Eyewitness Report: BLM Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting April 2014

Introduction

TheBLMWild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting held in Sacramento, CA, on April 14-15, 2014, was a critical event for discussing the management of wild horses and burros on public lands. This report provides an eyewitness account of the meeting, highlighting the ongoing challenges and debates surrounding the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) strategies, particularly in relation tofertility controland population management.

Read AWHC' & Return to Freedom's Statement to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board

Attending these board meetings is often a frustrating experience due to the board's composition, which is heavily influenced by the livestock industry. TheBLMcontinues to focus on research into population suppression methods while neglecting the proven PZP vaccine forfertility control. This inaction has led to a crisis both off and on the range, with over 50,000 wild horses in holding facilities and ongoing issues with livestock grazing in Herd Management Areas (HMAs).

Key Discussions

Board member Rick Danvir emphasized the need for increased budget allocation for field fertility work, stating, “One tenth of one percent of the program budget is focused on field fertility work. It’s every bit as important to start doing some things at a much larger scale now with what we’ve got, then to put it all into research.” Despite these recommendations, theBLM's policy remains focused on removals rather thanfertility control.

Tim Harvey insightfully compared theBLMto a large tanker, slow to change direction despite promises of reform. The meeting lacked discussions on drought or reducinglivestockin HMAs, which are critical issues affecting wild horse populations.

New Advisory Board Members

The board welcomed three new members: Dr. Sue McDonnell, Fred Woehl, and Dr. Robert Cope. Despite these additions, the board remains predominantly aligned withlivestockinterests, with five of nine members having ties to the industry.

Program Updates

Greg Shoop provided updates on various initiatives, including the Sage Grouse Conservation Plans and the National Academy of Sciences Report. TheBLM's budget for the Wild Horse and Burro Program was discussed, with a focus on research rather than implementing existingfertility controlmethods.

Public Comments

Advocacy organizations and individuals, including Ginger Kathrens of The Cloud Foundation and representatives from the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), expressed their concerns over theBLM's failure to implement effectivefertility controland the ongoing mismanagement of wild horse populations.

Conclusion

TheBLMWild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting highlighted the ongoing challenges in managing wild horse populations on public lands. Despite recommendations for increased use offertility control, theBLMcontinues to focus on removals and research, leading to frustration among advocates and board members alike.

To read previous eyewitness reports from past BLM Advisory Board meetings, click here.