Dear Editor,
My name is Joan “Joni” Mogensen, my husband and I have worked with the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, to save “adopted” BLM burros from feed lots in St. Paul, MN. My husband was also a criminal animal investigator in northern Minnesota. We had a large, permitted, 501c3, large animal rescue. We have saved many abused and malnourished burros which were also “adopted” from the BLM.
As per the numbers of burros: 478 to over a million acres is ridiculous at best! Another government official reportedly states that there are several thousand burros in government holding facilities, not true! BLM lands are millions of acres most of which is unoccupied, lands … not government holding facilities! The BLM, Bureau of Land Management of public lands … “public”, being the key word.
There’s no comparison of cattle\vehicle accidents as to the numbers of burro\vehicle accidents, ah yes, but someone gets paid for the “free roaming” cattle, which do more ecological damage than burros.
We fought helicopter roundups years ago for being inhumane and dangerous, to my knowledge that was supposed to have been stopped years ago. How many animals were hurt or killed during that method of capture? Where is humanity to our natural heritage? What was the cause of the two dead burros from BLM’s last roundup? Or in the last five years? Aren’t the people entitled to know as these lands are public lands? The method of contraception the BLM chose to use will eventually be the total demise of the burro as we know it. Only the weak will reproduce?! Crazy, but I think the people are entitled to know the whole truth, not just parts that sound good on paper!
Lastly, I have no campaign agenda, but I do not want to elect any government official who isn’t going to strive to protect our heritage on our “public” lands. The BLM are stewards of “our” public lands, not holding facilities!
Joan “Joni” Mogensen
