Devil's Garden Wild Horses: Legal Battle Over 'Without Limitation' Sales
On October 19, 2018, the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), joined by the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), filed a complaint challenging the U.S. Forest Service's (USFS) decision to sell federally-protected wild horses 'without limitation.'
The USFS, without engaging in any notice-and-comment decision-making, announced on September 25, 2018, that it would begin rounding up and removing nearly 1,000 excess horses from the Devil’s Garden Wild Horse Territory. These horses would be available for adoption and sale. During a conference call on the same day, USFS officials explained that the agency had decided to sell excess horses with limitations for the first thirty days, and thereafter, older horses would be sold without limitation.
We requested the court to set aside the agency's decision for non-compliance with federal law and the agency’s Forest Plan. Additionally, we sought to enjoin the defendants from implementing the decision to sell without limitations until full legal compliance was achieved.
Legal Documents
- Complaint
- Plaintiff's Preliminary Injunction and Memo
- Exhibit Q- Suzanne Roy Declaration
- Exhibit P- Mark Walden Declaration
- Exhibit S- Carla Bowers Declaration
- Feds' Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion
- McAdams Declaration
- Frolli Declaration
- Coalition's Notice for Motion to Intervene
- Coalition's Motion to Intervene
- Coalition's Opposition to Plaintiffs' Motion for Preliminary Injunction
- Plaintiff's Response to Motion to Intervene
- Plaintiffs' Reply in Support of Motion for Preliminary Injunction
- Proposed Intervenors' Reply in Support of Motion to Intervene
- Joint Stipulation to Stay Case Due to Government Shutdown
- Notice of Supplemental Authority
- Supplemental Authority
- Joint Stipulation to Reset Preliminary Injunction Hearing and Other Deadlines
News Releases
- Wild Horse Group Sounds Alarm Over Feds’ Plan to Sell CA Wild Horses for $1
- Advocates File for Injunction to Block Forest Service from Selling Wild Horses for Slaughter
- California Attorney General Warns Feds: Selling Wild Horses for Slaughter is a Felony
- Advocacy Groups File Lawsuit to Block Slaughter of California Wild Horses