Wild Horse Advocates Triumph Over U.S. Ranchers in Legal Battle

Wild horse advocates have achieved significant victories in two separate federal courts, successfully defending against attempts by ranchers to force the federal government to thin wild horse herds on public lands in the U.S. West. These legal wins are expected to deter further lawsuits from ranching interests.

Legal Victories in Wyoming and Nevada

In Wyoming, U.S. District Judge Nancy Freudenthal dismissed a lawsuit filed by the state against the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Wyoming argued that the BLM was obligated to remove horses when their population exceeded the agency's optimal number. However, the court agreed with the BLM and conservationists, including the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), that the bureau is not required to act solely based on population numbers.

Similarly, in Nevada, U.S. District Judge Miranda Du ruled that she lacked jurisdiction to order the BLM to remove horses, siding with horse advocates. The plaintiffs, including ranchers and several counties, have appealed this decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Implications for Future Lawsuits

Attorney William Eubanks, representing horse interests, noted that these victories should discourage further lawsuits. The BLM has discretion to consider various conditions, such as precipitation and forage availability, when deciding on horse removal.

The 2015 population of wild horses and burros was estimated at 49,209 across 32 million acres of public land in 10 western states, according to the BLM.

Legal Representation

For the plaintiffs: Blake Anthony Klinkner and Michael James McGrady from Wyoming's attorney general's office.

For the intervenors: William Eubanks and Caitlin Zittkowski of Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal, Timothy Kingston for American Wild Horse Conservation, Cloud Foundation, Return to Freedom, and others.

For the respondents: Alison Finnegan of the U.S. Department of Justice and Nicholas Vassallo of the U.S. Attorney's office.

For more details, visit the original Reuters article.