Urgent Action Needed to Stop U.S. Government From Sterilizing Wild Horses in Idaho

Conflict between wild horse populations and cattle ranchers is widespread across the western United States. Despite wild horses roaming these plains for centuries, the expansion of ranching operations poses a significant threat to their territory. According to American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), private livestock outnumber wild horses fifty to one in the west, and this imbalance is expected to worsen.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages wild-roaming horses and burros on federal lands. However, eight times more federal land is rented for cattle operations than is designated for wild horses. The BLM also conducts routine roundups to control horse populations and reduce competition for ranching land. Current plans to sterilize the last remaining population of Saylor Creek's wild horses are particularly concerning.

The Mustangs of Saylor Creek

Renowned wild horse photographer and advocate, Kimerlee Curyl, visited the Saylor Creek Herd Management Area (HMA) in Idaho in June 2010. She encountered a skittish group of wild mustangs in a valley beneath a parking area. She observed horse prints, truck tracks, and litter, indicating harassment of the wild horses.

Curyl noted, "The HMA had the largest cattle population I've seen in wild horse areas. The horses' water source was crowded with cattle, and the ground was hard from constant grazing." She highlighted the irony of a sign warning against harassing horses, overshadowed by cattle presence.

After decades of disruption from hunting and competition for habitat, the Saylor Creek wild horses now face a new threat: the BLM's Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the Jarbridge District. This plan will establish the Saylor Creek HMA as home to a "non-reproducing" wild horse herd, meaning all mustangs will be sterilized.

The plan spells disaster for the federally protected wild horses, according to the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign). "Sterilizing wild horses alters their natural behaviors and destroys their social structures," explains Suzanne Roy, AWHC director. The BLM's portrayal of the plan as creating a "sanctuary" is misleading.

The Plan for Mustangs

Last year, AWHC and The Cloud Foundation protested the BLM's Jarbridge RMP, which designates the Saylor Creek HMA for a non-reproducing herd. The groups argue that the plan violates the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act and would turn a federally designated habitat into a holding facility for sterilized mustangs.

The agency already warehouses nearly 50,000 wild horses in holding facilities, as many as remain free in the wild. Under the Jarbridge RMP, a maximum of 200 sterilized mustangs will live in the HMA, while ten times as many cattle will continue to roam the area.

Curyl was devastated to learn about the BLM's plans for the herd she documented. "The plan to sterilize the Saylor Creek wild horse herd is a step towards the destruction of America's cherished mustangs," she said.

What You Can Do to Protect Wild Horses

Wild horses and burros often lose against cattle interests. This issue is not unique to Saylor Creek but occurs across the U.S. Unlike cattle, wild horses lack the backing of billion-dollar industries. If you disagree with the BLM's actions, speak up for wild horses and sign the petition to Tell BLM Idaho NO to Sterilizing Saylor Creek Herd!

Together, we can give wild horses the fighting chance they deserve.

Originally Posted By One Green Planet