The Cloud Foundation

THE CLOUD FOUNDATION (TCF) IS DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF WILD HORSES AND BURROS ON PUBLIC LANDS IN THE AMERICAN WEST WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON GENETICALLY UNIQUE, ISOLATED HERDS LIKE CLOUD'S HERD IN THE PRYOR MOUNTAINS OF MONTANA.

THE CLOUD FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GINGER KATHRENS, IS REGULARLY INVITED TO SPEAK AT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES ADVOCATING THE PRESERVATION OF WILD HORSES AND BURROS. THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN FEATURED ON ABC, NBC, CNN, AND PBS, EDUCATING A NATIONAL AUDIENCE ABOUT THE NEED TO PRESERVE WILD HORSES AND BURROS. TCF ATTENDS BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT (BLM) NATIONAL MEETINGS REGARDING THE MANAGEMENT OF WILD HORSES AND BURROS. KATHRENS AND OTHER TCF BOARD MEMBERS GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE NEED TO REFORM THE MANAGEMENT OF WILD HORSES AND BURROS BOTH ON THE RANGE AND IN CAPTIVITY. TCF COMMENTS ON ALL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS, WHICH DEAL WITH THE PLANNED REMOVAL OF WILD HORSES AND BURROS FROM PUBLIC LANDS. TCF DIRECTOR KATHRENS WRITES ARTICLES FOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATIONS ON THE ISSUE. TCF SPEAKS AT SCHOOLS, CREATES EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS, AND PRODUCES EDUCATIONAL VIDEOS AND STILL PRESENTATIONS REGARDING WILD HORSES AND BURROS. TCF COLLABORATES WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO PROMOTE THE PROTECTION OF WILD HORSES AND BURROS.

SINCE ITS INCEPTION (2005) TCF HAS DIRECTLY RESCUED DOZENS OF MUSTANGS THAT WERE BOUND FOR DIRT HOLDING AREAS MANAGED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR WERE ON THEIR WAY TO KILLER BUYER AUCTIONS. THE FOUNDATION HAS FACILITATED THE ADOPTION AND PURCHASE OF DOZENS OF OTHER ONCE WILD HORSES. TCF HAS PROVIDED TRAINING OR RETRAINING OF ONCE ADOPTED WILD HORSES THAT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY RESCUED EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY BY TCF. TCF MAINTAINS TWO FAMILY BANDS OF WILD HORSES ON PRIVATELY OWNED, LEASED PASTURES IN MONTANA. THESE "FREEDOM FAMILY" WILD HORSES LIVE MUCH LIKE THEY DID ON THE PRYOR MOUNTAINS. TCF PROVIDES SCHEDULED VISITS TO SEE THE FREEDOM FAMILIES FOR PURPOSES OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND EDUCATION ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR AND COMPLEX SOCIAL INTERACTIONS OF WILD HORSES.

TCF HAS, SINCE ITS INCEPTION (2005), LEGALLY CHALLENGED THE BLM IN THE PRYOR MOUNTAINS OF MONTANA TO REDUCE EXCESSIVE REMOVAL OF WILD HORSES; ACTIONS WHICH TCF ARGUES THREATEN THE GENETIC VIABILITY AND LONG-TERM SURVIVAL OF THIS UNIQUE SPANISH HERD. TCF IS AWAITING THE VERDICT IN THEIR CURRENT SUIT AGAINST BOTH BLM AND THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE IN WHICH TCF ARGUES THAT THE CURRENT BOUNDARY OF THE PRYOR WILD HORSE RANGE MUST BE EXPANDED SO THAT THE HERD CAN UTILIZE GRAZING THAT THE HERD HAS TRADITIONALLY USED FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. TCF SUCCESSFULLY PETITIONED THE COURT TO BECOME AN INTERVENOR ON BEHALF OF WILD HORSE HERDS IN SOUTHERN WYOMING, WHICH ARE SCHEDULED FOR ELIMINATION BY THE BLM IN 2013 AND 2014. IN ADDITION, TCF IS OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN LAWSUITS TO PRESERVE WILD HORSE HERDS IN COLORADO, NEVADA, AND OREGON. TCF AND OTHERS WERE SUCCESSFUL IN PREVENTING THE ELIMINATION OF THE HISTORIC WEST DOUGLAS CREEK HORSE HERD IN NORTHWESTERN COLORADO