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Show Mustang Assn. Plans Efforts In Conservation Preservation of the mustang has become a prime objective of the National Mustang Association, As-sociation, and Tom Holland of Cedar City indicates that efforts are now in progress to acquire a 45,000 acre spread 1 near Caliente, Nev., where 150 of the nearly extinct mustangs can be kept. The mustang is threatened with extinction, the "save the mustang" folks claim. j Extinction comes in all sizes, from a cattleman armed with i a rifle trying to protect his precious grazing land in desert country for his herds, from dog food canners, who gun down the rangy horses from airplanes, from sleek jet fight-1 er planes and atomic blasts. The Federal government wisely set aside refuge for mustangs a few years ago, according ac-cording to Holland, president of the National Mustang Association. As-sociation. Unfortunately, he pointed out, 394,000 acres of land next to Nevada Test Site isn't exactly ex-actly mustang heaven. That land happens to be part of the Nellis Air Force Base Bombing and Gunnery Range. "We've already commended the Nellis pilots for not using the mustang for target practice," prac-tice," he said. Test site scientists, scien-tists, however, are worried about an uprising from neighboring neigh-boring cattlemen, should a radiated mustang contaminate their herd. There are 200 or 300 mustangs mus-tangs roaming . the test site environs. There's no telling how many there are in the West. Of that amount the National Association hopes to get the Lancaster spread just outside Caliente for 150 of the furry horses, agile descendants of blooded Arabian and Spanish steeds. Records indicate that at one time the mustangs herds roamed the plains in literal thousands. The vast herds of mustangs are now gone, victims vic-tims of various civilized afflictions. af-flictions. "They are the only wild animal ani-mal with no type of protection at all in the 11 Western states," Holland said. "People are only forbidden from chasing chas-ing them with a motor vehicle veh-icle or an airplane and there's no enforcement of that." The mustang protectors want to raise $40,000 to provide pro-vide a Caliente heaven for 150 of the breed. They hadn't counted on spending that much, but contributions and a possible grant from the Federal Fed-eral government are being solicited. sol-icited. One of the contributors is Mrs. Lourene Wishart of Lincoln, Lin-coln, Neb., an ardent conservationist. conser-vationist. She has contributed $500 to the efforts of the Association As-sociation in bringing out this dream. Caliente City councilman and restauranteer Robert Ol-sen Ol-sen wants to see the wildlife preserve located there, too. He and Holland spent a recent week end confering with Boulder Boul-der Region Boy Scout Executives. Execu-tives. They think the area would make a natural Boy Scout summer camp, along with its use as a mustang preserve. |