Last week the Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board recommended that the Bureau euthanize or sell “without limitation” excess “unadoptable” horses and burros in the BLM’s off-range corrals and pastures.
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According to the Humane Society, the independent Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board announced its budget recommendations over the weekend, among them being the “humane euthanasia” of all of the wild horses now housed by the BLM. While the horses are up for adoption at an extremely low cost, they are not being scooped up fast enough, and caring for the wild animals is now eating up roughly $49 million a year, reportedly nearly half of the BLM annual budget. Organizations such as the Humane Society criticized program administrators for not controlling the population through birth control instead. Both the testimony and comments warned that without proper management of wild horse populations, long-term issues for western rangelands – including soil compaction, desertification and the spread of invasive species – are imminent.
Over the last 20 years, the BLM has been rounding up and removing wild horses from their natural habitat in the interest of allowing privately owned cattle to graze on the land. “The HSUS stands ready to implement these alternatives at any time”.
In June, the BLM announced that, in cooperation with Oregon State University, it would “develop and evaluate safe and humane methods to spay” wild horse mares as a way to manage herd growth. Ginger Kathrens, director of The Cloud Foundation, explained, “Current management practices of round-up, removal and warehousing … cause compensatory reproduction – an increase in populations as a result of decreased competition for forage”.
“In 2005, BLM implemented a policy that placed limitations on the amount of horses sold and required buyers to provide good homes and humane care to prevent the horses from being sent to slaughter”, said an investigative report by the U.S. Department of the Interior previous year.
Activists argue that wild horses are an “American icon.”
Kathrens voted against the recommendation.
The horses have been removed from their natural habitat and are now being housed in pens so that they do not disturb the cattle. Government lawyers Friday informed the groups that that the agency did not intend to pursue the surgical sterilization of mares at this time, if ever, officials with the two advocacy groups stated in a news release.
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Dave Eliason, president of the Public Lands Council, which represents livestock ranchers who use public lands, praised the advisory board’s recommendation. AWHPC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.
