A tasty, tasty culinary abomination.


My friend Doug Gibson posted a link on Facebook to a NY Times article featuring Mormon Cuisine as a cooking style that had finally come into its own. I’m not LDS myself but being a Utah native, descended from actual Utah Mormon pioneers, I read the article with some pride. I realized how much I missed the cheesy, creamy potato dish dubbed “funeral potatoes” because it is a staple at funeral dinners provided by the LDS Relief Society. Doug pointed me to a recipe from About.com, and I set out to veganize it. Challenge accepted.

This recipe isn’t astounding or all that creative – I used vegan cheese shreds, ready-made sour cream substitute, and came up with a thick gravy to replace condensed cream of chicken soup. But it really goes to show that being vegan doesn’t mean giving up even the most comfortable comfort dishes.

(Well. Except that green jello substance with the shredded carrots… face it though, as interesting as it looks to suspend large carrot particles in flubber, you can only veganize things that technically constitute food in the first place.)

Anyway, the vegan version of funeral potatoes is considerably lower in fat and calories, just considering the lack of dairy cheese and sour cream. I also omitted half a cup of butter that was optional in the original recipe. On the other hand, if you’re fretting about every calorie you’re eating, it’s probably a good idea to just relax and enjoy a bowl of funeral potatoes anyway. You can feel great that this equally delicious version doesn’t have any calories that come from chickens or dairy cows.

Ingredients:
6-8 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed

In place of condensed cream of chicken soup:
2 cups unsweetened play soy or other alternative milk
3 or more TBSP vegan chik’n broth powder (locally, go to Good Earth for that)
2 TBSP cornstarch or arrowroot powder, dissolved in a little soy milk or water

1 cup vegan sour cream (I used Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)
1 bag (2 cups) Daiya shredded cheddar cheese substitute
1/4 cup grated onion
Salt and pepper to taste. If you’re not using low-sodium broth powder, you probably won’t need more salt.

For topping (optional):
3/4 cup crushed cornflakes. Crushed saltine crackers also work
2-3 TBSP Olive Oil to coat the cornflakes or saltine crumbs

- Cook the potaotes:
You can bake them in the oven, wrapped in foil for 30-45 minutes until tender enough to pierce with a fork.
Or you can completely cheat like I do and microwave them. Poke them with a fork or knife in a few places to let the steam escape and microwave on high for 2-3 minutes at a time until they are tender.
Set aside to cool.

- Make the chik’nish gravy:
Dissolve the broth mix in the soy milk and bring to almost a boil over medium heat, stirring to prevent scorching.
Pour in the cornstarch or arrowroot mixture, and continue to heat until it boils and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool

- Dice the cooked, cooled potatoes

- Stir together the gravy, sour cream, cheese shreds, onion and salt and pepper.

- Fold the potatoes into the mixture

- Pour into a 9×13 casserole dish

- Toss a little oil into the cornflakes or saltine crumbs to coat, and sprinkle over potato mixture.

- Bake for 30 – 45 minutes until hot and bubbly

Based on this and other roles played by Neeson, the internet has a new meme: Liam Neeson is Badass. Far be it for me to say he isn’t badass – I’m not the one filming movies in the freezing tundra. I want to curl up with a hot toddy just thinking about it. But he isn’t badass because he’s pretending to fight CG images and puppets of wolves. His character in the movie is badass in a fictitious scenario. This disconnect between actor and character/reality and fiction illustrates why these types of films are harmful. And the timing could not be worse.

Real wolves struggle to survive nearly everywhere they’re found. Less than 100 years ago, wolves were hunted to extinction in the US. They were re-introduced from Canada’s population in the 1980s, and protected by the Endangered Species Act. At least until this past year, when they were surreptitiously de-listed in a budget bill, just as they were beginning to flourish again. Such is the power of the ag lobby and a fear-driven public.

Wolves can now (or will soon be) hunted and killed in several states, including some parts of Utah, for no other reason than being wolves. As mentioned in my previous post, a lone wolf crossing from Oregon into Northern California has immediately elicited demands for his head on a platter. In Alaska they are shot from airplanes, often suffering a cruel and protracted death from their injuries. And who can forget Sarah Palin’s proposal of a bounty on their forelegs? It’s fair to say that a wolf just can’t get an even break.

