US Agency's Nevada Boss Advocates for Roundup of 4,000 Mustangs
By Scott Sonner, Associated Press
May 2, 2016
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Nevada director is advocating for the roundup of 4,000 wild horses in Elko County to free up federal rangeland for livestock grazing. This proposal, which exceeds the total number of mustangs gathered across 10 Western states last year, aims to benefit both livestock and the greater sage grouse.
BLM Nevada Director John Ruhs, along with Gov. Brian Sandoval and state wildlife officials, supports the removal of mustangs from four herd-management areas near the Utah line. They argue that current horse populations hinder the multiple uses of public lands. Nevada Agriculture Director Jim Barbee warns that without the roundups, grazing reductions could result in significant economic damage to Elko County.
Conservationists, however, argue that the roundups are a misguided attempt to appease ranchers at the expense of wild horses and the sage grouse. They claim that cattle cause more damage to the drought-stricken range than mustangs.
Nevada is home to nearly 28,000 wild horses, more than half of the estimated 47,000 across 10 Western states. The Bureau of Land Management contends that the range can sustain less than half that number.
In an April 13 letter, Ruhs estimated the cost of removing 4,000 animals in southeast Elko County at about $4 million. He noted that some areas might need to be closed to livestock grazing to prevent further ecosystem damage until appropriate wild horse management is achieved.
Gov. Sandoval has warned that if the Interior Department does not adequately fund the program, the state will explore all legal options to protect local producers and communities.
Sen. Dean Heller expressed disappointment in a letter to Secretary Sally Jewell, criticizing the Bureau of Land Management's lack of response to a request for an update on herds across the West.
The Bureau of Land Management has conducted several roundups in recent years but currently plans no large-scale roundups in Nevada due to budget constraints. The cost of housing over 45,000 mustangs in government facilities is a significant financial burden.
The Nevada Association of Counties and others have filed lawsuits to increase roundups, but these efforts have been dismissed by the courts.
Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), argues that the issue is not an excess of horses but rather a management problem. She believes the BLM is unfairly blaming wild horses for range degradation.