Wild horse advocates to protest removal of range horses

Wild horse advocates are continuing the horse "wars" with a demonstration to protest a plan to remove the animals from the Virginia Range.

Members of the Alliance of Wild Horse Advocates are planning a protest from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Legislative Assembly Building in Carson City.

According to Willis Lamm, president of Least Resistance Training Concepts, the protest theme will be to "Clean Up the Department of Agriculture."

The department's director, Tony Lesperance, told an Interim Finance Committee meeting earlier this month that horses had to be removed from the range because there wasn't sufficient forage to support them.

Lesperance could not be reached to comment Monday.

But the advocates say the removal is based on false descriptions of the conditions of the range and horses, and a fabricated "crisis."

Gov. Jim Gibbons' office released a statement that the Nevada Department of Agriculture will be working on a plan, which could take up to six months, that will be beneficial to both the ecology and horses of the Virginia Range.

The statement said that comments and suggestions should be sent to Acting Public Information Officer Edward K. Foster, Nevada Department of Agriculture, 350 Capitol Hill Ave., Reno, NV 89502

Lamm said he expected at least 30 individuals to attend the demonstration.

"We just want to get our point across," he said.

At 10 a.m. today, Lamm and fellow advocate singer-songwriter Lacy J. Dalton will be appearing on the Cory Farley show on Sparks radio station KBZZ 1270-AM.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 881-7351.

If You Go

WHAT: Wild horse advocate demonstration

WHEN: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Wednesday

WHERE: Nevada Legislative Assembly Building, 401 S. Carson St.