Do we have good reason to fear the big, bad wolf? Let me connect some facts. Only two cases of wolves attacking and killing humans have been documented in North America. Furthermore, according to figures from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) in 2005, domesticated dogs actually killed almost five times as many livestock animals as wolves did. Indeed, only .1% (yes that’s one-tenth of one percent) of cattle deaths in 2005 were caused by wolves. Meanwhile, humans kill and consume some fourteen billion animals every year, not including those who might kill and eat a few animals that we ourselves want to kill and eat. There is definitely a bloodthirsty species roaming the planet, but it takes a special kind of obtuse to say it’s wolves.

But let’s have another round of irony about The Grey. It has been reported that the film’s director had four wolves killed for the film. Two carcasses were supposedly for making props. While the film is fiction, these wolves died in earnest — and in the aftermath of the Vick dog-fighting bust, we should probably recognize the heinousness of killing an animal for the sake of entertaining a crowd.

The other two wolves were made into stew and fed to cast members, to get them in the mood for the wild. Neeson himself had seconds of the stew, according to one article. Hmmm. People killing and eating wolves… to make a film about… wolves killing and eating… people. Given the facts, let’s make that round of irony a double.

I really do understand that actors have to put themselves in a role. I don’t grudge them their craft. But I do question the idea that anyone needs to eat wolf carcass stew in order to get a feel for the wild. Most of us who saw Lord of the Rings bought into the existence of two hobbits eating elvish waybread — despite the fact that neither Sean Astin nor Elijah Wood had ever actually tasted the stuff. I also found the manufactured props of wargs, trolls, and giant spiders very believable, even though there weren’t any real ones around to kill and use as props.

And who wasn’t terrified of Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal Lecter? One might even harbor slight doubt that he didn’t regularly eat human organs with fava beans and a nice Chianti. But I digress. *Shudder.*

Some have said that eating wolf stew itself is badass. Unless the wolf is still alive, poised to rip out the throat of the diner as it’s being eaten, I’m afraid there really isn’t much jeopardy involved there. Or as one friend quipped, “Don’t forget to eat the wolf’s heart so you get its courage.” If you want valor or gross-out factor, then according to many people I know, tofu stew is much more badass, apparently suitable only for immortals who derive their nutritional requirements from plants. I couldn’t make this up.

As for me, I’ll be joining WildEarth Guardians and others in boycotting The Grey, and invite you to do the same. To my omnivorous friends, please also consider boycotting beef, which is the driving force behind displacing and killing wolves.

Because in the end, standing up for wildlife against pop culture and irrational fear actually IS badass and brave — even if you’re not vegan, and have never made vegan stew out of real vegans.

I’ve been reluctant to post this recipe because I’m not sure where you can find grape leaves locally. But leave it to social media to save the day – special thanks to Amy Wicks, who tells me that Penny’s Pantry next to Two Bit Street Cafe has them – and if they are out of stock, they will order them for you. There are also several Middle Eastern markets in Salt Lake City, which are very likely to carry them. Mine came from a Persian market in California. In season, you can use fresh ones, here is a recipe for how to prepare them. I’ll probably give this a go when my grape plants come back to life this year.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked basmati brown or white rice
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley – I actually didn’t have any so I used chopped fresh spinach
1/2 a green pepper, chopped – I just had one sitting around that needed to be used so I threw it in.
1 T vegetable oil
Juice of 1 lemon (I used 1/4 cup of bottled lemon juice)
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/4 t. allspice
1 16 oz jar of grape leaves
1 cup tomato sauce
2 cups water
Round sliced carrots, frozen or fresh (enough to cover the bottom of a 3 quart pot, approximately 15 carrot slices depending on their size). For my pot, it took 5 carrots sliced to about 1/2 inch thick.

Filling:
Mix all ingredients except grape leaves, tomato sauce, water, and carrots in a bowl.

Prepare leaves:
Remove grape leaves from jar, unfold, and rinse with water.

Get ready to roll:
Place leaves with the rough side up, one at a time, on a large, flat plate.
Be sure that the pointy parts of the leaves are directed away from you and the flatter edges and stem are toward you.

Roll:
Place one teaspoon of the mixture on the bottom of the leave, near the stem, and arrange it lenthwise using your fingers.

