The Virginia
Range Wildlife Protection Association is a volunteer nonprofit
corporation organized to act on behalf of free-roaming
horses and wildlife in the Virginia Range, north of Virginia City,
Nevada. VRWPA engages in educational, scientific, developmental
and range management activities, and on matters pertaining to the
environment and the preservation of wildlife habitat. This
organization is organized exclusively for the charitable purposes
within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code.
August 25 Is Next Meeting
The next VRWPA meeting is scheduled for
August 25. The meetings take place at the VCH Fire Station
(corner of Cartwright and Lousetown) in the Virginia
Highlands at 6:30 PM.
Meetings are open to the
public and you are cordially invited to attend.
On Saturday July 19th
VRWPA held a plant identification workshop at Cottonwood Springs.
Click on this link for some pictures of the workshop:
Plant Workshop.
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There is a You Tube video
with a new song about
our wild horses titled "Pretty Wild Horses". You can
watch it by clicking on this link:
The following letter appeared
in the May 1 Reno Gazette-Journal regarding the Department
of Agriculture's plan to remove wild horses from the
Virginia Range. It was written by Craig Downer, a noted
wildlife expert:
"Jeff Turnipseed's letter [Voices, April 21] concerning the
wild horses of the Virginia
Range is very biased, misleading and far from the greater
truth.
He fails to recognize the scientifically substantiated
"returned native" status of the horse in North
America, portraying them as ecologically destructive,
particularly to big game species. What he fails to mention
is the gross imbalance the Nevada
establishment's near-exclusive promotion of big game and
livestock has caused! This includes predator elimination and
consequent population disequilibrium of prey, overgrazing,
especially of riparian habitats, decreased native
biodiversity, massive soil erosion, huge damage to
watersheds, etc.
It has long been the mode among many unthinking and
unobservant vested interests to use wild horses as
scapegoats for abuses for which they, in fact, are
responsible. The wild horses fill an empty niche, seeding
many native plants and building the water-absorptive humus
of soils -- both via their feces. They greatly aid in
reducing dry flammable vegetation for which their digestive
system and semi-nomadism are perfectly adapted. And they
contribute their earthly remains to the ecosystem.
We people could learn a very important lesson from wild
horses. It is we who are overpopulating here! "
Craig C. Downer, Minden
Just wanted to let everyone know
that the Virginia Range Wildlife
Protection Association (VRWPA) was
one of the two preservation groups
awarded money from the "Horse Power
Wild & Free" license plate
organization. The money we received
will be used for the helicopter
horse count. The last time a real
scientific count was conducted the
cost of fuel was significantly lower
then it is today and the VRWPA has
been brainstorming on how to raise
the needed $8,000-10,000 it would
need to pay the cost of the fuel. We
don't have to worry about that
anymore. The VRWPA was awarded
$10,000.00. Thank you "Horse
Power Wild & Free"!!!!
Join VRWPA at the
Western States Wild Horse & Burro Expo August 15-17,
2008
Only $5.00 each, available in black, green,
and blue.
To order send your check
to: VRWPA, P.O. Box 536, Virginia City, NV
89440.
Wild Horse License Plates Now
Available
You can now purchase a
wild horse license plate from the Department of
Motor Vehicles and even have it personalized. Click
on this DMV link for more details:
DMV Horse License Plates
Wild bears have
recently been sighted in the Virginia City
Highlands. Be "Bear-Aware" and learn how to live
with bears. Click on this link for valuable
information about bears:
Recently, a group of wild horses that had been
picked up by the State of Nevada was released
back on to the Virginia Range. See the story and
pictures by clicking
here.
Two Wonderful Horses Are
Available For Adoption
Their names are Crystal
and Holly. If you are interested in adopting either
(or both) of these horses, please contact VRWPA at
775-881-2288.
Craig Downer, wildlife
ecologist, has written an article on "The Past, Present and
Future Status of Wild Horses" that appeared in Natural
Horse Magazine. You can view the article by going to
this link:
http://www.naturalhorse.com/wildhorses.php.
Craig made an interesting
presentation about wild bears at the August VRWPA meeting.
West Nile Virus Has Reached the Reno
Area
As anticipated, the deadly West Nile Virus has finally
reached the Reno area. This virus is deadly to horses, but
can be prevented if you have your horses vaccinated. Contact
your Vet to arrange for the vaccination. Once your horse has
been stricken with the virus there is no cure.
(more)
Birth Control
Test Program Initiated for the Wild Horses
VRWPA
and the Nevada Department of Agriculture in conjunction with
University of Nevada-Reno, Pennsylvania State University,
and the National Wildlife Research Center are conducting a
birth control study on some of our Virginia Range mares.
(more)
