100 Groups Urge Congress to Block Trump Mustang Slaughter Plan

Unified Statement UrgesCongressto Maintain Longstanding Protections Against Mass Killing and Slaughter

Washington, DC (Feb. 13, 2018) . . .TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign),The Cloud Foundation, andwell over 80 other groups and expertsfrom across the country today called onCongressto maintain prohibitions on killing and slaughter of federally-protected wild horses and burros in final Fiscal Year 2018 spending legislation, which the House andSenateare currently negotiating.

The call for humane management was issued in the form of a Unified Statement -- endorsed by 90 equine advocate, animal welfare, ecotourism, rescue, ranching, and other citizen groups and experts.It was released a day after the Trump Administration issued its Fiscal Year 2019 budget, which again calls onCongressto lift the ban on killing and slaughteringmustangs.

“We speak for the vast majority of Americans who wantsolutions, not mass killing of our country’s wild horses and burros,” said Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation. “The fate of these beautiful animals is deeply connected to the protection of our nation’spublic landslegacy and the living history of the American West.”

“Americans want our wild horses and burros protected, not brutally killed and slaughtered,” said Suzanne Roy, Executive Director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign). “This document demonstrates that a humane and scientific path forward for wild horse management not only exists, but also is broadly supported within the wild horseadvocacycommunity.”

The “Unified Statement on the Humane, Sustainable, and Cost-Effective On-Range Management of America’s Wild Horses and Burros” answers recent attacks on America’s heritage animals with facts and humanesolutions.

Last year,Congressinstructed the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to develop a plan to “achieve long-term sustainable populations on the range in a humane manner” and to review “proposals from non-governmental organizations.” Instead, theBLM’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budgetsought legislative authorityto reduce costs by exterminating tens of thousands of wild horses and burros. The Trump Administration’s FY 2019 budget request doubles down on this request.

The House Appropriations Committeepassed an amendmentto the FY 2018 Interior Appropriations bill introduced by Representative Chris Stewart (R-UT) that would allow theBLMto destroy healthy wild horses and burros, putting up to 90,000 wild horses and burros on the range and in holding facilities in danger of being killed. In direct contrast, theSenateAppropriations Committee’sbudget language prohibitsusing funds to destroy or sell them to slaughter.

The House andSenateare aiming to reach agreement on final spending bills for FY 2018 by March 23, when the current Continuing Resolution that is funding the government expires.

Meanwhile, the 2019 budget process begins and appropriators will again deal with theTrump Administration’s requestfor permission to slaughter America’smustangsand burros.

The Unified Statement: 1) urgesCongressto maintain long-standing federal protections for wild horses and burros and 2) sets forth principles and recommendations for the management of wild horses and burros intended to guideCongresstoward a long-term plan that is safe and humane for wild herds as well as sustainable and cost-effective for taxpayers.

Its recommendations include developing a ten-year fertility control plan to reduce and stabilize wild horse populations as needed; returning wild equines from expensive short-term holding facilities topublic lands; prohibiting sterilization of wild horses and burros; adjusting population targets to ensure genetically viable numbers; establishing equitable forage allocations; compensating ranchers for reduced use or non-use of grazing permits in wild horse habitat areas, and opening doors to more successful public-private partnerships for wild horse and range stewardship.

The Unified Statement is being presented to keySenateand House appropriators and other members ofCongress. The full list of signatories and the Unified Statement can be foundhere.

TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign)(AWHC) is a national wild horseadvocacyorganization whose grassroots mission is endorsed by a coalition of more than 50 horseadvocacy, public interest, and conservation organizations. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.The Cloud Foundation(TCF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Westernpublic landswith a focus on protecting Cloud’s herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana. Cloud is the subject of Foundation founder Ginger Kathrens’ groundbreaking PBS/Nature documentaries.