California rancher to give Indian horses sanctuary

RENO -- A California rancher agreed Friday to provide sanctuary to hundreds of horses being seized by the Bureau of Land Management from two Western Shoshone sisters in Nevada.

The last-minute deal with Slick Gardner, of Buellton, Calif., is the latest chapter in the decades-long feud between Mary and Carrie Dann and the federal government over treaty and grazing rights.

"In the 11th hour, the Danns signed over ownership of all the horses on the range to him," Danns' spokeswoman Julie Fishel said. She estimated 400 horses remained on the range when the BLM roundup began Thursday.

Fishel called the agreement "the best outcome of a forced situation."

"They're not happy that they were placed in this position," Fishel said. "I can say the Danns are pleased the horses will be safe and together."

BLM spokeswoman Jo Simpson said the agreement is "a good solution for the horses."

"Mr. Gardner is agreeing that he will comply with state law to ship them out of state," Simpson said. "It's our understanding that he's taking them to his ranch in California. The agreement also states he will not sell them to slaughter."

Gardner was monitoring the roundup in remote Pine Valley and could not immediately be reached for comment. Fishel said he runs a 60,000-acre ranch in Buellton, a tiny town in the Santa Ynez Valley northwest of Santa Barbara.

This week's roundup is the second time in four months that the BLM has confiscated livestock belonging to the elderly Shoshone grandmothers. In September, 227 of their cattle were impounded and sold.

The BLM contends the Danns have been grazing hundreds of cattle and horses illegally for decades, to the detriment of the range and other ranchers who have permits to graze livestock in the region.

The Danns say the land still belongs to the Shoshone under an 1863 treaty.

Simpson said the Danns are responsible for the cost of the roundup, as well as past fines and fees estimated at more than $3 million.

Fishel said Friday's agreement does not resolve the long-running feud between the Danns and the BLM.

"There is a land dispute and they need to resolve that before they enforce what they determine to be trespass," she said of the federal agency. "The Western Shoshone deem it's the BLM that's in trespass.

"It's unfortunate this has to happen," she said.