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 from advocacy groups, 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.
The BLM will 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 of BLM and Interior Secretary Ryan 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), and Animal 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 the advocacy groups.
BLM, which has already rounded up more than 850 wild horses in the Warm 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 the Warm Springs HMA is about 200 horses, so BLM will now try to adopt out roughly 600 excess horses or keep them in long-term holding pens and corrals.
A BLM spokesman declined to comment on pending litigation, referring questions to the Justice Department, which also declined to comment.
BLM had 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."
"We are gratified that the BLM has nixed these cruel experiments on federally protected horses," said Joanna Grossman, equine program manager for the Animal Welfare Institute.
Second Time Around
Two years ago, BLM canceled a similar research project with Oregon State University after legal challenges. Brieanah Schwartz, government relations and policy counsel for American Wild Horse Conservation, stated, "The BLM made the right decision to abandon these barbaric experiments."
Advocates want BLM to 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.
BLM is 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, criticized advocacy groups 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.
BLM officials discussed testing permanent sterilization methods at the Warm Springs HMA during a national advisory panel hearing. Paul Griffin, research coordinator for BLM'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.