Feds Challenge Wyoming's Wild Horse Management Claims

The U.S. Department of the Interior has requested a Wyoming federal court to dismiss the state's petition concerning the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) handling of wild horse populations. This move highlights the ongoing debate over the management of wild horses under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

BLM's Discretion in Wild Horse Management

The Department of the Interior (DOI) argues that theBLMhas broad discretion in managing wild horse populations within designated Herd Management Areas (HMAs). The DOI refutes Wyoming's claims of overpopulation, citing budgetary constraints and political challenges that limit the bureau's capacity to implement the Wild Horses Act effectively.

Legal and Financial Constraints

According to the government, Congress restricts the use of appropriated funds for the destruction of healthy, excess horses, except for a brief four-year period. This limitation confines theBLM's options for managing excess horses to adoptions and sales, which have seen declining demand.

State's Concerns and BLM's Efforts

In August 2014, Wyoming claimed that data from theBLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program inventory showed that appropriate management levels were exceeded in seven HMAs, adversely affecting local sage-grouse habitats. Despite these concerns, theBLMcompleted a significant wild horse removal project in Wyoming's “checkerboard area” in October, which led to a lawsuit from wild horse advocates.

TheBLMhas also solicited research proposals aimed at curbing horse population growth through new spay or neuter techniques and contraceptive vaccines.

Historical Context and Representation

The Wild Horses Act, established in 1971, was a response to declining horse populations. However, Western states now face the opposite issue. The government is represented by John C. Cruden, Seth M. Barsky, S. Jay Govindan, Christopher A. Crofts, Nicholas Vassallo, and Alison C. Finnegan of the Department of Justice. The state is represented by Blake Anthony Klinkner and Michael James McGrady of the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office.

The case isState of Wyoming v. U.S. Department of the Interior et al., number 2:14-cv-00248, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming.

Originally posted by Law360.