First roll the flat edges near the stem upwards and tuck them under the filling.
Then rolling the leaves tightly, tuck one pointy side of the leaf at a time, and roll the rest of the way up.
Wrap them tightly! I found this a little tricky since the raw rice grains can poke through the leaves but after a couple of times you’ll get the hang of it.

Cook the carrots in some water until tender, and cover the bottom of a large pot with the slices.
Layer the stuffed leaves on top of the carrots, packing them tightly so they don’t fall apart while cooking.

Pour the tomato sauce and water over the leaves and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium, and place a glass or stoneware plate upside down over the leaves.
Press down as hard as you can and leave in place during cooking.
Cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 40-45 minutes until the rice is fully cooked.
Serve warm.

——

One of Oregon’s Wolves has crossed into California: Let’s all panic

No really. You know what happens when wolves eat after midnight and then get wet? They’re worse than tribbles.

Lone wolf causes stir as it stays in California’s far north

Excerpt:

Siskiyou County Supervisor Marcia Armstrong, when asked about wolves last week by the Los Angeles Times, said “we would like to see them shot on sight.”

She would not repeat that sentiment when contacted by The Bee on Wednesday. But she said the new transient wolf is alarming to local residents, some of them cattle or sheep ranchers struggling to live off the land.

“It’s unfair to ask people to live with this dangerous predator,” she said. “It’s romantic, maybe, for urban people. But this affects our quality of life. It affects when we go out to get mail from the mailbox: Do we have to carry a gun?”

Speaking of Wolves, Liam Neeson parodies Simpson’s character Groundskeeper Willie in his latest movie, The Grey. Because we don’t have enough panic about wolves. I have always admired Mr. Neeson, have always regarded him a great actor – but this is a movie I won’t be seeing and won’t promote with a link. If you’re curious, here’s the plot:

I’ll defer to WildEarth Guardians for more information about the virtues of allowing wolves to exist.
——

Shake, Shake, Shake, Senora…

The dairy industry has tried for many years to protect its market niche. From the days when margarine had to be tinted pink (to make it look unappetizing and prevent people confusing it with the bovine breast milk product.) – to their most recent conniptions over the use of the word milk to describe non-dairy products.

Never to be defeated, the ever-innovative dairy industry wants you to know: shaking up your soy/almond/oat/rice/hemp/coconut – milk turns you into a monster. The video speaks for itself – as does the reason for this child’s nighmares. Does his mother turn into a spastic demon when she serves him orange juice too? Is she perhaps trying to make alternative butter with the milk by churning it so violently? I hope she remembers the pink dye.

Is “flab-ulous” even a word?

Love Yourself As You Are – the Super Secret Blog Project

I am so happy for the women in this video and the blog’s author. I love that they are happy and confident, loved and accepting of themselves. I believe that people (and all other living beings) have inherent worth and dignity. No one’s self-love or acceptance by others should be determined by their physical appearance.

But can I just confess something? I don’t accept being overweight for myself and whenever I read these blogs I do feel that is a terrible character flaw. I accept that I will never be thin – at a healthy weight, I look like a miniature amazon. Although I embrace those genetics now, I fought them for most of my life in pursuit of the ideal skinny. I’ve been up and down the scales more than Mozart and currently stand somewhere near “middle C.” But some six months and forty pounds ago, I wasn’t happy with myself. I wasn’t confident about my appearance. I couldn’t do things I really wanted to do. And I’m still working on it.

I’m not trying to slam the fat acceptance movement but to be honest, and with all respect, accepting and loving oneself isn’t mutually exclusive to self-improvement. The truth is, obesity and health are not often long-term companions. If it turns out to be that way for someone, more power to them. But some people really are in complete denial about this and I don’t think it’s kind or accepting to enable it.

I need to add this: Sorry – flab-ulous and fat-tastic are not words. Just… no. Call me that regardless of my weight and we will have a problem.

NEW! This blog now has its own Facebook page – go give it a like, it’s feeling sad and lonely…

 “Let’s see… a full spice rack… some potatoes… frozen peas… ginger root… ahhhh… forgot about this phyllo dough…”

And a craving for Samosas is born.

