And another..
Jul. 18th, 2005 10:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sitaangelI looked at the new transportation law which I have heard goes into
effect in October, this year right? Looks like they are placing some
pretty stringent requirements on the truckers. Some truckers could
face fines up to $10,000. Seems to me, that no one is going to want
to do this should they be subject to these kind of fines. They are
not allowed to transport horses unable to get on the ramp without
assistance (that also means whipping, dragging, prodding), horses
unable to bear weight on all four legs, blind horses, and generally
horses that are not fit for travel. Looks like every trucker is
subject to this. I was reading in the report that one of the
slaughter houses in TX said they might have to shut down because of
the extra costs of transporting the horses in a single load versus a
double load. Aaaah. What a shame.
Anyway, They also must have non-slip floor, adequate ventilation, but
nothing that poses a danger of the horses getting their legs caught.
Also, the horses must not be shipped in inclement weather, i.e.,
extreme cold or hot unless the trailer protects them from the
elements. If the horses are injured in transit, the shippers could
face fines up to $5,000 per horse. Also, dry-lotting will not be
permitted. Each horse must be given food and water for six hours up
to the time they are loaded. They must also be given food and water
upon arrival.
So, the slaughter houses are having to buy new trucks for
themselves. Aaaah, what a shame that they have to spend that kind of
money.
But, these regulations do not effect horses that will be transported
to Canada or Mexico. According to what I read, anyone would still be
allowed to double-deck the horses across the line. Anyone want to
comment on that?
Just wanted to share the information. I thought it was a HUGE step in
the right direction.
----
TCEQ: plant is operating properly
By Jeanie Allen Davis
Interim city manager Curtis Snow said the real issue regarding Dallas Crown
Packing is the difference between what Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality saw when it inspected the plant and what neighbors say they are
experiencing.
Snow said Friday that when TCEQ inspector Cynthia Beauchamp viewed the
facility last week her reaction was that Dallas Crown is well-managed and in
compliance.
City council and staff met last week to discuss a citizen petition against
Dallas Crown Packing presented by Robert Eldridge during citizens' comments at
last month's council meeting.
Kaufman is currently involved in a lawsuit filed last year by Dallas Crown
after the city turned off water and sewer service to the plant. An injunction
Kaufman Court-at-law Erleigh Norville forced the city to restart utility
service.
Eldridge said the petition, signed by 20 residents from Booker, Carver,
Shannon and Nash streets, was protesting the "abuse and neglect suffered as a
result of the presence of the slaughter facility abutting our area, degrading
our property values and impeding development."
The petition cited "the adverse manner in which our lives and property are
affected regarding Equal Protection of the Law, as well as in regard to health
and sanitation violations and concerns in and around this slaughter
facility."
Snow said the city's concerns are the waste water discharge and odors and
other nuisances that Dallas Crown is causing residents.
City staff continues collecting data and logging complaints regarding Dallas
Crown.
Dallas Crown attorney Mark Calabria said the 10-year-old company has made
significant improvements at the plant, including the unit that separates solids
from the discharge.
Kaufman public works director Richard Underwood said Dallas Crown has made
improvements in waste water discharge, but the plant is still not in 100
percent compliance.
"Dallas Crown wants to comply," Calabria said, explaining that the plant had
received suggestions from Carver and Burgess Engineering in Dallas and had
increased and improved testing.
The meat packing plant opened in Kaufman during the 1960s. It was originally
a beef slaughterhouse before becoming one of just two horse slaughtering
plants in Texas.
----
The BLM's keeping busy in Nevada -
This number is not genetically vuable !!!!!!!!! The reasons given for this are nothing but lies.
I sent in my comments and have not received a decision notice which is supposed to be sent before any actions. The BLM does what ever it wants. Barbara
http://www.elynews.com/archive/2005/07/15/LocalNews/324447.html
700-800 mustangs to be removed from White Pine
Friday, Jul 15, 2005
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely and Elko field offices are scheduled to begin gathering and removing wild horses from the Buck and Bald Complex today. The complex is located in the southern portion of Elko County and northwest portion of White Pine County.
The Buck and Bald Complex is comprised of the BLM-administered Buck and Bald, Butte, Cherry Creek and Maverick-Medicine Herd Management Areas (HMAs); and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Ruby Mountains Ranger District-administered Cherry Springs Wild Horse Territory (WHT).
The BLM and Forest Service anticipate gathering up to 1,300 wild horses during the approximately 30-day gather period. About 700-800 head will be removed during this gather as the BLM strives to achieve an appropriate management level of about 500 on the range.
