Opinion: The Fiscal Irresponsibility of Capturing Wild Horses

The Fiscal Irresponsibility of Capturing Wild HorsesThe Fiscal Irresponsibility of Capturing Wild Horses

January 24, 2019

When President Nixon signed the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to preserve these species for posterity, it was unlikely that he or any fiscal conservative envisioned the law being misused to create a massive drain on taxpayer dollars.

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spends $50 million annually in a cycle of removing horses from the range, often using helicopters, and holding them in government-run corrals.

The BLM, tasked with managing most of the country's wild equines, argues there are too many wild horses in the U.S. However, assessing wild horse populations across millions of acres is complex and debated. Some advocates question how the BLM determines ideal population levels for Herd Management Areas, while some in the livestock industry see wild horses as competition for grazing land.

Everyone agrees that the status quo is inefficient. The BLM told Congress that caring for 46,000 unadopted and unsold animals in holding will cost over $1 billion over their lifetimes. A more cost-effective management approach is needed.

Progress requires the federal government to explore public-private and community-based partnerships. This fiscally responsible approach has proven successful in the past.

In Arizona, the nonprofit Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, with U.S. Forest Service permission, began using the PZP immunocontraceptive vaccine to control population growth. The late Sen. John McCain and former Sen. Jeff Flake encouraged this management strategy, which keeps horses in their natural habitat, benefiting the region's economy.

Similarly, in North Carolina, the Foundation for Shackleford Horses collaborates with the National Park Service to maintain a herd believed to descend from 16th-century Spanish galleons. The wild horses on the Outer Banks survived Hurricane Florence, and legislation supported by Sens. Richard Burr and Thom Tillis emphasized managing herds without excessive bureaucracy.

While the BLM operates in different environments out west, a partnership with the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates in Nevada shows that community-based herd management via PZP can reduce taxpayer costs and lessen the need for roundups.

Nevada's Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, home to companies like Tesla and Google, values the neighboring wild horses. Tesla CEO Elon Musk sees them as a benefit, and Blockchains LLC opposed removing the Virginia Range wild horses. Companies care about stewardship, and there's ample room for horses to roam.

Successful public-private partnerships with the BLM are rare. The agency should consider proven models and proactively build partnerships where horses live.

The BLM is accountable to the American public. Poll after poll shows Americans cherish horses and support their protection. Wild horses symbolize the pioneer spirit and rugged individualism that shaped America. It's unsurprising that a large bureaucracy hasn't developed a viable management plan for this symbol of freedom.

Originally posted by The Daily Caller

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