Samosas are a type of dumpling originating from the Indian subcontinent and parts of the Mediterranean and Northern Africa. They’re normally deep fried, served as an appetizer, and can be stuffed with just about any filling you like. These are similar to the ones I’ve had at Indian restaurants – potatoes, peas, and the usual suspects of regional spices.

I decided to use the phyllo in place of pie crust dough, mainly because I am mortal enemies with the making of pie crust – and because baking is easier than deep frying. There are purported health benefits to baking rather than frying, but for the cook, it’s sort of a zero sum situation, so it’s just as well. By the time you set up a fryer, heat the oil, individually cook the dumplings, drain them on paper towel, and clean up after the whole thing – you’re back to that ready-made salad and PB&Js for another week while you recover.

This recipe is a mashup of two I found online and my own cooking non-sensibilities. Enjoy!

1 Roll (½ package) of phyllo dough, thawed (but don’t open it until you’re ready to use it – it dries out very quickly on the counter and becomes a nightmare to work with)

Vegetable oil to spread on the dough (a pastry brush will come in useful for this)

Filling:
3-5 potatoes, scrubbed (and peeled if you’re into that kind of effort)
A little margarine or olive oil (a tablespoon or two)
½ cup frozen peas
1 tsp. Fresh grated ginger root
1 tsp. Minced fresh garlic
½ tsp whole cumin seeds
¼ tsp onion powder
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crushed red pepper (to taste)
2 Tbsp lemon juice (bottled is fine, fresh squeezed is always better)
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
Fresh ground pepper

Optional, for dipping – Chutney, lemon wedges, Sriracha sauce, or some of those random sauce packets you’ve been hoarding in your cupboard for who-knows-how-long-and-for-what-reason. Perhaps their time has finally come!

Method:
Preheat oven to 350
Make the filling.

• Cook potatoes however you like – either boil or microwave until they are tender.
• While potatoes are still hot, mash them up gently and add the frozen peas (they’ll thaw from the heat of the potatoes), and mix in the margarine or olive oil.
• Add the remaining ingredients and mix – but you don’t want to end up with mashed potatoes and pea puree, so don’t get too vigorous about it.

Prepare the dough (refer to my Spanakopita recipe for more details).

• Unroll the dough and cut it in half lengthwise.
• Use 2-3 sheets of phyllo per samosa – lightly coat the dough with vegetable oil. I use a pastry brush.
• Drop a couple of tablespoons of filling on the end of the dough, and fold the bottom corner up.
• Continue to fold it like a flag
• If you happen to experience phyllo failure, just roll the filling inside the dough in whatever way works. I always end up with a few that aren’t too pretty – but they’re still delicious.
• Brush the top of the samosa with a little more oil, and arrange on a baking sheet.

Repeat until you run out of either filling or dough. If you run out of dough first, eat the leftover filling with a spoon – it’s just that good.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Cool briefly on a cooling rack.
Serve hot with dipping sauce (or plain) to your friends, they’ll love you.

I highly recommend a read, but to summarize, researchers found that living in a certain area of California increased the likelihood of an autism diagnosis. The answer could not be traced to environmental toxins or vaccines as has been supposed by many, but rather, to parental recognition that their child has needs that would not be met without supplemental resources. Rightly, the author concludes:

“More cases of autism is a sign that, thanks to greater awareness, understanding and even acceptance about disability, more people are receiving services and education that can help (one hopes) enable them to have better, fuller lives.”

But I’d like to expand on that thought because in recent decades, we’ve also seen an epidemic of Attention-Deficit Disorder and a corresponding epidemic of medicated children, mostly boys. We have epidemics of bullying, eating disorders, and various other self-destructive behaviors that were once rare. I’m not disputing the validity of any diagnoses, but seriously… what is going on here?

I think at least in part, it’s our own society.

Another brick in the wall?

The industrial revolution brought about a very formulized way of life that has been spinning away from what is natural or healthy for most of us. Rather than structuring our civilization to meet the social and psychological needs of people, we have created a system that churns out people to meet the needs of industry. Indeed, we have come to a place where corporations are rights holders.(1)

So our schools are designed for efficiency, and to prepare children to function within parameters dictated by industry rather than reaching their individual potential. In Utah, it’s a running joke that we “stack ‘em deep and teach ‘em cheap.” Unfortunately the punch line isn’t very funny.

