BLM Returns Wild Horses to Nevada Range Amid Protests

Despite protests from local ranchers and officials, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has returned 160 wild horses to the Fish Creek Herd Management Area (HMA) in central Nevada. This decision follows clearance from the Interior Board of Land Appeals, allowing the BLM to proceed with their plan.

The BLM initially planned to return around 100 mares treated with fertility control vaccines and 80 studs to the HMA on February 20. These horses were part of a group of 424 removed during a recent roundup. The agency regularly manages what it considers overpopulated herds on public lands across the West, relocating horses not adopted by the public to pastures in the Midwest.

While the BLM routinely releases mares treated with fertility control back to the range, it also releases varying numbers of studs to maintain genetic diversity within the herds. However, this practice has faced opposition. Eureka County commissioners and rancher Kevin Borba appealed to block the return of any horses, challenging the BLM's assessment of the HMA's capacity.

The board upheld the BLM's authority to return 162 horses, although discussions on the broader issues continue. Borba argues that the BLM has significantly reduced his livestock allotments while allowing an unsustainable number of horses in the area. He and the commissioners are advocating for the removal of more horses.

Horse advocates have praised the BLM's decision, aligning it with the 2013 National Academy of Sciences panel recommendations that emphasize fertility control to manage horse populations. Neda DeMayo, president of Return to Freedom, stated, "Now is the time to move forward with innovative management that makes sense, keeping wild horses on their range and saving millions of tax dollars in the long term."

However, not all advocacy groups agree with using fertility control drugs. Anne Novak, executive director of Protect Mustangs, expressed concerns about the potential long-term effects of the vaccine PZP, which she claims could sterilize horses after multiple uses.

Borba also doubts the effectiveness of the fertility control vaccine, fearing it may lead to an increase in horse numbers, which ranchers view as competition for scarce forage in the arid West.

Originally reported by the Associated Press.