Celebrities, Congresspersons & Citizens Urge Secretary Jewell to Save America's Wild Horses & Burros

Americans from all walks of life have united to urge Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to reform the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) wild horse program. This call to action follows a critical report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) highlighting the program's inefficiencies. With over 30,000 signatures, including those of Congress members, celebrities, andadvocacygroups, the 'Step In, Sally' initiative seeks immediate change.

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WASHINGTON (JUNE 20, 2013) -- Americans from all backgrounds came together on Thursday to keep the pressure on Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to reform the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) wild horse program.

An open letter to Jewell, signed by over 30,000 Americans, 30 members ofCongress, 18 of the nation's leading wild horseadvocacyorganizations, and 15 celebrities, was delivered to the Interior Department on Thursday morning.

The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation) and its founding organization, Return to Freedom, led the effort along with Congressman Raul Grijalva.

The letter, known as the "Step In, Sally" initiative, called on Secretary Jewell to act to make much-needed changes to theBLM's program in the wake of a scathingindependent report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), which called the program "expensive and unproductive."

“I’ve been asking for changes for years, and NAS has confirmed that we can save taxpayer money and horses’ lives at the same time by improving this program,” Grijalva said. “We have the information we need. Now it’s time to do something with it.”

"We know theBLMprogram is scientifically unsound, fiscally reckless, and extremely inhumane," saidSuzanne Roy, American Wild Horse Conservation director. "The NAS was clear: business as usual must change."

"The 'Step In, Sally' letter is a clarion call for Secretary Jewell from Americans who are counting on her to put this program on a more humane, cost-effective, and sustainable footing," said Neda DeMayo, President of Return to Freedom. "Her leadership is urgently needed to secure the future for America's treasured mustangs and burros."

A poll released by AWHC last month found that 72 percent of Americans favor protecting wild horses as “living symbols of the history and pioneer spirit of the West," while 66 percent think theBLM’s approach to wild horse management is an inefficient use of tax dollars (only 8% thought it was an efficient use).

In an interview with the Denver Post in May, new Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said that she was waiting for the NAS report to determine the future of theBLM's program.

The report was released on June 5, 2013. Secretary Jewell hasn't made any public comments about the program since.

Return to Freedomis dedicated to preserving the freedom, diversity, and habitat of America’s wild horses through sanctuary, education, and conservation, while enriching the human spirit through direct experience with the natural world. Return to Freedom provides a safe haven to over 300 wild horses and burros at its sanctuary in Santa Barbara, California, and in Nevada, where the group is planning to create a larger wild horse preserve.

TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), founded in 2004 by Return to Freedom, is a coalition of more than 50 horseadvocacy, public interest, and conservation organizations dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come.

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