BLM Abandons Sterilization Tests Amid Growing Wild Horse Herds

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has once again halted its efforts to research permanent sterilization techniques for wild mares on federal rangelands. This decision follows legal challenges fromadvocacygroups, marking the second time in two years that such research has been abandoned. The move is seen as a victory for animal and wild horse advocates who have opposed these procedures.

TheBLMwill no longer pursue research on a procedure called ovariectomy via colpotomy, which involves removing the ovaries from about 100 mares gathered from the Warm Springs Herd Management Area in central Oregon. This decision was confirmed in a motion filed by the Department of Justice on behalf ofBLMand Interior SecretaryRyan Zinke.

The motion follows a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman in Oregon, halting the sterilization research until the lawsuit is resolved (Greenwire, Nov. 5). The injunction was sparked by a federal lawsuit filed by a coalition of groups, including the Cloud Foundation, American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), andAnimal Welfare Institute(Greenwire, Sept. 24).

The Department of Justice submitted a motion to the court stating that despite efforts to resolve the dispute, they were unable to do so. A proposed settlement was rejected by theadvocacygroups.

BLM, which has already rounded up more than 850 wild horses in theWarm Springs HMA, will retain the portion of the Decision Record that allows the agency to permanently remove excess horses from the range. This means only a portion of the animals rounded up for the research project will be returned to the range.

The appropriate management level for theWarm Springs HMAis about 200 horses, soBLMwill now try to adopt out roughly 600 excess horses or keep them in long-term holding pens and corrals.

ABLMspokesman declined to comment on pending litigation, referring questions to the Justice Department, which also declined to comment.

BLMhad previously stated that the spaying technique to be tested is a standard used for domestic horses and is generally considered less invasive than typical spay procedures for domestic cats and dogs. However, the move to abandon the research is a victory for advocates who have labeled the procedures as "barbaric."

Second Time Around

Two years ago,BLMcanceled a similar research project with Oregon State University afterlegal challenges. Brieanah Schwartz, government relations and policy counsel for American Wild Horse Conservation, stated, "TheBLMmade the right decision to abandon these barbaric experiments."

Advocates wantBLMto increase the use of fertility vaccines like porcine zona pellucida (PZP), which renders mares infertile for about a year. However, critics argue it's impractical to treat tens of thousands of horses annually across vast areas.

BLMis managing over 82,000 wild horses and burros across 27 million acres, far exceeding the appropriate management level. The agency spends millions annually to care for animals in private holding pens, warning Congress of potential billion-dollar costs.

Without natural predators, wild horse populations could double in size, leading to starvation and lack of water. Ethan Lane, chairman of the National Horse & Burro Rangeland Management Coalition, criticizedadvocacygroups for hindering management efforts.

What's Next?

BLM's abandonment of the research project likely means increased efforts to adopt out animals. The agency is implementing an adoption incentive program, offering $1,000 to adopters, which could save taxpayer money.

BLMofficials discussed testing permanent sterilization methods at theWarm Springs HMAduring a national advisory panel hearing. Paul Griffin, research coordinator forBLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program, noted low complication rates in previous studies.

Ginger Kathrens, executive director of the Cloud Foundation, referenced a 2013 National Academy of Sciences report that recommended developing new population growth suppression methods. Griffin stated that new information supports the proposed study.

Originally posted by E&E News