The Massive BLM Mismanagement Scandal

July 17, 2018

In a shocking move, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to round up thousands of wild horses in Oregon and surgically sterilize hundreds of mares. This plan contradicts the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which was designed to protect these animals. The act, supported by President Nixon and a bipartisan Congress, aimed to save the wild horse and burro populations from extinction.

Nixon, referencing Henry David Thoreau’s Life in the Woods, emphasized the importance of wilderness, equating the freedom of horses with the essence of American liberty:

“Wild horses and burros merit man’s protection historically–for they are a living link with the days of the conquistadors, through the heroic times of the Western Indians and the pioneers, to our own day when the tonic of wildness seems all too scarce. More than that, they merit it as a matter of ecological right–as anyone knows who has ever stood awed at the indomitable spirit and sheer energy of a mustang running free.”

Given recent federal actions, it may be time for new management of the program. As W.C. Fields once said, “Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people.”

The Real Skinny

In 2017, the House Appropriations Committee voted to allow the roundup of horses and burros for slaughter, claiming the herds were starving. However, this is a myth. There are only 72,000 wild horses and burros on 32 million acres of public land, while millions of cows graze on 155 million acres. The BLM's claim that populations must stay below 27,000 lacks evidence, as nature effectively manages herd health.

A 2013 report from the National Academies of Science criticized the BLM's management, stating:

“How Appropriate Management Levels (AMLS) are established, monitored, and adjusted is not transparent to stakeholders, supported by scientific information, or amenable to adaptation with new information and environmental and social change. Continuation of ‘business as usual’ practices will be expensive and unproductive for BLM and the public it serves.”

The BLM's latest plan is another misstep in their management strategy.

Science? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Science…Or Math

Despite backlash from equine groups, the BLM plans to forcibly sterilize mares using helicopters to round them up. This invasive procedure poses significant risks, including death from hemorrhage and infection. The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) highlights these dangers, advocating for less invasive fertility control methods.

The cost of sterilization injections is $30 per horse, allowing immediate release, while holding and surgical procedures are far more expensive. For example, at Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility, holding costs are $5 per day per horse, totaling $108,500 monthly. Helicopter gathers cost around $600 per horse, while other methods average $1,170 per horse.

What Have We Become?

Reflecting on America's history, horses were integral to the nation's development. It's time for the BLM to heed scientific advice and allow those who understand and respect the wild to manage these majestic creatures. The BLM's actions have been a disservice to these noble animals.

America must protect its wild horses and burros. As John Moore said, “Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization we will find the hoof print of the horse beside it.” We owe them peace and protection.

Originally posted by Liberty Nation