BLM MAY NOT STERILIZE SAYLOR CREEK HORSES
The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, The Cloud Foundation and Return To
Freedom with Virginia Hudson bring news to wild horse lovers throughout the country. What a
difference a sound decision makes from Judge Lodge’s ruling in the Jarbidge case. The decision
finds that the BLM violated NEPA in a variety of ways in deciding to sterilize the entire Saylor
Creek herd. The court agreed that BLM violated NEPA by failing to consider the National
Academy of Science (NAS) report, by failing to adequately respond to public comments, by
failing to consider reasonable alternatives, and by failing to consider inconsistency between
sterilization and the agency’s duties to maintain self-sustaining and free-roaming herds. This
precedent setting decision is a major win in that it could make it difficult to sterilize healthy
herds elsewhere in the west.
This case challenged a controversial and precedent-setting plan by the Interior Department’s
Bureau of Land Management (“BLM”) to permanently sterilize an entire herd of wild horses in
the Saylor Creek Herd Management Area (“HMA”)—an action that would have disrupted and
destroyed the natural, wild, and free-roaming behavior of these horses, as well as the social
organization and long-term viability of the herd to which they belong. The BLM authorized
sterilizing this wild horse herd in its recently approved Jarbidge Resource Management Plan
(“RMP”).
“The Department of Interior (DOI) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) violated NEPA in
many aspects,” states Ginger Kathrens, Volunteer Executive Director of the Cloud Foundation.
“They never considered direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts that sterilizing the entire herd
will have on the behavior and physiology of wild horses and herd dynamics. “ The DOI and BLM
violated NEPA by failing to consider a highly relevant technical report (the NAS Report)
commissioned by the BLM itself from the National Research Council, a subsidiary of the
National Academy of Sciences.
Lisa Friday, wild horse adopter and advocate states, “We have known for years what the NAS
Report concluded, that ‘absence of young horses itself would alter the age structure of the
population and could thereby affect harem dynamics.’ It is simply Unconscionable to tamper
with the social dynamics that sterilization would cause.”
Judge Lodge’s decision states, “The BLM has not considered nor explained how the herd will
maintain its wild horse instincts, behaviors, and social structure if it is entirely non-reproducing.
Further, the BLM has not taken a hard look at how the introduction of horses from holding
pens, where they may have become domesticated and reliant on humans, or from other herds
that are unfamiliar with the area and terrain will impact the herd and its wild horse behaviors
and survival instincts. In sum, the BLM has failed to consider, in the FEIS, any of these significant
impacts on the Saylor Creek herd’s behaviors or on the HMAs environment itself. The Court
therefore finds the BLM violated NEPA by failing to take the requisite “hard look” at these
aspects of the decision.”
Most importantly, this precedent setting decision will allow for future decisions in the favor of
horses that the BLM wishes to sterilize. “This decision recognizes that the BLM must carefully
consider the harmful impacts of sterilization on wild horses’ behavior and herd dynamics,” said
Nick Lawton, the attorney with the public interest law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Eubanks, LLP
who represented the plaintiffs. “This case underscores that wild horse advocates and courts will
closely scrutinize the agency’s decisions.”
We will continue to do everything we can to protect our wild horse families and their legal right
to live in peace and freedom. I would like to personally thank Virginia and Jeff Hudson for their
hard work documenting the beautiful Saylor Creek Wild Horse Herd, states Ginger Kathrens.
Media Contact
Lisa Friday
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SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA, October 2, 2017 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A team of researchers from Stanford Medicine and Intermountain Healthcare have been approved for a $8.8 million funding award by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The study, is designed to test pain management treatment strategies that help patients with chronic pain reduce their use of opioids.
Stanford’s Beth Darnall, PhD, Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine will lead the study and coordinate with Intermountain’s site principal investigator Joel G. Porter, MD, a family practice physician.
The pain management study is one of several Stanford and Intermountain collaborative projects that support innovation in research, patient care, and medical education.
The study seeks to compare the effectiveness of psychologist led cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), peer led chronic pain self-management classes, and providing no behavioral treatment in the context of reducing opioids for individuals with chronic pain.
Dr. Darnall, a pain psychologist and researcher, said people with chronic pain are often fearful about reducing opioid use. Tapering down moderate to high dose opioids while effectively managing pain, mood and function can be challenging for most individuals.
Study participants will begin a patient-centered program to taper their opioid use and will also be assigned to one of three groups: one will receive cognitive behavioral therapy, another will learn pain self-management techniques, and the third group will receive no behavioral treatment. The treatment strategies encourage the patient’s interest and willingness to actively and collaboratively reduce opioid use.
“With the collaboration between the Stanford and Intermountain and the support of the Institute, we have the potential to develop evidence-based treatment plans, tailored to meet the needs of individual patients,” says Dr. Porter. “Our goal is to deliver pain management care that helps our patients achieve meaningful and successful outcomes that last long term.”
“Alternatives are needed to reduce opioid risks and to provide pain relief to patients,” says Dr. Darnall, adding that her study aims to reduce opioid use compassionately while testing the effectiveness of behavioral treatment for pain. “We seek to provide physicians and patients with the evidence and tools they need to treat chronic pain with less opioids.”
