Take Action: Speak up for wild horses at the 2024 Advisory Board meeting

This past year, the Bureau of Land Management continued to round up wild horses and burros en masse, ignoring science, public pressure, and congressional reforms. Now, over 66,000 horses and burros are in government confinement. All of them lost their freedom, their families, and some have even lost their lives. 

Right now, wild horses need your help. On January 7th and January 8th,  the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board is meeting to discuss issues related to federal wild horses and burros. This board listens to presentations by the BLM and US Forest Service, and to the public and makes recommendations for the agencies to consider in the coming year.  Speak up for wild horses now and call on the Advisory Board to recommend reforms to the this costly and cruel program by signing up to give public comment either in person or virtually here.

You can use our talking points to help guide your comments:

1. As a taxpayer and advocate, I believe it is our responsibility to ensure that our government agencies act in ways that reflect the values of humanity, freedom, and integrity while instilling policies that promote long-term sustainability and efficiency.
2. It is time to stop the cycle of capturing and removing wild horses and burros from their natural habitats. We should shift the focus on sustainable, non-invasive management solutions that allow these animals to live freely on the lands they’ve inhabited for centuries. Instead the BLM should:
3. Prioritize In-the-Wild Fertility Control & Habitat Conservation: As part of improving humane management, the BLM should refocus its resources to implement humane fertility control programs on a large scale and to prioritize in-the-wild conservation efforts. Efforts should include water and habitat restoration projects that promote the long-term health of both the animals and the ecosystems that inhabit.‍
4. Evaluate Non-Lethal Solutions to Reduce Holding Populations: It is critical to evaluate options for reducing the growing population in holding facilities without resorting to lethal measures, such as slaughter or mass euthanization. A solution is repatriating horses to herd areas that are capable of sustaining them. We note that many Herd Areas (HAs) that have been zeroed out for wild horses are still open to extensive livestock grazing. These lands should be managed to support both wild horses and other wildlife in a balanced and sustainable way.‍
5. Abandon Cash Incentives in the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP): The current Adoption Incentive Program, which includes $1000 cash incentives for the adoption of wild horses and burros, is encouraging the exploitation of these animals. These incentives have resulted in many mustangs and burros ending up at slaughter auctions, where they face death. Instead, I propose that BLM offer veterinary vouchers or other non-cash incentives for adopters. This would ensure that these animals are given a chance for proper humane care without incentivizing exploitation.‍
6. Call for an Independent Investigation of the BLM’s Adoption & Sale Program: As stated previously, it is clear that the current adoption and sale program is vulnerable to exploitation, and the public deserves transparency. I request that you call for an independent investigation by an outside agency into the BLM's adoption and sale practices, particularly in regard to sales authority, to ensure that they are not being misused for profit or to enable the transfer of mustangs and burros to slaughter.‍
7. Implement Transparency Measures for Roundups: Until the roundups are permanently halted, it is essential that transparency and accountability be prioritized. I strongly urge you to implement cameras on helicopters used during roundups to ensure that BLM contractors are held accountable for their actions and to uphold the public’s right under the First Amendment to observe these government operations. The use of these cameras would provide valuable oversight and ensure that roundups are conducted in a manner that is humane and in compliance with legal and ethical standards.