BLM Projects $1 Billion Cost Due to Growing Wild Horse Herds

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is facing a significant challenge as the number of wild horses and burros on federal rangelands reaches its highest level in over three decades. With limited resources, the agency warns of a potential $1 billion cost to manage these growing herds.

The 67,027 wild horses and burros as of March 1 represent a 15% increase over the previous year. This number is nearly three times the 26,715 animals that BLM says federal rangelands can sustain.

Under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, BLM is required to remove excess animals to protect native wildlife and rangeland resources. However, the agency is already holding more than 46,000 horses and burros in off-range facilities and lacks the resources to manage all excess animals.

Current Population Statistics

The number of wild horses and burros on federal lands managed by BLM increased significantly between March 1, 2015, and March 1, 2016. In nine of the ten Western states, the number of wild horses and burros exceeds the appropriate management level (AML), the maximum number of animals that can be sustained on federal rangelands.

Source: BLM

If it cannot adopt out or transfer a significant number of the wild horses and burros in holding, BLM warns it will cost the agency more than $1 billion to feed and care for the horses during their lifetime.

BLM's Management Challenges

BLM Director Neil Kornze stated, "Over the last seven years, we have doubled the amount of funding used for managing our nation's wild horses and burros. Despite this, major shifts in the adoption market and the absence of a long-term fertility control drug have driven population levels higher."

Reaction to the latest wild horse and burro numbers was mixed. Rangeland health and wild horse advocates agreed that BLM's approach to managing herds is not working. Keith Norris of the Wildlife Society emphasized the need for a combination of management tools, including increased roundups, adoption, permanent sterilization, and fertility vaccines.

Wild horse advocacy groups, however, questioned the accuracy of the numbers and BLM's stance on overpopulation. Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), criticized BLM's claims as exaggerated and called for a focus on federal mismanagement.

BLM 'Overwhelmed'

BLM maintains that it is overwhelmed by the growing herd sizes, which are damaging rangelands and straining the agency's budget. With few natural predators, herds can double in size every four years. Western state leaders, like Nevada's Governor Brian Sandoval, have expressed concern over BLM's ability to manage the herds effectively.

BLM has requested legislative support from Congress to transfer horses to federal, state, and local agencies and to establish a foundation to support adoption efforts. Kornze highlighted the need for tax credits to incentivize adoption and reduce the financial burden on the agency.

Humane Alternatives

Wild horse advocacy groups criticized BLM's focus on roundups and adoption. Ginger Kathrens of the Cloud Foundation advocated for the use of fertility control vaccines, such as porcine zona pellucida (PZP), to manage populations while allowing horses to remain free on the range. Kathrens argued that BLM staff need to be more proactive in administering these vaccines.

BLM is working on research projects to develop new population-growth suppression methods, as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. These efforts aim to find modern and effective ways to slow population growth and reduce the need for removals from public lands.