Cattlemen Oppose Wild Horse Birth Control to Maintain Welfare Ranching on Federal Land
Eureka County, Nevada (February 23, 2015) – Wild horse advocates today criticized a group of Nevada ranchers for obstructing the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) planned release of nearly 200 wild horses back to the Fish Creek Herd Management Area (HMA). The BLM had rounded up the horses, treated them with the PZP birth control vaccine, and was ready to return them to public lands when ranchers filed a last-minute legal appeal. Although not legally required, the BLM postponed the release until the appeal is heard, resulting in the horses being transported to holding facilities near Reno, Nevada, at taxpayer expense.
Leading the opposition is Kevin Borba, a rancher with a BLM permit to graze livestock on public lands in the Fish Creek HMA. Earlier this year, Borba was fined nearly $30,000 for unauthorized grazing. Laura Leigh, founder of Wild Horse Education, stated, “I’ve documented these ranchers abusing their privilege to graze private livestock on public lands. This is their latest attempt to dictate public lands policy and prevent the BLM from modernizing its management programs.”
Neda DeMayo, founder of Return to Freedom, added, “While effective management methods are delayed, the real battle continues. The BLM is implementing a scientifically-based, humane wild horse management plan, while ranchers fight against this birth control program to continue removing wild horses from our Western public lands.”
Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), commented, “Like other public lands ranchers, Borba views wild horses as competition for subsidized grazing. This conflict over public land management raises the question: Will a small group of cattlemen continue to dominate public lands management and send taxpayers the bill?”
In addition to benefiting from below-market grazing fees, estimated to have cost taxpayers $1 billion over the past decade, these ranchers also benefit from taxpayer-funded programs that remove wild horses and kill predators. Their appeal has delayed the release of the Fish Creek wild horses, costing taxpayers tens of thousands more in transport and holding fees.
Borba’s appeal of the BLM’s Fish Creek Wild Horse Management Plan was filed last Thursday with the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA), nearly two months after the plan's public release and a day after the roundup of 424 wild horses, with 238 permanently removed from the range, was completed.
Wild Horse Education (WHE) educates the public about the plight of wild horses and burros and works to end their inhumane treatment through scientifically based management strategies.
Return to Freedom (RTF) is a national non-profit dedicated to wild horse preservation through sanctuary, education, and conservation. RTF advocates for redirecting funds used for roundups to minimally invasive on-the-range management solutions.
The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation) is a coalition of over 60 organizations dedicated to preserving American wild horses in viable, free-roaming herds as part of our national heritage.