Congressional Democrats Demand Update on Interior's Wild Horse Management Plans
Congressional Democrats are pressing the Interior Department for an overdue report on plans to manage wild horses on federal lands. This demand follows comments from William Perry Pendley, acting director of the Bureau of Land Management, who stated that it would take $5 billion and 15 years to control the overpopulated herds.
William Perry Pendley expressed optimism about reducing herd sizes through increased roundups and fertility control. The department's April 2018 report outlined options such as sterilization, adoption incentives, and revisiting euthanasia, but lacked details.
Colorado Rep. Joe Neguse and six other Democrats have written to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, emphasizing the need for an updated report to plan the future of wild horses. Neguse highlighted the growing number of wild horses and burros in BLM's care, both on and off the range.
"Each day, the number of wild horses and burros in the BLM’s care continues to grow both on and off the range," Neguse wrote, noting there are an estimated 88,000 animals on the range in 10 western states and nearly 47,000 in government holding pens and pastures.
The letter, co-signed by Reps. Deb Haaland, Gerald Connolly, Andy Levin, James McGovern, Ro Khanna, and Ted Lieu, also requests an analysis of assigning animal care to private, nonprofit entities. Haaland chairs the House Resources subcommittee on national parks, forests, and public lands.
"This report is essential to the responsible development of the Wild Horse and Burro Program, to ethical and humane treatment of these animals and to Congress’ understanding and oversight of the bureau’s proposed methodologies — both in funding and practice — moving forward," they wrote.
Pendley noted that the agency adopted out over 7,000 mustangs and burros last year, the most in 15 years, which aids in freeing space in government corrals. The agency maintains that the range can sustain only 27,000 animals.
An unprecedented coalition of animal welfare advocates and ranchers has endorsed a comprehensive plan focusing on short-term roundups and fertility control. The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved a $35 million increase in the bureau’s horse budget to support these initiatives.
"I know there is a sense of sincerity on the Hill about this issue," Pendley said. "They want to try to solve the problem."
The West’s oldest and largest mustang protection groups, which have long opposed roundups, condemned the latest proposals backed by a new alliance that includes the Humane Society of the United States, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, and the American Farm Bureau.
"This is an outrageous plan to spend billions of taxpayer dollars to clear the public lands of cherished wild horses and replace them with livestock subsidized by our tax dollars," said Suzanne Roy, head of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign).
However, ASPCA Vice President Nancy Perry welcomed the initiative, stating, "A preventive approach will save tax dollars, protect horses from lethal threats and provide our rangelands with free-roaming herds for future generations."
Originally posted by The Mercury News