Darnall’s study was selected for funding through a PCORI funding announcement specifically focused on long-term opioid use for people with chronic pain. There is a shortage of high-quality evidence demonstrating the safety and effectiveness of long-term opioid therapy for the management of chronic pain, and to date no large-scale studies have assessed strategies for managing and reducing chronic opioid use in real-world clinical settings. Input from a variety of stakeholders identified this research gap and helped PCORI to refine its call for research proposals.
“This project was selected for PCORI funding for its potential to fill an important gap in our understanding of long-term opioid therapy and to give people living with chronic pain useful information to help them weigh the effectiveness and safety of their care options,” said PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH. “We look forward to following the study’s progress and working with Stanford to share the results.”
Dr. Beth Darnall’s award has been approved pending completion of a business and programmatic review by PCORI staff and issuance of a formal award contract.
PCORI is an independent, nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. For more information about PCORI’s funding, visit www.pcori.org.
Stanford Medicine integrates research, medical education and health care at its three institutions - Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care (formerly Stanford Hospital & Clinics), and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. For more information, please visit the Office of Communication & Public Affairs site at http://mednews.stanford.edu.
Intermountain Healthcare is a Utah-based, not-for-profit system of 22 hospitals, 180 clinics, a Medical Group with some 1,500 employed physicians, a health plans division called SelectHealth, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare through high quality and sustainable costs. For more information about Intermountain, visit intermountainhealthcare.org.
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NOT A-CORE-DING TO PLAN
Delicious Apple Ideas That Fall Far From the Tree
MILWAUKEE, WI – Apples star so well in their standard roles as a handheld snack or pie filling that it’s easy to forget how versatile they are. Apples are high in fiber, have vitamin C, and won’t break your budget—they’re good for both you and your pocketbook!
To incorporate more apples into your diet, branch out with some of these recipes from Mary Reilly, contributing recipe developer for TOPS Club Inc. ® (Take Off Pounds Sensibly℠), the nonprofit weight-loss support organization.
Apples barbecue with the best of ’em. Cut half-inch thick slices of apple and oil them with cooking spray. Grill over medium heat until grill marks form and the apples are tender. Grilled apples go well with chicken, or try them in a sweet potato salad. For two servings, grill apple slices until tender. Let cool slightly and then mix with diced cooked sweet potato. Toss with apple cider vinegar, sliced scallions, and raisins for a side dish that goes very well with grilled pork tenderloin.
Soup It Up
Apples partner wonderfully with vegetables in soups. How you select your apple depends on whether you are aiming for a chunky or a smooth soup. Cortland and McIntosh varieties will break down while cooking, whereas Granny Smith and Braeburn apples will hold their shape. Try making a root vegetable bisque by cooking peeled apples, carrots, parsnips, and celery root (if you can find it) together. When the vegetables are tender, puree and add enough water to get the consistency you like. Serve with a dollop of fat-free Greek yogurt and some minced fresh thyme.
If you like a chunkier, stick-to-your-ribs option, try simmering chopped apples (skin on or off, your choice) with leeks, carrots, and cubed chicken. When the vegetables are tender, add a splash of fat-free half-and-half and a generous grinding of fresh black pepper.
Applesauce Dressing
Unsweetened applesauce can be a major player in reducing fat in recipes, while maintaining a rich consistency. It’s a go-to ingredient for low-fat baking, but can also be used as an oil replacer outside of the oven. Try substituting applesauce for oil in sauces and salad dressings.
Substitute applesauce in an equal, or slightly less, quantity in any dressing that calls for oil. Whisking together a few tablespoons of red wine vinegar, a quarter cup of applesauce, a pinch of salt, and a few tablespoons of minced basil can make a delicious dressing. Try this dressing drizzled over steamed vegetables or fish.
Crunchy Apple Salad
Apple salads add a crunchy, vibrant element to the plate. Branch out beyond typical flavors by making an apple version of som tum, a Thai green papaya salad. Use crunchy, tart apples (like Granny Smiths) for this recipe. Grate the apples (leave the skins on) and toss with lime juice, shreds of carrot, some fish sauce (if you have it), as much chopped fresh chili as you like, and a pinch of brown sugar. Garnish with toasted peanuts and cilantro. Serve topped with grilled or baked salmon to make this salad a complete meal.
Get It Right, Get It Ripe
Hard avocados or underripe tomatoes in the kitchen? Apples have a secret weapon. Apples give off ethylene, a gas that speeds up the ripening process in certain fruits. If you find yourself dealing with rock-hard bananas, avocados, tomatoes, plums, or peaches, just throw them into a brown paper bag with an apple. Within a day or so, your fruit should ripen up nicely.
TOPS Club Inc. ® (Take Off Pounds Sensibly℠) is the original weight-loss support and wellness education organization. Founded in 1948, TOPS is the only nonprofit, noncommercial weight-loss organization of its kind. TOPS promotes successful weight management with a “Real People. Real Weight Loss.®” philosophy that combines support from others at weekly chapter meetings, healthy eating, regular exercise and wellness information. TOPS has more than 125,000 members – male and female, age seven and older – in thousands of chapters throughout the United States and Canada.
Visitors are welcome to attend their first TOPS meeting free of charge. Membership is affordable at just $32 per year in the U.S. and $48 (CAD) per year in Canada, plus nominal chapter fees. To find a local chapter, view www.tops.org or call 800-932-8677.
