Wild Horses Can't Be Dragged Away: A Legal Battle in Wyoming

Wild horses in Wyoming's Checkerboard area have been at the center of a legal battle involving the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and local landowners. The 10th Circuit Court recently reversed a decision that allowed the BLM to remove hundreds of these majestic animals, underscoring the complexities of managing public and private lands.

The Checkerboard is a vast expanse of approximately 1 million acres of alternating public and private land, created by the Union Pacific Act of 1862. This unique land arrangement has made it challenging to manage wild horse populations, as private landowners are prohibited from fencing in public rangelands.

In the Rock Springs District, the Rock Springs Grazing Association has long sought the removal of wild horses to manage grazing lands effectively. Despite agreements with the BLM in 1981, 2003, and 2013, funding limitations hindered efforts to control herd sizes, leading to legal action.

In 2014, the BLM removed 1,263 horses from the Checkerboard, sparking lawsuits from the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation) and others. They argued that the BLM violated the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976.

The U.S. District Court initially sided with the BLM, citing the impracticality of managing wild horses solely on private lands within the Checkerboard. However, the 10th Circuit Court disagreed, emphasizing that public lands cannot be treated as private lands in response to removal requests.

Circuit Judge Mary Beck Briscoe highlighted that the BLM must adhere to its responsibilities under the Act, and Senior Circuit Court Judge Monroe McKay suggested recalculating herd populations based on public land areas alone.

This ruling marks a significant victory for wild horse advocates and underscores the ongoing challenges in balancing land management and conservation efforts.

Originally posted by Courthouse News Service