Wild Horse Advocates Criticize SJR3, Advocate for Fertility Control
Wild horse advocates are voicing strong opposition to Senate Joint Resolution 3 (SJR3), which proposes increased funding for helicopter roundups of wild horses and burros in Nevada. Instead, they advocate for fertility control measures as a more humane and effective solution.
Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Natural Resources heard Senate Joint Resolution 3, a measure urging Congress to provide funding to reduce wild horse and burro populations to appropriate management levels. If enacted, this policy would significantly impact Nevada, home to over 50% of the nation's wild horse and burro populations.
The funding would support further helicopter roundups, as some Herd Management Areas exceed designated management levels by 300 to 1000 percent. Former Nevada State Senator David Parks presented the resolution text to the committee.
Sherman Swanson, an emeritus professor of rangeland ecology at the University of Nevada Reno, supported SJR3, representing the Coalition for Healthy Nevada Lands, Wildlife, and Free-Roaming Horses. He emphasized the need to sustain critical creeks, springs, and riparian areas.
Jim Sedinger, an emeritus professor of wildlife ecology at the University of Nevada Reno, also supported SJR3, showing a graph comparing wild horse and burro populations with native big game populations over time. He highlighted that wild horses and burros' biomass is nearly three times that of native big game species.
What About Cows?
In discussing rangeland health, neither Swanson nor Sedinger mentioned cattle's impact. Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project, opposed SJR3, arguing that cattle cause more damage to sensitive areas than wild horses.
The BLM estimates Nevada's 2020 wild horse and burro population at 51,528, with an appropriate management level of 12,811 animals. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, over 470,000 cows roamed Nevada's ranges in 2020.
For many wild horse advocates, roundups are inhumane and exacerbate overpopulation. Greg Hendricks, director of field operations for the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), advocates for PZP fertility control, a humane vaccine administered via darting, recommended by the National Academy of Science.
Tracy Wilson, a volunteer liaison with Wild Horse Connection, also believes SJR3 should fund fertility control and land restoration. She argues that preventing pregnancies will naturally reduce population rates.
The use of helicopter roundups dates back to the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. Initially successful, the adoption program has not kept pace with the number of horses brought in through roundups since the 1980s.
Hendricks warns that increasing roundups without sufficient adoptions will lead to stockpiling horses, costing taxpayers significantly. He emphasizes that fertility control is a more cost-effective solution.
Advocates argue that SJR3 fails to address the broader issue of overgrazing, placing blame solely on wild horses and burros. They call for a rejection of SJR3 in favor of humane and cost-effective measures like the PZP vaccine.
Wild horses hold a special place in Nevada's history and culture, symbolizing freedom and resilience. Advocates stress the importance of managing these populations humanely.