About Our Lawsuit: The Mass Removal of the Devil's Garden Mustangs
The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) is actively involved in a legal battle to protect the Devil's Garden Mustangs from mass removal. This lawsuit, initiated by livestock permittees, seeks to drastically reduce the wild horse population in the Modoc National Forest, California, while allowing extensive cattle and sheep grazing. AWHC, alongside the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Ms. Bowers, is committed to defending these federally-protected horses.
Background of the Lawsuit
Beginning in 2018, livestock permittees in Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service. They demanded the immediate removal of over 2,000 wild horses, reducing their numbers to between 206-402, while authorizing over 3,700 cow/calf pairs and 2,900 sheep to graze on these public lands for six months annually.
AWHC's Legal Intervention
AWHC teamed up with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Ms. Bowers, represented by Eubanks & Associates, to file a motion to intervene. Their goal is to protect the interests of the wild horse herd and prevent any unfair agreements that could harm them. AWHC proposed a humane alternative involving a pilot fertility control project, but this was rejected by the Forest Service.
The Status of the Case Today
In August 2019, the court granted AWHC's motion to intervene. The organization is now preparing a robust legal defense for the mustangs. You can view all the current legal documents here. Updates will be provided as the case progresses.
Past Legal Win in the Devils Garden Territory
In 2012, the Forest Service attempted to reduce the mustangs’ habitat size. AWHC, represented by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Meyer Glitzenstein and Eubanks, successfully challenged this decision. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the Forest Service’s decision, preserving the territory for the mustangs.
Brieanah Schwartz is the Policy Counsel for the American Wild Horse Conservation. She holds a J.D. from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and specializes in Environmental Law. Brieanah advances AWHC’s legislative efforts and assists in litigation. A passionate advocate for wild horses, she has published a book on Cumberland Island wild horses and resides in the Washington, D.C. area with her horse and pets.