BLM to Reduce Mustang and Burro Removals Across the West
RENO, Nev. (AP) — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced plans to reduce the removal of wild horses and burros across the Western United States this summer. This decision comes in response to budget constraints and overflowing holding pens, despite increasing pressure from Western ranchers who argue that these animals threaten livestock and wildlife on drought-affected rangelands.
Under its current roundup schedule, the BLM plans to gather 2,400 animals by the end of the fiscal year on September 30, with the majority being horses. Specific plans include the removal of 1,535 horses in Wyoming, 285 in Nevada, 200 in Utah, 75 in Oregon, 50 in California, and 35 in Idaho. Additionally, the bureau intends to gather 140 burros in Arizona, 50 in California, and 25 in Oregon.
The BLM estimates that approximately 40,600 wild horses and burros roam free on public rangelands across 10 Western states. This population exceeds the agency's determined sustainable number by about 14,000, which is necessary to maintain balance with other rangeland resources and uses.
Severe drought conditions have exacerbated the situation, reducing available forage for these animals. Furthermore, the BLM faces limitations on the number of animals it can remove due to full holding facilities, which currently house around 49,000 animals in government-funded short- and long-term facilities.
BLM officials acknowledge that removing fewer mustangs from the range will worsen the challenges faced by the wild horse program. However, this approach contradicts the recommendations of an independent panel from the National Academy of Sciences, which suggested investing in widespread fertility control rather than spending millions on housing the animals.
Deniz Bolbol of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign) criticized the BLM's plan, stating, “The BLM already warehouses more wild horses in holding facilities than remain free in the wild. The agency’s plan to remove thousands more from the range makes no ecological, scientific, or fiscal sense.”
Horse defenders argue against the BLM's stance on overpopulation, claiming that the majority of forage is allocated to privately-owned livestock, leading to overgrazing on public rangelands. Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), stated, “The hyper-focus on mustang numbers is a concerted effort to scapegoat wild horses and distract attention away from the massive level of livestock grazing that is occurring on our public lands.”
After removal, the BLM places horses in short-term corrals until they are either adopted or moved to government-funded pastures in the Midwest, where they spend the remainder of their lives.
Originally Posted By Associated Press