Meetings, Meetings, Meetings!

VIRGINIA CITY, NV — The board has had some very important and interesting meetings and thought you might appreciate a brief summary of some of them.

• In June 2002, Judy and Lacy met with Senator William Raggio, Republican majority leader here in Nevada. The Senator has written a letter of support for Let ’em Run. Thanks for your generous donation to Bolos and Blue Jeans, Senator Raggio!
   
• We've also had positive meetings with Nevada State Senator Maurice Washington and U.S. Senator John Ensign, Along with his aide Kevin Kirkeby. We've had several meetings at the BLM with the lovely Mary Connelly, Senator Reid's assistant. After these meetings, we feel certain that more and more of our powerful Nevada legislators are beginning to realize the wild horse a tremendous asset to tourism here.
   
• In early July 2002, Judy Cox and Lacy met with Paul Iverson, director of the State Department of Agriculture and Lance Gilman of TRI to discuss fundraising and Sanctuary possibilities for the Comstock wild horse herd.
   
• In August 2002, Judy and Lacy again met with Paul Iverson and Dr. David Thain of the State Dept of Agriculture to discuss the scheduled helicopter round ups of Virginia Range estray horses.
   
• Judy and Lacy meet on a regular basis with doctors Thomas Harris and Michael Havercamp from UNR extension to discuss plans for the Comstock Renaissance, including Virginia City, The VC Highlands, the Heritage corridor, the BLM's plans for an interpretive center for wild horses in Mound House, the Comstock Sanctuary, and many other aspects pertaining to rural development here.
   
• Judy Cox, Lacy, and Michelle Hodge of the Department of Corrections appeared on Eddie Floyd's “Nevada Matters” radio show to promote the prisoner gentling training program at the Silver Springs prison facility in Carson City. Thanks Len & Eddie!
   
• Lacy appeared on Guy La Roches’ radio show on KVNR with the legendary Dawn Lapin and Maxine Shane of the BLM to discuss the various helicopter round ups and other issues. Thanks to Guy and also Karen Denio from the Dept of Agriculture.
   
• While in Santa Cruz doing the benefit concert “Girls from Santa Cruz”, Lacy was interviewed on radio stations KPIG, KSCO, and KVSP. We have just received a great donation from the KPIG interview in Santa Cruz. Thanks forever Laura Ellen & Company.
   
• We had a nice article in the September/October 2002 issue of American Cowboy magazine, which generated some very nice donations.
   
• Back in April 2002, Judy and Lacy met with Dr. Richard Simmonds, DVM of UNR to discuss the Comstock Wild Horse Sanctuary, birth control and range management. We are proud to announce the enlistment of Dr. Simmonds to our advisory board.
   
• Judy and Lacy spoke with Mary Lou Bentley at WNDD to discuss restructuring our five-year plan and supplied her with a list of grants for which we might qualify.
   
• Judy met with Merle Edsall at a function sponsored by the VRWPA. Mr. Edsall wanted to acquaint local horse advocacy groups with his dream to house 10,000 of the 25,000 federal wild horses that must be removed from Nevada over the next four years. He wishes to house them on a preserve located on both sides of the border in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico. Mr. Edsall has been working with the U.S. and Mexican governments to try to create an affordable situation for housing such a large number of horses.

Costs for a project like this located in the U.S. as astronomical. Here, land development proceeds at such a fast pace that it is almost certain to impact land values of U.S. preserves over the usual 20-year life span of the average wild horse. Pressure from land developers is certainly a vital factor to consider over time. To accommodate this huge surplus of animals—who will still be under the auspices of the U.S. BLM, but housed partially on neighboring Mexican grasslands—will enormously relieve the financial pressure on the BLM and, in turn, the American taxpayer. Some horse advocacy groups oppose this idea fearing that the agreement between sovereign nations might not protect the horses. However, many successful agreements exist now between the two countries, and Mr. Edsall enthusiastically looks forward to accepting responsibility for the project’s enormous liability and opportunity.