USDA Postpones Controversial Wild Horse Roundup for Slaughter

August 9, 2013

AWHC Contributor

In a significant development for wild horse conservation, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has postponed a controversial plan to round up hundreds of wild horses from the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest and Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Reservation in northern Nevada. This decision comes after a coalition of wild horse and environmental groups raised legal and environmental concerns, highlighting the potential violation of federal law.

The USFS, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), had planned to use helicopters to capture the horses and transfer them to the Paiute Shoshone Tribe, which intended to sell them at a slaughter auction. The postponement follows a letter from Meyer, Glitzenstein and Crystal, representing the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign), Return to Freedom, The Cloud Foundation, and the Western Watersheds Project, urging the USFS to adhere to federal protections for wild horses.

Neda DeMayo, President of Return to Freedom, expressed relief at the postponement, stating, "We’re pleased that the FS has postponed this ill-conceived plan to use our tax dollars to roundup wild horses and send them to slaughter. We knew that this dirty deal would not withstand the light of day. Now we would like the Forest Service to live up to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack’s position that a better alternative to slaughter must be found for America’s horses."

The coalition emphasized that unbranded horses rounded up could be federally protected mustangs from the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Little Owyhee Herd Management Area, which is close to the USFS lands. Wild horses are known for their ability to travel great distances, complicating the identification of federally protected mustangs.

Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation, noted, "I have documented wild horses walking 10 miles down a mountain and 10 miles back up in the course of a day. This is the equivalent of traveling from the Little Owyhee Herd Management Area into the Humboldt Toiyabe National Forest and back to the HMA. Without visible brands, there is no way to identify federally protected mustangs from tribal horses."

The USFS had planned to begin the roundup on August 9, 2013, despite opposition from the Obama Administration and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to horse slaughter. The USFS is mandated to protect wild horses and burros under the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

Return to Freedom is dedicated to preserving the freedom, diversity, and habitat of America’s wild horses through sanctuary, education, and conservation. The organization provides a safe haven for over 300 wild horses and burros.

The American Wild Horse Conservation, founded in 2004 by Return to Freedom, is a coalition of over 50 organizations dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds.

The Cloud Foundation is a charity focused on preserving wild horses and burros on public lands, with an emphasis on isolated, genetically unique herds.

Western Watersheds Project is a non-profit group dedicated to protecting and restoring western watersheds and wildlife through education and public policy initiatives.

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