Nevada Seeks New Managers for Virginia Range Horses

The Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) is actively seeking proposals for the management of the estray Virginia Range horses. This move has sparked controversy, as the group previously responsible for managing these animals argues that the NDA's ultimate goal is to remove or destroy the herd.

Nevada holds jurisdiction over the Virginia Range estrays—descendants of domestic horses released onto the range by their owners. These horses are not protected under the federal Wild Free-Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Act. The herd became a point of contention when local residents demanded their removal to prevent them from wandering onto public roadways and private properties.

The NDA initially partnered with the wild horse advocacy group Return to Freedom, utilizing grant funds to develop strategies aimed at reducing the need to remove horses from the range. In 2016, the NDA amended this agreement, transferring all herd management responsibilities to the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign). However, the NDA later informed the organization that it would seek a new coordinating partner for herd management.

On January 30, the NDA issued a request for proposals to identify new managers for the Virginia Range herd. Jim Barbee, NDA director, stated that applicants must outline their plans for horse management and fertility control, as well as their strategies for collaborating with stakeholders, including state and local government agencies. The selected nonprofit owner will have full decision-making authority over the herd's management.

“Our No. 1 priority has always been the protection of public safety, which requires access to resources that we have never possessed,” Barbee said. “Our hope is that, under new ownership, the horses can be managed on the range according to their needs.”

However, Deniz Bolbol, Communications Director for the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign), believes that the liability associated with owning 3,000 free-ranging horses will deter any legitimate animal advocacy group from accepting ownership. “Therefore, only an entity that intends to remove and destroy the horses could possibly assume ownership. The NDA set the stage to destroy the Virginia Range horses by wrongfully terminating its community-based Cooperative Agreements with AWHC for humane management. That’s unconscionable and we will not allow it to stand.”

Prospective new owners have until April 16 to submit their proposals to the NDA.

Originally posted by The Horse