggested that wild horse advocates and ranchers get together to seek common ground and work together on solutions.
He once laid out the goals he would have in the discussion.
Are these noble goals?
1. Mass over production. No management(gathers) means the herd grows exponentially. Remove all of the domestic livestock, remove all wildlife, allocate all of the forage to horses and eliminate management and what will happen? My forecast is that the horse numbers will grow until they overgraze all of the grass and are weakened by lack of forage. As hunger sets in disease normally follows, disease and starvation leads to massive die offs.
2. I want to avoid starvation and massive die offs.
3. I want to avoid rangeland degradation: grazing animals can have negative impacts on rangeland plants, water and soils. Horses, cattle, sheep, bison, elk, all grazing animals can over populate and over graze. Predators(including humans) are the element that reduces numbers of prey animals and preserves rangeland health. Humans are the most humane method for controlling feral animals.
4. I want to avoid the expansion of non-native invasive species. Weeds invade unhealthy rangelands.
5. I want avoid fighting over these issues in court. I want all financial resources to go to the land and animals rather than pockets of attorneys.
6. I want avoid unhappy people. I see the world as a place with abundant beauty and opportunity. Let's share it.
Once more, for a HUMANE solution! http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/wildlife_overpopulation/qa/q_and_a_pzp.html
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