USFS Tour of Devil's Garden Wild Horse Territory

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) recently hosted a tour of the Devil's Garden Plateau Wild Horse Territory (WHT) in the Modoc National Forest. This event aimed to discuss the wild horse situation, gather public input, and identify solutions for managing the wild horse population effectively.

On July 6, 2017, over 20 participants, including representatives from the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), the Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association, wild horse advocates, a Modoc County advisor, a permittee, a representative from the Modoc County Commission, and USFS personnel, participated in the day-long event. The tour included six stops just outside the western boundary of the WHT.

The Devil’s Garden WHT, located in Northern California approximately five miles north of Alturas, spans 308,000 acres of USFS and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land. This relatively flat, rocky lava plateau is largely inaccessible by vehicles. Wild horses have inhabited the Devil’s Garden WHT for over 140 years, with the USFS estimating the current population at about 3,000 horses. Despite setting an Appropriate Management Level of up to 402 wild horses, the USFS permits 10 private ranchers to graze the annual equivalent of 2,240 cows on these public lands, allocating 85% of the forage for livestock and only 15% for wild horses.

During the tour, participants observed areas with varying levels of grazing. Some areas were barely grazed, while others, especially near water sources, showed consistent use. Midafternoon, the group hiked to a stream frequented by wild horses, cattle, and other wildlife. Although a protective fence was built in 1975, it is now in disrepair. From a distance, participants observed between 50-70 horses, a rewarding sight after a challenging trek in 90-degree temperatures.

Throughout the tour, the USFS and some stakeholders emphasized the need to begin removing wild horses from the Territory, citing ecological damage, overgrazing, and safety concerns. As a result, some ranchers with permits in the WHT may face reduced grazing or be prohibited from grazing cattle in 2018.

Last fall, the USFS rounded up and removed about 220 horses from the Territory. Some of these horses, along with this spring’s foals, have been adopted or placed in the newly created Modoc Mustangs Trainer Program.

As an alternative to future removals, the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) proposes a public-private partnership to implement a humane and long-term birth control program using PZP. This proposal highlights the value of wild horses and the need to protect their natural behaviors, arguing that removals and adoptions are ineffective for population control. The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) 46-year reliance on these management tools has proven unsuccessful.

While the USFS and several stakeholders showed interest in this proposal, they expressed concern about the immediate need to remove horses to restore range health. In response, the American Wild Horse Conservation stressed that the Devil’s Garden wild horse population did not grow to 3,000 overnight, and an immediate solution should not be expected. Instead, a cooperative plan involving the federal government, wild horse advocates, and permittees is necessary to create a unique public-private partnership model for the Devil’s Garden WHT.

The American Wild Horse Conservation is confident in this model's potential, as demonstrated through their cooperative agreement with the State of Nevada.