BLM Projects $1 Billion Cost Due to Growing Wild Horse Herds

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is facing a significant challenge as the number of wild horses and burros on federal rangelands reaches its highest level in over three decades. With limited resources, the agency warns of a potential $1 billion cost to manage these growing herds.

The 67,027 wild horses and burros as of March 1 represent a 15% increase over the previous year. This number is nearly three times the 26,715 animals thatBLMsays federal rangelands can sustain.

Under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971,BLMis required to remove excess animals to protect native wildlife and rangeland resources. However, the agency is already holding more than 46,000 horses and burros in off-range facilities and lacks the resources to manage all excess animals.

Current Population Statistics

The number of wild horses and burros onfederal landsmanaged byBLMincreased significantly between March 1, 2015, and March 1, 2016. In nine of the ten Western states, the number of wild horses and burros exceeds the appropriate management level (AML), the maximum number of animals that can be sustained on federal rangelands.

Source:BLM

If it cannot adopt out or transfer a significant number of the wild horses and burros in holding,BLMwarns it will cost the agency more than $1 billion to feed and care for the horses during their lifetime.

BLM's Management Challenges

BLMDirector Neil Kornze stated, "Over the last seven years, we have doubled the amount of funding used for managing our nation's wild horses and burros. Despite this, major shifts in the adoption market and the absence of a long-termfertility controldrug have driven population levels higher."

Reaction to the latest wild horse and burro numbers was mixed. Rangeland health and wild horse advocates agreed thatBLM's approach to managing herds is not working. Keith Norris of the Wildlife Society emphasized the need for a combination of management tools, including increasedroundups, adoption, permanent sterilization, and fertility vaccines.

Wild horseadvocacygroups, however, questioned the accuracy of the numbers andBLM's stance on overpopulation. Suzanne Roy, executive director of the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), criticizedBLM's claims as exaggerated and called for a focus on federal mismanagement.

BLM 'Overwhelmed'

BLMmaintains that it is overwhelmed by the growing herd sizes, which are damaging rangelands and straining the agency's budget. With few natural predators, herds can double in size every four years. Western state leaders, like Nevada's Governor Brian Sandoval, have expressed concern overBLM's ability to manage the herds effectively.

BLMhas requested legislative support from Congress to transfer horses to federal, state, and local agencies and to establish a foundation to support adoption efforts. Kornze highlighted the need for tax credits to incentivize adoption and reduce the financial burden on the agency.

Humane Alternatives

Wild horse advocacy groups criticizedBLM's focus on roundups and adoption. Ginger Kathrens of the Cloud Foundation advocated for the use offertility controlvaccines, such as porcine zona pellucida (PZP), to manage populations while allowing horses to remain free on the range. Kathrens argued thatBLMstaff need to be more proactive in administering these vaccines.

BLMis working on research projects to develop new population-growth suppression methods, as recommended by the National Academy of Sciences. These efforts aim to find modern and effective ways to slow population growth and reduce the need for removals from public lands.