October 21, 2015

To: John Mackey

Chief Executive Officer, Whole Foods Market
550 Bowie Street
Austin, TX 78703
Walter Robb
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Whole Foods Market
550 Bowie Street
Austin, TX 78703
Via Email and Overnight Mail
Dear Mr. Mackey:
The American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign is dedicated to protecting and preserving
Americas remaining wild horses and burros as part of our national heritage for generations to
come. Our mission is supported by a national coalition of more than 60 horse advocacy,
conservation and public interest organizations. Wild horses are cherished by millions of
Americans across the country. Yet, they are targeted for removal from our public lands to make
way for private livestock.
We greatly admire Whole Foods leadership as an ethical corporate citizen presenting healthy
and environmentally responsible food and other product choices to consumers. Since we know
that Whole Foods is committed to responsible sourcing of your products, we believe that you
will want to be aware of a serious problem regarding some of the beef that is sold as humane
in your stores. We write this letter in hopes of beginning a dialogue with you on this subject
that is important to millions of citizens, because it impacts our beloved national icons -Americas mustangs.
Although you may not be aware of this fact, Whole Foods is selling beef certified under your
Animal Welfare standards that is provided by ranchers who are behind the massive and
brutal round up and removal of thousands of wild horses from public lands In Oregon. These
ranchers graze livestock on public lands in federally designated wild horse and burro habitat
areas. One such supplier certified is Country Natural Beef (CNB) of Burns, Oregon.

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, 1025 Alameda, #633, Belmont, CA 94002
WildHorsePreservation.org

At least four suppliers of beef to the Whole Foods partner CNB graze cattle on U.S. Bureau of
Land Management Land (BLM) in designated wild horse habitat, known officially as Herd
Management Areas. These suppliers are as follows:

Roaring Springs Ranch managed by Stacy and Elaine Davies and owned by the Sanders
family, (whom also owns Pacific Northwests RSG Forest Products),
The Fitzgerald Group owned by Eleanor and Rosanne Fitzgerald and Larry Utley
Fitzgerald Ranch owned by Con and Sally Fitzgerald.
Otley Brothers Ranch Larry, Susan, Dan, Katie, Mary, Fred, Debbi and Harry Otley and
Sherri Stott.

Pressure from ranchers who graze cattle and sheep on public lands in designated wild horse
habitat areas and view mustangs as competition for cheap, taxpayer-subsidized livestock
grazing, leads to brutal government helicopter roundups and the removal of thousands of wild
horses from their homes on the range each year. Thanks to policies driven by livestock
interests, the government today stockpiles as many wild horses in holding facilities as remain
free in the wild.
Stacy Davies, marketing director of Country Natural Beef, manager of Roaring Springs Ranch (a
major CNB supplier), is also the head of the Beatys Butte Grazing Association, which is a primary
force behind a massive mustang roundup of 1,500 wild horses, scheduled to take place in the
BLM Beatys Butte Herd Management Area in less than two weeks (November 2-11, 2015). Over
13,000 citizens in just six days have signed a petition opposing this mega mustang roundup.
In addition to Beatys Butte, the CNB suppliers listed above also hold permits to graze livestock
in other Herd Management Areas in Oregon where roundups took place earlier this year. In
total, 2,000 wild horses nearly half of the states remaining wild horse population -- will be
removed from our public lands in Oregon this year.
Photographs and video of wild horse families stallions, mares and their tiny foals being
chased in terror by helicopters and stampeded into traps have prompted national media
coverage and public outrage. The mustangs that survive the roundups are transferred to
holding facilities. Some of these noble animals will be adopted. Others will be sold for as little
as $10 a piece. Many end up in slaughter auctions. Most will be warehoused for life at taxpayer
expense.
The sight of these majestic mustangs protected under federal law as living symbols of the
historic and pioneer spirit of the West - being hunted down by helicopters then stockpiled in
feedlots their families shattered, their spirits broken is deeply disturbing. We do not believe
it is an image with which Whole Foods wants to associate.
Whole Foods sale of beef from entities that graze cattle on public lands in designated
mustang habitat fuels a system that brutalizes these iconic animals and denies them
American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, 1025 Alameda, #633, Belmont, CA 94002
WildHorsePreservation.org

federally-declared right to be free on our public lands. Clearly this is not in line with Whole
Foods customer values or principles of Environmental Stewardship.
As a result, we would like to meet with you to discuss our proposal that Whole Foods take steps
to address this problem and our request that Whole Foods decline to sell beef or lamb sourced
from animals grazed in federally designated wild horse and burro habitat areas.
Livestock grazing on public lands is highly controversial and the environmental consequences
are undeniable. However, wild horses and burros graze on less than 20 percent of public land
available for livestock grazing, so conflicts between mustangs and ranchers are resolve-able.
Support and action from Whole Foods would create a force for change to protect these
national icons and secure fairer and more humane treatment of them by our federal
government.
Given the urgency of the pending removal of thousands of wild horses from areas where Whole
Foods sources its beef, we request a time to meet and discuss this issue with you as soon as
possible.
Thank you for your consideration.
Truly yours,

Suzanne Roy
Director, American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign
sroy@wildhorsepreservation.org
919-697-9389

American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, 1025 Alameda, #633, Belmont, CA 94002
WildHorsePreservation.org