Biden Budget Continues Trump Administration's Scapegoating of Wild Horses for Environmental Damage

Administration Continues Unscientific, Inhumane Wild Horse & Burro Roundup Program

Washington, DC (May 28, 2021). The Biden Administration’s FY22 Interior budget,released today, calls for an astounding $35 million increase for the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Wild Horse and Burro Program. This continues the Trump Administration’s scapegoating of these animals for damage to public lands caused by widespreadlivestockgrazing. The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign) criticized the administration’s proposal to continue the Trumproundup planto remove 90,000 wild horses and burros from public lands over the next five years at a cost to taxpayers of nearly $1 billion.

“It’s inexplicable that the Biden Administration, which professes a commitment toscience, would choose to pursue the Trump Administration’s unscientific, fiscally reckless, and inhumane mass roundup plan that is leading to the slaughter of America’s cherished wild horses and burros,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), noting a recent New York Timesreportexposing aBLMadoption program as a pipeline to slaughter for these federally-protected animals.

According to AWHC, as a member of Congress, Interior Secretary Haalandopposed additional fundingfor wild horse and burro roundups, advocating instead for humane birth control. However, her budget reflects a prioritization oflivestockindustry interests over the protection of wild horses and burros. Pollsshow80 percent of Americans support protecting wild horses and burros and oppose slaughtering them.

“Fundamentally, this is about this Administration’s failure to addresslivestockgrazing as the cause of damage to native habitats and wildlife and a major source of public land contributions to climate change. Wild horses and burros are just the scapegoats,” Roy continued, pointing to a recently adoptedSierra Clubpolicy, stating:

Livestocksignificantly outnumber wild horses and burros onBLMland. Of the 155 million acres grazed by privatelivestock, only 27 million are shared with federally-protected wild horses and burros. Yet even on the 27 million acres of wild horse and burro habitat, the BLM allocates 3 out of every 4 units of forage tolivestock. The BLM’s arbitrarily low population limits for wild horses and burros (AML) are not based on science or transparency,according tothe National Academy of Sciences.

“The Biden Administration cannot live up to its commitment toscienceand environmental protection by funding more wild horse roundups while turning a blind eye to the destructive impacts of commerciallivestockgrazing,” said Holly Gann Bice, AWHC’s Government Relations Director. “The agency should instead adopt humane, scientifically-based on-range wild horse and burro management strategies, including fertility control, and reducelivestockgrazing within designated wild horse and burro habitat.”

AWHC is urging the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to adopt the Interior Appropriations language proposed by U.S. Reps. Dina Titus (D-NV), Steve Cohen (D-TN), and over 40 other U.S. Representatives to urge the agency to prioritize humane management usingfertility controland other on-range methods.

TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign)(AWHC) is the nation’s leading wild horse protection organization, with more than 700,000 supporters and followers nationwide. AWHC is dedicated to preserving the American wild horse and burros in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage. In addition to advocating for the protection and preservation of America’s wild herds, AWHC implements the largest wild horsefertility controlprogram in the world through a partnership with the State of Nevada for wild horses that live in the Virginia Range near Reno.

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