2016 Update: This case was resolved successfully when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled that the BLM cannot treat public land as private. The court determined that the BLM had violated federal law by using a landowner request to remove horses from private land as an excuse to eradicate them from the public lands as well.
On August 1, 2014, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, The Cloud Foundation and Return to Freedom filed a lawsuit to stop the BLM's proposed roundup of more than 800 wild horses from the Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek and Divide Basin Herd Management Areas in Wyoming. The roundup had been scheduled to begin on August 20, but has been postponed as a result of the lawsuit until at least September 1. After the courts denied our motion for a Preliminary Injuction to stop the roundup, the helicopter capture operation began on September 15 and continued through October 9, 2014. The BLM removed 1,263 federally-protected wild horses from public and private lands in the checkerboard portions of the three HMAs, leaving the populations in all three areas well below the minimum number established and mandated under the governing Resource Management Plans. On March 2, 2015, a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal at the University of Wyoming College of Law in Laramie. Less than 24 hours later, Judge Freudenthal issued her decision.
PRESS RELEASES
- Federal judges to hear arguments against wild horse roundups
- Federal Court Rules BLM Violated Law in Wyoming Wild Horse Roundup
- Update: Wyoming Checkerboard Hearing & Decision (Eyewitness Report)
- Monday: Federal Court to Hear Lawsuit Against Massive BLM Wild Horse Roundup
- Appellate Court Denies Emergency Motion and Allows Unprecedented Wyoming Wild Horse Roundup That Turns Over Public Lands to Private Livestock Interest
- Wild Horse Advocates Make Next Move in Wyoming Checkerboard Case
- Court Grants Emergency Injunction to Delay BLM Wyoming Wild Horse Roundup
- 40,000 Americans Sign Petition Opposing Wyoming Wild Horse Wipeout - Petition Delivered To BLM Advisory Board
- Wild Horse Groups Oppose State Intervention in Lawsuit to Stop BLM Wyoming Wild Horse Roundup
- BLM Delays Wyoming Wild Horse Roundup As Preliminary Injunction Motion Filed
- Lawsuit Filed to Halt BLM’s Scheduled Wild Horse Roundup on the Wyoming Checkerboard
MEDIA
- No ambiguity: Court tells BLM it cannot treat the public land as private
- Wyoming horse roundup legality argued before federal judge
- Court arguments Monday in Wyoming wild horse roundup case
- Wild Horse Roundup Will Be Allowed To Move Forward
- Federal court rules in favor of BLM, Wyoming on wild horse roundup
- Tenth Circuit Considers New Appeal to Block Wild Horse Roundup
- Feds agree to postpone Wyoming wild horse roundup
- Sides feud over temporary ban on horse roundup
- Preservationists Sue BLM Over Alleged Wild Horse Misanagement
- Wild horse advocates oppose state's bid intervene in court case
- Groups Oppose State Intervention In Horse Roundup
- Feds agree to delay Wyoming wild horse roundup
- Wild horse groups challenge Wyoming roundup
LEGAL DOCUMENTS
TENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
- Filed Reply Brief
- Amicus Brief in Support of Petitioners Appeal
- Petitioners Opening Brief at Tenth Circuit Court of Appeal
- Plaintiffs Motion to Appeal
- District Court Ruling
- Appellants' Jurisdictional Brief
- Govt's Jurisdictional Brief
- Wyoming's Jurisdictional Brief
- RSGA's Jurisdictional Brief
- Petitioners' Opening Merits Brief
- Law Professor Amicus Brief Supporting Petitioners
- Govt's Answering Merits Brief
- Wyoming's Answering Merits Brief
- RSGA Answering Merits Brief
- Petitioners' Reply Merits Brief
- Petitioners' First Rule
- Petitioners' Second Rule
- Petitioners' Third Rule
- Tenth Circuit Ruling
DISTRICT COURT COMPLAINT AND PI MOTION
- Frudenthal Ruling
- Plaintiffs Opening Brief
- AWHPC Wyoming Checkerboard Complaint
- AWHPC Motion for PI
- Gov't response to AWHPC PI Motion
- AWHPC Reply to Government Response to PI Motion
- Judge's Denial of PI Motion
- Notice From Govt Regarding Roundup
- Decl. of Gavin Lovell Regarding Roundup
- Scheduling Order
- RSGA Response Brief
- State of Wyoming Response Brief
- Federal Response Brief
- Foster Affidavit
- Petitioners Reply Brief
- Appeallant's Rule
- AWHPC Emergency Stay Motion
- Gov't Opposition to AWHPC Emergency Stay
- AWHPC Reply to Gov't Opposition
- Order Denying Stay
For More Information on the Lawsuit Please Click Here.