During the operation, BLM will be evaluating whether to return to the complex later in the year as a pre-gather census conducted the last week in June indicates there may be more horses in the area than BLM's estimates which were based on 2001 or 2002 census data. Additional census may be scheduled after the July gather to determine distribution and numbers of the remaining animals and if horses have moved into the Complex from adjoining HMAs.
The purpose of the gather is to maintain a thriving natural ecological balance between wild horse populations, wildlife, livestock, and vegetation, to improve watershed health, make "significant progress towards achievement" of Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council standards for rangeland health, and to protect the range from the deterioration associated with overpopulation of wild horses. The gather will also serve to collect information on herd characteristics and determine herd health.
The gathered horses will be transported to the National Wild Horse and Burro Center in Palomino Valley, near Reno, to be prepared for adoption through the BLM's Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program. To learn more about the program or to obtain an application, call toll-free (866) 4-MUSTANGS or visit the BLM Wild Horse and Burro website at www.blm.gov. Potential adopters can also call the National Wild Horse and Burro Center in Palomino Valley, at (775) 475-2222.
----
Isn't this just great---NOT !!! The wild horses will have a harder time than ever if that is possible. Barbara
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-graze16jul16,1,4561361.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
July 16, 2005
Federal Officials Echoed Grazing-Rule Warnings
a.. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the EPA shared the land bureau experts' worries.
By Julie Cart, Times Staff Writer
Federal wildlife managers across the West warned the U.S. Bureau of Land Management that new livestock grazing regulations were potentially harmful to wildlife and water quality, adding their voices to those of BLM scientists who said similar criticism was excised by Washington policymakers.
Wildlife experts for the Fish and Wildlife Service's three Western regions, along with Environmental Protection Agency officials, expressed concerns in written comments to the BLM last year. The bureau solicited the comments as it was finalizing the new grazing rules, which go into effect this month.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The proposed revisions would change fundamentally the way the BLM lands are managed, temporally, spatially, and philosophically,'' stated a 16-page Fish and Wildlife Service report. "These changes could have profound impacts on wildlife resources."
Grazing regulations affect more than 161 million acres of public land in the West, including 8 million acres in California. The rules define how ranchers may use the land and guide federal land managers in determining how many cattle may graze, where, and for how long without harming natural resources.
The comments by the Fish and Wildlife Service on the grazing regulations were approved by the service's three Western regional directors and sent to the bureau in Washington as a draft. According to Fish and Wildlife spokesman Chris Tollefson, the agency requested to meet with BLM officials before finalizing their comments. Tollefson said the bureau never agreed to meet and did not respond to the written comments.
"I don't know that they did or did not ignore them," Tollefson said. "We felt that we did what we could to let them know our concerns. We identified concerns with the policy, and that hasn't changed."
A BLM spokesman in Washington, Tom Gorey, said that because the Fish and Wildlife Service's comments were in draft form, they did not represent the agency's official position.
"Where is the official Fish and Wildlife position?" he asked. "We've never seen it."
Steve Williams, who was director of the Fish and Wildlife Service when the agency prepared its comments, said his agency followed protocol.
"That whole process is in place for a reason," Williams said. "The fact that the process didn't follow through, and the comments of the service and other agencies weren't able to be incorporated, that does bother me. We take the time to put the comments together."
The EPA's comments focused on water quality and aquatic habitats. The agency concluded that the new grazing policy appeared to "reduce the flexibility" to act against "degradation of water quality or rangeland" and could delay urgent intervention in such degradation.
BLM scientists reached many of the same conclusions, but their written comments were changed by agency officials in Washington last year. The original environmental analysis warned that the new rules would have a "significant adverse impact" on wildlife, but the scientists' language was altered to read that the grazing regulations were "beneficial to wildlife."
Bureau biologist Erick Campbell, who wrote the wildlife sections of the original BLM analysis, called the final product "a whitewash."
Bureau officials said editing and review were standard. Further, they said the new grazing rules changed existing policy relatively slightly and said the regulations more fairly balanced the needs of plants, wildlife, water and other resources with the rights of ranchers to use public land.
The new rules reverse long-standing policy giving bureau experts the authority to quickly determine whether grazing is inflicting damage.
Now the rules require federal land managers to conduct protracted studies before removing ranchers' cattle. It could take five to eight years to make any changes.
The rules also eliminate the agency's obligation to seek public input on most grazing decisions, expand cattlemen's private water rights on public land and allow ranchers to own improvements such as windmills, fences and pipelines.
The last two provisions troubled some federal analysts, who warned the bureau that the agency would open itself to potential lawsuits by extending co-ownership of property.
"Allowing [ranchers to have] title to certain permanent range improvements gives away some of the public rights on public lands," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in its comments.
Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times
effect in October, this year right? Looks like they are placing some
pretty stringent requirements on the truckers. Some truckers could
face fines up to $10,000. Seems to me, that no one is going to want
to do this should they be subject to these kind of fines. They are
not allowed to transport horses unable to get on the ramp without
assistance (that also means whipping, dragging, prodding), horses
unable to bear weight on all four legs, blind horses, and generally
horses that are not fit for travel. Looks like every trucker is
subject to this. I was reading in the report that one of the
slaughter houses in TX said they might have to shut down because of
the extra costs of transporting the horses in a single load versus a
double load. Aaaah. What a shame.
Anyway, They also must have non-slip floor, adequate ventilation, but
nothing that poses a danger of the horses getting their legs caught.
Also, the horses must not be shipped in inclement weather, i.e.,
extreme cold or hot unless the trailer protects them from the
elements. If the horses are injured in transit, the shippers could
face fines up to $5,000 per horse. Also, dry-lotting will not be
permitted. Each horse must be given food and water for six hours up
to the time they are loaded. They must also be given food and water
upon arrival.
So, the slaughter houses are having to buy new trucks for
themselves. Aaaah, what a shame that they have to spend that kind of
money.
But, these regulations do not effect horses that will be transported
to Canada or Mexico. According to what I read, anyone would still be
allowed to double-deck the horses across the line. Anyone want to
comment on that?
Just wanted to share the information. I thought it was a HUGE step in
the right direction.
----
TCEQ: plant is operating properly
By Jeanie Allen Davis
Interim city manager Curtis Snow said the real issue regarding Dallas Crown
Packing is the difference between what Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality saw when it inspected the plant and what neighbors say they are
experiencing.
Snow said Friday that when TCEQ inspector Cynthia Beauchamp viewed the
facility last week her reaction was that Dallas Crown is well-managed and in
compliance.
City council and staff met last week to discuss a citizen petition against
Dallas Crown Packing presented by Robert Eldridge during citizens' comments at
last month's council meeting.
Kaufman is currently involved in a lawsuit filed last year by Dallas Crown
after the city turned off water and sewer service to the plant. An injunction
Kaufman Court-at-law Erleigh Norville forced the city to restart utility
service.
Eldridge said the petition, signed by 20 residents from Booker, Carver,
Shannon and Nash streets, was protesting the "abuse and neglect suffered as a
result of the presence of the slaughter facility abutting our area, degrading
our property values and impeding development."
The petition cited "the adverse manner in which our lives and property are
affected regarding Equal Protection of the Law, as well as in regard to health
and sanitation violations and concerns in and around this slaughter
facility."
Snow said the city's concerns are the waste water discharge and odors and
other nuisances that Dallas Crown is causing residents.
City staff continues collecting data and logging complaints regarding Dallas
Crown.
Dallas Crown attorney Mark Calabria said the 10-year-old company has made
significant improvements at the plant, including the unit that separates solids
from the discharge.
Kaufman public works director Richard Underwood said Dallas Crown has made
improvements in waste water discharge, but the plant is still not in 100
percent compliance.
"Dallas Crown wants to comply," Calabria said, explaining that the plant had
received suggestions from Carver and Burgess Engineering in Dallas and had
increased and improved testing.
The meat packing plant opened in Kaufman during the 1960s. It was originally
a beef slaughterhouse before becoming one of just two horse slaughtering
plants in Texas.
----
The BLM's keeping busy in Nevada -
This number is not genetically vuable !!!!!!!!! The reasons given for this are nothing but lies.
I sent in my comments and have not received a decision notice which is supposed to be sent before any actions. The BLM does what ever it wants. Barbara
http://www.elynews.com/archive/2005/07/15/LocalNews/324447.html
700-800 mustangs to be removed from White Pine
Friday, Jul 15, 2005
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely and Elko field offices are scheduled to begin gathering and removing wild horses from the Buck and Bald Complex today. The complex is located in the southern portion of Elko County and northwest portion of White Pine County.
The Buck and Bald Complex is comprised of the BLM-administered Buck and Bald, Butte, Cherry Creek and Maverick-Medicine Herd Management Areas (HMAs); and the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest Ruby Mountains Ranger District-administered Cherry Springs Wild Horse Territory (WHT).
The BLM and Forest Service anticipate gathering up to 1,300 wild horses during the approximately 30-day gather period. About 700-800 head will be removed during this gather as the BLM strives to achieve an appropriate management level of about 500 on the range.
During the operation, BLM will be evaluating whether to return to the complex later in the year as a pre-gather census conducted the last week in June indicates there may be more horses in the area than BLM's estimates which were based on 2001 or 2002 census data. Additional census may be scheduled after the July gather to determine distribution and numbers of the remaining animals and if horses have moved into the Complex from adjoining HMAs.