Moreover, we’ve so narrowly defined what is normal that when a child doesn’t function well within this rigid system, we may think there is something wrong with him or her, rather than examine the culture itself. We tend to say there is an epidemic and either accept that our children are simply flawed, or we find work-arounds for an educational system that doesn’t work for an epidemic number of children.

And in the meantime, what of the children who come to accept that they aren’t merely unique individuals – sometimes even exceptional – but flawed? I think the societal cost of such toxic thinking is not yet calculable.

I don’t mean to wax romantic on learning or neurological disorders, or criticize parents of children with special needs. I grew up in a home with a severely ADD sibling and have several friends who identify as on the spectrum. One friend was labeled a bad seed as a first grader. Another has a whole decade he won’t talk about. Without a doubt, these kids and their families experience many challenges. I am happy to see them utilizing whatever help is available – but also without a doubt these challenges are often intensified and underscored by our culture. One that we ourselves created and perpetuate, no less.

What would a traditional Navajo tribe do with a ten year-old boy who couldn’t sit still for six hours of classroom teaching? Based on some literature, my guess is they would probably pronounce him an energetic kid… and direct his individual abilities to something that suited him. (2)

It’s only fair to add that problems are money generators. And industry loves generating money. If we changed the education system to better accommodate the needs of various learning styles and abilities, drug companies and owners of boot-camps for troubled youth might be considerably less profitable. And less profitable yet if we adapted our society to allow parents the time and resources to manage the needs of their children.

In theory, all of this could inadvertently reduce crime and improve the well-being of humans living our society, although that might put a serious dent in (among other things) the prison-industrial complex (3). Next thing you know, we’d see more and more corporate persons panhandling on the streets and living under bridges. Could get unsightly – probably shouldn’t go there.

I know my usual schtick is to talk about why we should stop harming animals and eat lots of plants, which I still think we really need to do. But one of the critical things that has to happen in tandem with recognizing the uniqueness and value of other species is to take a hard look at what is going on within our own civilization. If we hope to teach future generations to respect other living beings, perhaps from their first experience they should be taught the value of their own and others’ uniqueness.

(1) Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_personhood

(2) GUIDANCE OF AMERICAN INDIAN CHILDREN: THEIR HERITAGE AND SOME CONTEMPORARY VIEWS, Journal of American Indian Education

http://jaie.asu.edu/v25/V25S1gui.html

(3) Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison%E2%80%93industrial_complex

Native to India (and used in many world cuisines) eggplants are also called “aubergines.” They are called “eggplants” in the US because the original strains grown here bear off-white fruit that actually resembles a goose egg. I have never seen the white, ovoid variety and used to wonder what kind of creature laid large, elongated, purple eggs.

The Jabberwock, perhaps?

Eggplants are a member of the nightshade family, and were once thought to be toxic. In fact they’re delicious, and a source of potassium and folic acid, so enjoy them in good health. If you aren’t growing your own eggplants, I happen to know that Carlo’s Produce has them 2 for $3.33 right now, go get some!

Bengain Bartha – Eggplant Curry

1 lg. Eggplant (or 2-3 smaller ones)
Oil for frying
1 tsp cumin seeds (or less, to taste)
1 tb crushed/minced garlic
½ tsp chopped/grated ginger
1 big tomato or 2 smaller ones
1 c. chopped onion
1 hot pepper (I used jalapeno)
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin powder
Fresh cilantro, chopped, to taste (¼ of a bunch)

Preparing the eggplant:
Stab the eggplant all over with a fork or knife. Some people think this is kind of cruel, but omitting this step will cause your eggplant to explode – a far worse (and sometimes messy) fate, in my opinion.

Rub the eggplant with oil and bake at 500 (or cook on the grill) until outside is black and eggplant is soft – the goal is to get a nice smokey flavor. This could take 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant and how you cook it. Just keep an eye on it. But do let it burn on the outside.

Burn that eggplant!!

Turn it into a curry:
Heat enough oil on medium to cover bottom of pan and add whole cumin seeds
Saute seeds for a few minutes, then add garlic and ginger and cook for just a few more seconds
Add onion, saute for a few minutes until soft
Add tomato and hot pepper
Add turmeric, coriander powder, cumin, and fresh cilantro
Turn flame down to low and let simmer.
When the eggplant is done, peel, chop, and add the eggplant to the pan.
Let simmer for a little longer, and serve over jasmine rice. Or out of the pan with a spoon. I won’t judge you.

