Grijalva Leads Call for Reforms in Wild Horse Program

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva has taken a significant step towards reforming the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Program. Supported by a bipartisan group of 29 other House Members, Grijalva sent a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, urging a review and reform of the program. An identical letter, signed by more than 30,000 Americans, including celebrities like Robert Redford and Betty White, was delivered to the Department of Interior.

The BLM program currently prioritizes roundups over alternatives that could reduce the need for expensive stockpiling. Today, 60 percent of U.S. wild horses live in government warehousing facilities. The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently released a report titled ‘Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program: A Way Forward,’ which found that federal efforts waste taxpayer money and require major reforms.

“I’ve been asking for changes for years, and NAS has confirmed that we can save taxpayer money and horses’ lives at the same time by improving this program,” Grijalva said. “We have the information we need. Now it’s time to do something with it.”

Secretary Jewell, Grijalva noted, “has shown a true commitment to the conservation of America’s unique natural heritage, and I hope she gives America’s wild horses the attention they deserve. Congress had the wisdom to pass the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act in 1971. We can’t let mismanagement and waste be the only legacy of that far-sighted decision.”

Originally Posted By Rep. Grijalva's Office