Advisory Board: Governor Kenny Guinn, Chairman; U. S. Senators Harry Reid and John Ensign, Vice Chairmen; U. S. Representatives James Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, Executive Directors.
U. S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao
Chairperson
Dr. Tony T. Lei
President
District Judges Mark Denton and Valorie Vega
Vice Presidents
Dr. William N. Thompson
Director of Public Administration Institution
Dr. E. Lee Bernick and Dr. G. Keong Leong
Deans of Graduate School of Business and Public Administration
Dr. Sue Fawn Chung
Director of Culture Institution
Justice of the Supreme Court William Maupin, Attorney General Brian Sandoval, and District Judge Stewart Bell, Honorary Chairmen of Clark Count District Attorney and Police Civil Commission (CCDAPCC)
District Attorney David Roger and Clark County Sheriff Bill Young
Chairmen of CCDAPCC
(702) 255-9058
*It's our pleasure to pay a tribute to the above officials who dedicate to the civic and community service aspects of our organization in an honorary or adjunct capacity.

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Governor Kenny Guinn of Nevada asks U. S. Congress for wild horse funding
By the GSBPA of WBTI*1

The Press Release from the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn at CARSON CITY, Nevada, U. S. A. stated on February 13, 2004 that, "Governor Kenny Guinn today sent the following letter to Senator Conrad Burns and Congressman Charles Taylor regarding federal funding to deal with Nevada's wild horse issue:"*2

February 13, 2004

Senator Conrad Burns
Chairman,
Senate Appropriations, Interior
SD-132 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Congressman Charles Taylor
Chairman
House Appropriations, Interior and Related Agencies
B-308 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Burns and Chairman Taylor:

I am writing to urge you to break the funding impasse in Congress over wild horses. As you know, Nevada is home to more than half of the nation's herd and we need your assistance with the removal of thousands of wild horses currently on the Nevada range.

The continuing overpopulation of wild horses has caused a decrease in the amount of available habitat and jeopardizes the long-term welfare of wildlife populations, ranching, and the sagebrush habitat in our state. Additionally, the stress of long-term drought, wildfires and overpopulation has had a devastating effect on the wild horse and burro herd. With the resultant poor rangeland conditions occurring over much of our state, it is imperative to relieve the elevated stress to the public rangelands associated with wild horses and burros in excess of the appropriate management levels (AML). Given the fragile conditions of ecosystems within the Great Basin, the detrimental impacts of horse numbers in excess of the AML is of significant concern to the people of Nevada.

I realize that you are very familiar with the problems the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has experienced in the management of wild horse populations and appreciate your efforts to encourage the BLM to make responsible management changes to the program. With more than 87 percent of the land in Nevada owned and managed by the federal government, Nevada's efforts to control its wild horse population cannot possibly succeed without an effective federal effort. Currently, Nevada receives only 14 percent of the national budget for wild horse funding, in spite of more than half the herd living in our state. The federal government has a responsibility to properly manage the resources on public lands in a manner that does not adversely impact its neighbors. Effective management by the BLM requires adequate funding from Congress to do the job in Nevada.

For this year, I understand the Department is recommending a reprogramming that would earmark $7 million toward horse gathers in Nevada. Although this represents only a short-term solution, it would help defer declining environmental conditions this calendar year. It is my hope that your committees can work with Secretary Norton and the BLM to find a solution that will result in significant gathers of wild horses on Nevada's range before the end of the year.

I have resisted attempts by Nevada's own Wildlife Commission to sue the federal government over its management of horses, based on assurances by the Secretary of the Interior that plans are in place to begin to solve the problem. Therefore, I would appreciate your assistance in finding a speedy resolution. Please do not hesitate to contact me if Nevada can help to resolve this impasse.*3
Sincerely,
KENNY C. GUINN
Governor

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*1. The GSBPA of WBTI is the initials of the Graduate School of Business and Public Administration of Washington Business and Technology Institute.
*2. Office of the Governor. 'A Press Release on Governor Guinn's letter to ask Congress for wild horse funding,' "An email from the Office of Governor Kenny Guinn to Dr. Tony Lei," (February 13, 2004), Carson City, Nevada: Office of Governor Kenny Guinn.
*3. Ibid.