Second Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary Proposed Near Lander
For many, the horse is symbolic of the American West. Yet, on America’s public lands, these animals cost the government millions annually and are at the center of political debate.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), tasked with managing wild horse populations, uses birth control, adoptions, and roundups to control numbers due to the stress these animals place on the range. Horses gathered and not adopted are sent to holding facilities, with about 50,000 currently in long- and short-term holding.
As the BLM seeks better management strategies, some horses might find homes at "eco-sanctuaries"—private ranches partnering with the BLM to care for wild horses and offer tourism and educational opportunities. The country’s first eco-sanctuary is near Centennial, Wyoming.
The second wild horse eco-sanctuary could be near Lander at the 900-acre Double D Ranch, about seven miles outside of Lander. If approved, the ranch could house up to 250 wild horses, primarily from Wyoming public rangelands. The Double D Ranch eco-sanctuary would be funded by the BLM and open to the public for eco-tourism, helping cover operating expenses. The BLM would sponsor the eco-sanctuary, paying amounts comparable to Midwest long-term pasture use costs, about $1.30 to $1.40 per day per horse, including administrative costs, said Sarah Beckwith, a BLM spokeswoman.
Tourism revenue, such as admission fees and souvenirs, helps offset BLM costs, though estimating tourism revenue is difficult. Figures for the Deerwood Ranch, the first eco-sanctuary, were not readily available.
Long-term plans for the Double D Ranch’s sanctuary include a learning and visitors’ center focusing on Native American culture and the horse's role, as well as tours, a gift shop, and a campground. Public comment on the proposal is open until March 14. After the scoping period, the BLM Lander Field Office will write an environmental analysis to determine the eco-sanctuary's impacts, followed by another public comment period.
If the plan proceeds, the Double D Ranch could receive horses by late summer. Besides the Lander ranch, the BLM considers similar partnerships with ranches in Montana and Oklahoma, according to Scott Fluer, a BLM wild horse specialist.
The BLM’s eco-sanctuary effort targets horses 10 years and older that have gone through multiple adoption events without finding homes. Wild horse adoption numbers have declined in recent years, leaving more horses in holding facilities, Fluer said.
The BLM still uses birth control, called PZP, to manage horses on the range, but it is only effective every two years.
As of January 2014, there were 14,860 horses in short-term holding corrals managed by the BLM—1,200 of those in Wyoming, according to Beckwith. An additional 33,511 horses are in long-term pastures. In fiscal year 2013, Congress appropriated $71.8 million to the wild horse and burro program, with holding costs accounting for $46.2 million, or 64 percent, Beckwith said.
Some believe eco-sanctuaries are better than long-term holding. Suzanne Roy, director of the Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, says it’s preferable but not a solution. “There’s nothing natural about removing horses from their habitats, breaking up family bands, and keeping them in storage facilities,” she said. “These are sex-segregated facilities where horses do not live as nature intended.”
Roy suggests visiting herd management areas to see wild horses living naturally. She adds that the term “eco-sanctuary” is misleading. “This is just a greenwashing of the BLM’s holding program,” she said. “It’s a step above long-term holding because it’s public. It’s just a nice word on the BLM’s broken round-up, remove, and stockpile program.”
Instead of eco-sanctuaries, Roy suggests the BLM focus on managing horses on the range, using PZP to stabilize herd numbers and adjusting herd management numbers. Lower population numbers cause higher reproduction rates. Roy believes range resources should be shared fairly between wild horses and livestock.
“Eco-sanctuaries are not a solution to the BLM’s problem because they can’t keep removing horses by the thousands every year. It’s not sustainable,” Roy said.
Jim Magagna, executive vice president of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, supports ranchers using their land as they wish, provided it’s properly fenced. The association requested the BLM house Wyoming horses in the eco-sanctuary instead of bringing in horses from elsewhere.
Magagna said the program doesn’t address the issue of thousands of horses on the range that should be removed. “The only simple-ish answer is to allow the destruction of horses either by process slaughter or shipping them overseas.”
At the Deerwood Ranch near Centennial, owners Jana and Rich Wilson avoid the politics surrounding wild horses. They started offering tours in June 2013 and continued through early fall. About 350 people toured the ranch, including students on field trips. They offer tours in winter when weather permits.
“It’s a thrill to come over a hill and see a huge group of horses together,” Jana Wilson said. “It’s an ‘oooh’ and ‘aah’ factor when you find the horses.”
Email comments to [email protected]. To learn more about the proposed eco-sanctuary, visit this BLM website.
Originally Posted By WyoFile