Wild Horses on Federal Land at Risk Due to Omnibus Provision, AWHC Warns

The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) is raising alarms about a provision in the federal omnibus spending package that could threaten the safety and numbers of wild horses on public lands. This change in legislation could lead to the exploitation of these iconic creatures, stripping them of their federal protections.

In a recent news release, the American Wild Horse Conservation highlighted that Section 116 of the proposed spending bill would allow the Bureau of Land Management to transfer wild horses to states and local governments for use as 'work animals.' This provision, despite prohibiting sale for slaughter and imposing some restrictions on euthanasia, authorizes the killing of certain wild horses and burros. The organization warns that numerous loopholes could lead to the destruction of thousands of healthy animals, either directly or by funneling them into the slaughter pipeline.

The AWHC also criticized the bill for lacking provisions for accountability, transparency, or tracking the fate of transferred horses, with no penalties for violating these provisions. Unbranded wild horses moved out of federal custody could become untraceable if they enter the slaughter pipeline.

Executive Director Suzanne Roy expressed outrage over Congress's decision to include this provision without a public hearing, potentially stripping up to 50,000 wild horses and burros of protections that have been in place for nearly 50 years.

Originally posted by Washington Times