Bengain Bartha

If you’re looking for more ways to use eggplant, try this recipe for Ratatouille:
Anyone Can Cook! Ratatouille with Ratatouille

If you want to try Bengain Bartha without slashing, burning, and/or exploding eggplant – or messing up your own kitchen, I highly recommend The Bombay Grill in Ogden.

The black bears of Nevada’s Lake Tahoe area need you.

American black bears are the only bears indigenous to Nevada. And with
fewer than 300 black bears gracing the state of Nevada, the Board of
Wildlife Commissioners has nonetheless launched the state’s first hunt
against them, slated to begin in August 2011. This hunt must be
stopped, and the Wildlife Commissioners must be held to standards of
safety, ecological awareness, and ethics.

The Wildlife Commission does not rely upon any scientific reason for
the hunt. Rather, they feel the bear population can withstand the
killing of twenty of its members.

The members and supporters of Friends of Animals know that no animal
withstands being hunted and killed. Any bear killed by humans is a
loss not only to themselves and their own families, but to the entire
ecosystem. The presence of bears is vital to the health of the complex
habitat in which they live. As omnivores, predators, and scavengers,
bears are important seed dispersers. They play a critical role in
maintaining healthy, balanced populations of deer, insects, and
others.

Friends of Animals Correspondent and activist Catherine Burt denounces
the hunt as an extreme form of human aggression and conceit. “Turning
wild animals into macabre trophies for a few thrill-seekers deprives
an entire bio-community,” says Burt. “Nature does not have spare bears
— it has to compensate in some way for the each one that is
artificially removed.”

The Nevada hunt has been granted to appease a small segment of the
population. Most of this board, including its Chair and Vice Chair,
represent hunting and animal use interests and say so. (See:
http://www.ndow.org/learn/com/members/index.shtm)

Forty-five tags are to be issued to kill 20 black bears, by bow and
arrow or firearms. If allowed to proceed, the hunt would permit the
use of dogs to track down and flush out hibernating animals. Since the
hunt limits the killing of female bears, dogs would be made to chase
bears into trees, so the sex of bears can be examined.

While the hunt prohibits the killing of female bears with cubs, mother
bears and cubs terrorized during a hunt can become separated. The
young are then left abandoned or orphaned to fend for themselves.
Lacking adequate rearing, they may not survive. Those who do are more
likely to come into conflict with humans, as they seek out easy food
sources provided in suburban environments.

All told, this hunt puts bears, dogs, and humans at risk — for the
misguided glee of a handful of trophy hunters.

Support the right to arm Nevada’s bears

Arm the bears with your energy and sanity. Contact Nevada’s Governor
Sandoval

Phone: 775-684-5670

Fax: 775-684-5683

Write to Governor Sandoval – http://nv.gov/govforms.aspx?ekfrm=4294969014

State your opposition to any tormenting or slaughter of bears in
Nevada. This is especially important for Nevada residents, but out-of-
state and international supporters can boycott Lake Tahoe tourism.

For more information, see the minutes of the 3 December 2010 Nevada
Board of Wildlife Commissioners’ Meeting in which Commissioners
planned the bear-killing. http://www.ndow.org/learn/com/min/2010/120310_min.pdf

Are you wondering how fierce and dangerous black bears are? Here’s a great example. Unfortunately they were also slaughtered in New Jersey:

“Jeez lady, I just wanted some acorns…”

Responding to a firestorm of public outrage against Nevada bill AB 329, which sought to deny water rights for wild horses and burros, the Senate Natural Resources Committee chose not to take action on the bill without further study.

In the May 20, 2011 meeting, Chairman Mark Manendo read a prepared statement to the Committee, citing numerous problems, including potential for litigation, lack of need for such a bill, and a poor public image of the state, should the bill pass.

“There are too many unknowns here. The BLM hasn’t testified. A lot of erroneous information got tossed around at the hearing and a lot of conflicting opinions clashed. If the bill is, as the proponents swear, not going to keep the horses from getting water anyway, and since the BLM has only a few water rights for wildlife purposes anyway, there doesn’t seem to be a compelling reason this law is needed. ”

The Committee agreed to send a letter to the Legislative Committee on Public Lands, requesting further review and study of possible impacts of the bill, during the 2011-2012 interim. The letter urges the Committee to work with all interested parties to reach a mutually agreeable consensus. The legislation could then be brought back for consideration in the 2013 legislative session.

