Trump Budget Threatens Wild Horses Again

The Trump administration's budget proposal for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) threatens the future of America's wild horses. With a request for $66.7 million for the Wild Horse and Burro Management program, the proposal aims to eliminate protections that prevent the sale or killing of these federally protected animals.

Budget Proposal Details

The administration's 2019 budget continues to propose the removal of appropriations language that restricts BLM's management options under the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. This change would allow BLM to manage the growing populations of wild horses and burros more aggressively.

For over a decade, Congress has used appropriations bill riders to prohibit the BLM from using taxpayer money for the destruction of healthy, unadopted wild horses and burros or their sale for commercial products.

Impact on Wild Horses

Currently, the BLM uses helicopters to round up thousands of wild horses and burros annually, with about 45,000 animals held in government facilities, costing taxpayers $50 million each year. Another 67,000 roam federal lands.

The BLM argues that excess wild horses and burros cause habitat damage, leading animals to seek food and water on private property or highways. They have requested Congress to ease restrictions on the sale and disposition of these animals.

Opposition from Advocacy Groups

The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) strongly opposes the budget proposal, fearing mass killings if Congress approves it. Suzanne Roy, executive director of the organization, stated that the administration's decision prioritizes slaughter over humane management alternatives recommended by the National Academy of Sciences.

A poll cited by the AWHC indicates that 80% of Americans, including a majority of Trump and Clinton voters, oppose the slaughter of wild horses and burros.

Alternative Solutions

A 2013 review by the National Academy of Sciences found that a birth control vaccine is a safe, effective, and economical way to manage horse populations. However, the AWHC claims the BLM has largely ignored this method, opting for costly and inhumane helicopter roundups instead.

Originally posted by Eco Watch