The purpose of the gather is to maintain a thriving natural ecological balance between wild horse populations, wildlife, livestock, and vegetation, to improve watershed health, make "significant progress towards achievement" of Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council standards for rangeland health, and to protect the range from the deterioration associated with overpopulation of wild horses. The gather will also serve to collect information on herd characteristics and determine herd health.
The gathered horses will be transported to the National Wild Horse and Burro Center in Palomino Valley, near Reno, to be prepared for adoption through the BLM's Adopt-a-Horse-or-Burro Program. To learn more about the program or to obtain an application, call toll-free (866) 4-MUSTANGS or visit the BLM Wild Horse and Burro website at www.blm.gov. Potential adopters can also call the National Wild Horse and Burro Center in Palomino Valley, at (775) 475-2222.
----
Isn't this just great---NOT !!! The wild horses will have a harder time than ever if that is possible. Barbara
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-graze16jul16,1,4561361.story?coll=la-headlines-nation
July 16, 2005
Federal Officials Echoed Grazing-Rule Warnings
a.. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the EPA shared the land bureau experts' worries.
By Julie Cart, Times Staff Writer
Federal wildlife managers across the West warned the U.S. Bureau of Land Management that new livestock grazing regulations were potentially harmful to wildlife and water quality, adding their voices to those of BLM scientists who said similar criticism was excised by Washington policymakers.
Wildlife experts for the Fish and Wildlife Service's three Western regions, along with Environmental Protection Agency officials, expressed concerns in written comments to the BLM last year. The bureau solicited the comments as it was finalizing the new grazing rules, which go into effect this month.
ADVERTISEMENT
"The proposed revisions would change fundamentally the way the BLM lands are managed, temporally, spatially, and philosophically,'' stated a 16-page Fish and Wildlife Service report. "These changes could have profound impacts on wildlife resources."
Grazing regulations affect more than 161 million acres of public land in the West, including 8 million acres in California. The rules define how ranchers may use the land and guide federal land managers in determining how many cattle may graze, where, and for how long without harming natural resources.
The comments by the Fish and Wildlife Service on the grazing regulations were approved by the service's three Western regional directors and sent to the bureau in Washington as a draft. According to Fish and Wildlife spokesman Chris Tollefson, the agency requested to meet with BLM officials before finalizing their comments. Tollefson said the bureau never agreed to meet and did not respond to the written comments.
"I don't know that they did or did not ignore them," Tollefson said. "We felt that we did what we could to let them know our concerns. We identified concerns with the policy, and that hasn't changed."
A BLM spokesman in Washington, Tom Gorey, said that because the Fish and Wildlife Service's comments were in draft form, they did not represent the agency's official position.
"Where is the official Fish and Wildlife position?" he asked. "We've never seen it."
Steve Williams, who was director of the Fish and Wildlife Service when the agency prepared its comments, said his agency followed protocol.
"That whole process is in place for a reason," Williams said. "The fact that the process didn't follow through, and the comments of the service and other agencies weren't able to be incorporated, that does bother me. We take the time to put the comments together."
The EPA's comments focused on water quality and aquatic habitats. The agency concluded that the new grazing policy appeared to "reduce the flexibility" to act against "degradation of water quality or rangeland" and could delay urgent intervention in such degradation.
BLM scientists reached many of the same conclusions, but their written comments were changed by agency officials in Washington last year. The original environmental analysis warned that the new rules would have a "significant adverse impact" on wildlife, but the scientists' language was altered to read that the grazing regulations were "beneficial to wildlife."
Bureau biologist Erick Campbell, who wrote the wildlife sections of the original BLM analysis, called the final product "a whitewash."
Bureau officials said editing and review were standard. Further, they said the new grazing rules changed existing policy relatively slightly and said the regulations more fairly balanced the needs of plants, wildlife, water and other resources with the rights of ranchers to use public land.
The new rules reverse long-standing policy giving bureau experts the authority to quickly determine whether grazing is inflicting damage.
Now the rules require federal land managers to conduct protracted studies before removing ranchers' cattle. It could take five to eight years to make any changes.
The rules also eliminate the agency's obligation to seek public input on most grazing decisions, expand cattlemen's private water rights on public land and allow ranchers to own improvements such as windmills, fences and pipelines.
The last two provisions troubled some federal analysts, who warned the bureau that the agency would open itself to potential lawsuits by extending co-ownership of property.
"Allowing [ranchers to have] title to certain permanent range improvements gives away some of the public rights on public lands," the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in its comments.
Copyright 2005 Los Angeles Times