The draft letter to the Public Lands Committee will be available on Nevada’s Electronic Legislative Information System (NELIS)

Friends of Animals would like to thank supporters for the thousands of emails, letters, and phone calls that were made on behalf of the wild horses and burros. You have made a huge difference in the lives of these animals!

A bill that can only be described (in polite terms) as a disaster for wild horses and burros, has reached the Nevada Senate. AB 329 seeks to re-define wildlife to mean any free-living creature that walks, slithers, flies over, or crawls on Nevada soil – except wild horses and burros.

In a Senate Committee meeting on May 13, 2011, the bill’s sponsor, Assembly member Pete Goicoechea stated that the intention of the bill is not to deny water to wild horses and burros… but rather to deny water use permits to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), that would appropriate water for the animals.

Ah, Ok. Denying water permits for animals is nothing at all like denying water for animals. I’m glad we sorted that out.

The contention is that wild horses and burros should not be considered beneficial use of water, although I’m pretty sure the animals would disagree with that.

Proponents of the bill assured the committee that the horses and burros who are drinking water today will be allowed to drink water tomorrow and next month. The Wildlife Commission and the State Engineer offices are also on the record as being neutral on the bill.

But in a November 2010 draft letter to the State Engineer, the Wildlife Commission had this to say:

In other words, these equine delinquents who are making unlawful use of Nevada water will be hauled off to BLM jail. Call me kooky, but this sounds neither neutral nor as if horses drinking today will continue to drink tomorrow. Or perhaps they will, but they will do it from an already-overcrowded BLM holding pen.

Now before you say, “Oh but there are just too many wild horses, they are destroying the ecosystem, out-competing other animals, and/or starving to death on the range,” please consider these facts.

• Wild horses evolved in North America, disappeared for a time, but have been roaming the continent for many hundreds of years — since the Conquistadors brought them back from Spain. They’ve only been managed by humans for about the last century. Prior to receiving federal protections, that management was in the form of killing them and feeding them to dogs and other people who eat horses. And mainly for the purpose of making more room to graze livestock.

• The animals are either starving to death or over-populating. They can’t do both.

• The BLM would have you believe (for example) that the Mt. Elinore herd management area here in Utah – 34,000 acres of range – can only support 25 wild horses, instead of the whopping 79 horses who live there now. All of their so-called appropriate management levels are equally ludicrous.

• I’ve searched high and low for documentation of wild-horse-damage or bullying of other animals, but have not been able to find any. Videos/photos or it didn’t happen. If the hunters are citing a decline in deer, elk, and pronghorn, maybe they should stop shooting them.

The claims against the wild horses are a load of horsefeathers, and we’re not taking this lying down. You don’t have to either. Wild horses are your business. They are protected by the Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971.

And by the way, YOU will pay to have these hooligan horses removed from public land for drinking Nevada’s water. Just like you are already paying millions a year to have them rounded up and warehoused in holding pens.

Here’s what you can do. None of these actions will take more than five minutes, I promise. But any of them will help kill this bill in committee, which will save Nevada – and several animal advocacy organizations – time and money for litigation.

Contact Nevada’s Governor Sandoval and tell him to reject AB 329 if it lands on his desk. Really, what kind of monster would deprive a horse of water?
Phone: (775) 684-5670 or Online

Online petitions against this bill have garnered many thousands of signatures from across the nation and around the world. Friends of Animals has created a new one – please add your voice.

Leave a comment on the Nevada Legislature’s web site.

Days before the committee meeting took place, a grassroots movement to boycott Nevada Tourism erupted on the agency’s Facebook page. It’s still going on.

Because after all, if Nevada has enough water to let the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas waste a million gallons of water a month, they surely can let the horses have a drink.

Photo: Jon Sullivan, pdphoto.org via Wikimedia Commons

More info:
Tell Nevada: Wild horses ARE wildlife — let them have water!

No Water for Wild Horses? Advocates pack Nevada Senate Natural Resource meeting to oppose AB 329

Nevada Debates Keeping Wild Horses From Drinking Water