Rob Hammer's Statement on BLM's Wild Horse Management

(December 11, 2020) Rob Hammer expresses his concern over the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) approach to wild horse population management. Despite the availability of humane and cost-effective alternatives, the BLM continues to pursue controversial methods that disregard the welfare of the mares and their herds.

Previously, due to public and legal pressure from American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) and the broader advocacy community, the BLM abandoned plans to perform these procedures on Oregon's Warm Springs HMA mares. Now, they target a remote herd in the Great Salt Lake Desert, hoping to avoid scrutiny. This area, including the Conger HMA, is a favorite of Hammer's, who has visited frequently since 2014.

Hammer is confident that American Wild Horse Conservation will succeed in protecting these mares, ensuring the herds remain healthy and continue to attract wild horse enthusiasts to this captivating desert region.

Robert Hammer is a co-plaintiff with American Wild Horse Conservation in a lawsuit against the BLM's plan to sterilize wild mares captured in the roundup at the Confusion Herd Management Area, which concluded on December 9, 2020. A native of Utah, Hammer is a photographer and author of 'Salt Desert Mustangs: Discovering wild horses and historic trails in Tooele County, Utah.' He runs Wild Horse Tourist, a website dedicated to viewing America's wild horses and burros.