State Gains Influence in Wild Horse Management

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has reached a settlement with Utah trust-lands officials, granting the state more influence over the management of wild horses on state trust lands. This agreement marks a significant shift in how 'excess' horses are managed, particularly those roaming over state trust lands amidst public lands.

The BLM has committed to making 'reasonable' efforts to clear two tracts of horses every other year. This settlement follows a lawsuit filed by the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) in U.S. District Court, which claimed the BLM was neglecting its duty to manage federally protected horses and burros, adversely affecting state lands interspersed with public lands.

While some view free-roaming mustangs as symbols of the West's spirit of freedom, others, including ranchers, see them as invasive species that disrupt grazing lands. Lawsuits have highlighted how non-native horses, thriving in the absence of predators, are depleting the range and displacing ranchers with grazing permits on public and state trust lands.

In a recent news release, the BLM reiterated its commitment to collaborating with local stakeholders and protecting resources. The agreement involves a mutual commitment to manage wild horses on SITLA lands cooperatively. The agencies will meet annually to prioritize removal areas, conduct environmental reviews, perform aerial population surveys, and monitor rangeland resources.

Gus Warr, who directs the BLM's wild horse program in Utah, noted that this is the first partnership with the state to coordinate such efforts. The BLM plans to authorize the removal of 50 horses annually in Utah, with the state helping to identify priority areas. However, the agreement's provisions depend on Congressional appropriations.

The 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act prevents SITLA and other state agencies from unilaterally removing wild horses from trust lands. This law acknowledges the horses' contribution to biodiversity and charges the BLM with their management. Despite this, ranchers and county commissioners have long criticized the BLM for allowing horses to roam freely at the expense of grazing.

SITLA manages 3.4 million acres, mostly in checkerboard sections among BLM lands, to generate revenue for Utah schools. About 207,000 acres are within Utah's 19 Herd Management Areas. Tensions over wild horses are particularly high in Blawn Wash, a consolidated block of SITLA land in Iron and Beaver counties, outside any designated horse management area. Since 2000, the BLM has removed 550 horses from this herd, which quickly repopulates. In 2014, 143 horses were removed.

While some gathered horses are adopted, most end up in captivity, incurring significant costs for U.S. taxpayers. Federal law prohibits the killing of wild horses except for humanitarian reasons. Aerial surveys indicate that 75 to 100 horses remain in Blawn Wash. Under the agreement, the BLM will remove up to 150 horses from Blawn and surrounding lands and up to 50 horses and burros affecting the McKay Flat grazing allotment in the Muddy Creek Herd Management Area in 2016, with repeat roundups every other year.

Horse advocacy groups, including the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), have expressed concerns about the settlement. Deniz Bolbol criticized the BLM's approach, stating it exacerbates the mismanagement of wild horses and unfairly burdens taxpayers.

Originally posted by The Salt Lake Tribune