Ranchers Challenge Wild Horse Protection in Utah

May 6, 2014

AWHC Contributor

UPDATE: On July 11, 2017, the U.S. District Court in Utah dismissed the ranchers' case.

Early in April of 2014, Iron County Utah commissioners and ranchers issued an ultimatum to the BLM: Develop an immediate plan to remove wild horses from the area, or residents would take action themselves. As droughts impact rangelands in the west, ranchers blame federally protected wild horses for the damage, despite millions of cattle grazing on public lands.

Read our strongly worded letter to the Iron County, Utah Board of Commissioners and the Utah BLM

On April 30, 2014, these ranchers filed a lawsuit against the BLM, seeking the removal of hundreds of horses from public lands in the area. The targeted Herd Management Areas include Bible Springs, Four Mile, Frisco, Muddy Creek, Swasey, Sulphur, Choke Cherry, and Blawn Wash.

Between July 28, 2014, and August 5, 2014, the BLM conducted a roundup in the Bible Springs Complex, removing 143 wild horses from the Blawn Wash HMA and 36 wild horses from outside the Sulphur Spring HMA.

On September 5, 2014, the U.S. District Court - District of Utah granted American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), The Cloud Foundation, Return to Freedom, wild horse adopter and advocate Lisa Friday, and photographer John Steele the right to intervene in the lawsuit.

In April 2014, Judge Dee Bensen rejected our motion for judgment on the pleadings. The government subsequently entered into settlement talks with the plaintiffs, but they could not reach an agreement, so the case proceeded on its merits.

Oral arguments in the case took place on April 11, 2017 at U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City, with Judge Jill Parrish presiding. Judge Parrish took the case under advisement, and her ruling was pending.