WWP Wins Ban of M-44 Wildlife ‘Cyanide Bombs’ in Idaho | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

News Bulletin from Western Watersheds Project

“Our delight with the statewide ban on M-44s across Idaho is tempered by several factors…”

When Canyon Mansfield and his dog were sprayed with cyanide by a Wildlife Services M-44 “coyote getter” near Pocatello three weeks ago, Western Watersheds Project convened a group of conservationists and animal welfare groups to to draw up a strategy. As part of our strategy, WWP filed an Administrative Procedures Act petition on behalf of ourselves and 19 other groups demanding that the agency to cease the use of M-44s statewide in Idaho, and remove those that were already deployed. Much to our surprise, yesterday we received a letter from Wildlife Services committing to exactly these requests.

Our delight with the statewide ban on M-44s across Idaho is tempered by several factors. The new ban doesn’t bring Canyon Mansfield’s dog back to life, nor can it take away the trauma this 14-year-old boy has experienced as a result of this wildlife-killing device. And it isn’t necessarily a permanent ban – Wildlife Services committed to informing WWP at least 30 days in advance if they ever deploy M-44s in Idaho again, but we don’t know if the reprieve for wildlife and public safety will last a month, a year, or a decade.

In writing the petition and generating the media around it, WWP was able to draw upon a wealth of knowledge assembled over decades by Predator Defense, the organization that leads efforts to ban these devices at the nationwide level. Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen and Pocatello Mayor Brian Blad spoke out strongly against M-44s in the media. The Idaho State Journal issued a blistering editorial condemning M-44s, and journalists across Idaho and throughout the country elevated the tragedy and the need to get rid of M-44s to a nationwide issue. And the Mansfield family themselves had the strength an endurance to bring their personal tragedy into the national spotlight in hopes that what happened to their son would never happen to anyone else’s children ever again.

This is an important, if temporary, victory. But there is a long road ahead. We hope to make the Idaho ban on M-44s permanent, and to see the manufacturing facility and storage depot in Pocatello permanently closed. We are advocating to eliminate the use of the deadly toxin Compound 1080 and its poison baits that likewise kill family pets on an all-too-frequent basis. We are pursuing legal challenges to shut down killing programs of all kinds pursued by Wildlife Services, from aerial gunning to traps and snares, that target our native wildlife for eradication. And we are pressing for federal legislation to end these taxpayer-funded killing programs.

We want to be sure we recognize each one of our conservation partners who joined us in the petition that brought this victory: Predator Defense, WildEarth Guardians, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Clearwater, Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Western Wildlife Conservancy, Nevada Wildlife Alliance, Gallatin Wildlife Association, Environmental Protection Information Center, the Wolf Conservation Center, Wilderness Watch, Klamath Forest Alliance, Northeast Oregon Ecosystems, Yellowstone to Uintas Connection, Footloose Montana, Animal Legal Defense Fund, Project Coyote, Voices of Wildlife, and the Mountain Lion Foundation.

But we also want to thank, you, our members and supporters. Without your generous contributions, there would be no Western Watersheds Project to fight these battles. So give yourself a pat on the back, because today you have made a wonderful difference in the world we share with our native wildlife.

http://mailchi.mp/fad0343a19b8/wwp-wins-ban-of-cyanide-bombs-in-idaho

Source: WWP Wins Ban of M-44 Wildlife ‘Cyanide Bombs’ in Idaho | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Get real, John Ruhs | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

Source: Get real, John Ruhs | Straight from the Horse’s Heart

John Ruhs, BLM Nevada State Director

Yosemite Sam, Ruhs’ doppelganger

Dadgummit! After John Ruhs, Nevada’s BLM State Director, said that he wanted to round up 4,000 wild horses in Elko County last summer (supposedly in response to the continued lies blaming wild horses and burros for the “deterioration of drought-stricken rangeland”), we’re noting that many mines that will use billions of gallons of water are now on the verge of expanding in Nevada.

Ruhs recently spoke at the Elko Convention Center, and stated that “We are pretty proud of the fact that this last year we have worked with the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association, the Nevada Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service and NDOW to provide some public opportunities to talk about sage grouse land use amendments and what they mean to the grazing program. A lot of work still needs to be done.”

