Ranchers Move Against Wild Horses in Utah

February 8, 2017

AWHC Contributor

In early 2014, a significant conflict arose in Utah as ranchers and county commissioners demanded the removal of wild horses from public lands. This situation escalated into legal battles and highlighted the ongoing tension between livestock grazing and wildlife conservation.

Early in April 2014, Iron County, Utah commissioners and ranchers gave the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) an ultimatum: devise an immediate plan to remove wild horses from the area, or residents would take action themselves. As drought conditions worsened rangelands in the West, ranchers blamed federally protected wild horses for the damage, despite millions of cattle grazing on public lands.

Read our strongly worded letter to the Iron County, Utah Board of Commissioners and the Utah BLM

On April 30, 2014, these ranchers filed a lawsuit against the BLM, seeking the removal of hundreds of horses from public lands in the area. The targeted Herd Management Areas included Bible Springs, Four Mile, Frisco, Muddy Creek, Swasey, Sulphur, Choke Cherry, and Blawn Wash.

Between July 28, 2014, and August 5, 2014, the BLM conducted a roundup in the Bible Springs Complex, removing 143 wild horses from the Blawn Wash HMA and 36 wild horses from outside the Sulphur Spring HMA.

On September 5, 2014, the U.S. District Court - District of Utah granted American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), The Cloud Foundation, Return to Freedom, wild horse adopter and advocate Lisa Friday, and photographer John Steele the right to intervene in the lawsuit.

In April 2016, the BLM settled the case with the plaintiffs by agreeing to conduct reviews under the Wild Horse Act and NEPA, while maintaining its full authority and discretion to determine whether excess horses were present on the HMAs in question, and whether and when they should be removed.