House Committee's Decision Sparks Outrage Over Wild Horse and Burro Protection

Advocates for wild horses and burros reacted angrily to a House committee's amendment to a spending bill, claiming it paves the way for the mass killing of these animals on public lands. The amendment, introduced by Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, passed by voice vote during a House Appropriations Committee session.

“Let’s be clear: House Appropriations Committee members just signed a death warrant for America’s mustangs and it will lead to the wholesale destruction of these irreplaceable national treasures,” said Suzanne Roy of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) in a news release. “The Stewart amendment is a mass slaughter amendment, and its proponents are trying to hide that fact from the American public.”

Return to Freedom Wild Horse Conservation also condemned the vote, stating, “This shortsighted amendment would throw open the door to large-scale killing of wild horses. It would excuse the Bureau of Land Management for creating a crisis by perpetuating a broken system of capturing and removing horses from the range while all but ignoring proven, humane management alternatives.”

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, defended the amendment, encouraging the public to adopt wild horses and burros. He stated, “The reality on our federal lands is that the status quo is not working for our wild horses and it’s not working for taxpayers. According to the BLM, wild horse and burro herds can double in size about every four years, and it estimates it will cost taxpayers roughly $1 billion to feed and care for the animals currently in federal holding facilities throughout their lifetime.”

Calvert added, “Today’s vote was a difficult one, but we simply cannot continue to shove more and more wild horses and burros into holding facilities and act as if that’s somehow a good outcome for these animals or taxpayers.”

The amendment was part of a daylong appropriations committee hearing to finalize amendments to spending bills for various agencies, including the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency. A draft of the $31.4 billion spending bill initially included language forbidding the killing or sale for slaughter of wild horses and burros, a provision the Trump administration sought to remove, citing overpopulation concerns.

Cattle ranchers, worried about competition for grazing, supported lifting these restrictions. Wild horse advocacy groups, however, mobilized to retain the protective language, arguing that wild horses are a symbol of the West and questioning the BLM’s population estimates.

Calvert, who has been recognized for his animal welfare efforts, expressed a desire for a humane solution to the overpopulation issue, stating, “There’s only so many dollars, and so we’ve got to get control of this horse issue because this number is only going to increase.”

Last week, Calvert voted against an amendment that would have barred federal funds from being used to inspect horses ticketed for slaughter, which failed narrowly.

Originally posted by The Press-Enterprise.