The BLM ALWAYS works with the Nevada Cattlemen’s Association. And the National Cattlemen’s Association. Actually, the BLM works FOR them. Notice that the focus of talking about sage grouse land use amendments is all about what they mean to the grazing program?

Ruhs also lamented that wild horse and burro issues dominate a large part of the Nevada BLM and Ruhs went on to talk about the difficulties in wild horse management.

Wild horse and burro issues dominate? Like, bigger than all of the mines and outnumbering all of the livestock?

And talk about difficulties? How about all those abandoned mines in Nevada, John?

And management? There is only wild horse and burro “MISmanagement.”

Ruhs then said “We are somewhere in excess of 37,000 horses on the rangeland that is a big priority for us and it’s one of the things that I hope in the new administration that we will see some changes that will finally allow us to get some work done on the ground.”

We hope that the work that Ruhs is referring to getting done “on the ground” will include getting an accurate count of the wild horses and burros, rescinding some livestock overgrazing permits and making sure the extractive industries don’t use every last drop of water.

Why even bother to imply that the BLM “manages” anything, except impending environmental damage from the “multiple uses” that make a buck? Don’t stash the truth, John.

Astrorisa – Mini Libra Full Moon 4-11-17

Written by Iya Olusoga – Bisi Ade

April 11, 2017

Libra Full Moon 21° in House 9

Aries Sun 21° in House 3

2:08 AM EDT

Themes: Self-empowerment, bullish, control, taking advice, unexpected new events, change and transformation, opportunity for growth, higher law, higher learning, communication, cleansing, harmony, hostilities, corruption, and boundaries.

We’re now experiencing an Aries Sun / Libra Moon time. Is all fair in love and war? We’ll definitely find out; because we’re looking into the fairness of ours and other’s actions during the next 29 days…We’re not going to move away from the influences of Oshun for a good moment.

Welcome to the Libra-Oshun Full Moon of April, ruler of house 7 and archetype of Orisa Oshun and planet Venus. This Libra Full Moon resides in house 9, the house of higher law, and learning. This moon will alert our collective consciousness to express a need for personal, spiritual, and emotional clearing and cleansing, and to bring into existence both balance and harmony… This moon time will release more of our stored up hostilities… If we are mindful of the duality in nature of this Libra moon, both disruptive, and harmonizing we can decide how best we would like to work with these lunar vibrations…

This is our time to set boundaries and to honor the laws that govern those boundaries. This is that moon time which requires us to re-affirm our personal or group’s authority, to regain confidence, and self-worth.

Complete Forecast Available Here

Have an Inspirational, Unifying, War Zone Free, Libra Moon Time!

Magic of the Night ~ Spirit Owl – Good Witches Homestead

Source: Magic of the Night ~ Spirit Owl – Good Witches Homestead

The Owl is, of course, a very real and material raptor which comes in many sizes and shapes. However, the owl is also an extremely powerful totem animal surrounded by myth and lore and this makes the Spirit Owl’s feathers useful for magical cores. The spirit-owl comes in dreams and visions offering her aid and wisdom. Her haunting call, “who, who?” asks the deep question of one’s identity. Who are you? Silent hunter of the night, the owl has been depicted as the messenger of wizards and witches, and a form favored by aerial shapeshifters.

In Welsh myth, the owl is linked to Bloduwedd, the maiden made of flowers who was created by Gwydion to marry his nephew Lleu. She later betrayed her husband with a lover and for that was punished by being turned into an owl. In this story, the owl is chosen perhaps for its predatory nature to indicate that Bloduwedd, far from being the idealized flower-maiden her male creators intended (gentle and beautiful), she had a mind of her own and the heart of a raptor. Druid justice seeks not to “punish” so much as to recognize the true nature — at least in this case! Owls are still called bloduwedd in Welsh.
Used as a magical core, the feather of the spirit owl shines with a misty gray light, faintly blue like starlight on snow. Its powers are for wisdom, cunning, and stealth, for the owl is the companion and emblem of the Hellenic Goddess Athena, wise leader of Attic Greece and patroness of cunning Odysseus. The owl spirit lends great powers of secrecy — both for keeping secrets and unlocking things that are hidden. It is well-suited to magic of forests and animals, and to magic of the night.