Feds Offer Cash Incentive for Mustang Adoptions - Advocacy Group Raises Concerns

Washington, DC (March 12, 2019)– The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Campaign), the nation's leading wild horse advocacy organization, has criticized the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) newpolicyof offering $1,000 to adopt a wild horse or burro fromBLMholding facilities.

AWHC argues that this plan fails to address the root problem created by theBLM's ongoing roundups of wild horses and burros from the Western range, without implementing scientifically-recommendedfertility controlto manage population growth rates.

For instance, if theBLMmeets its target of adopting out 5,000 horses this year, the plan will cost taxpayers $5 million. Meanwhile, the agency plans to spend less than $150,000 onfertility control, which could reduce the number of wild horses needing adoption after removal from the range.

Roy described the newpolicyas “another example of theBLMthrowing good money after bad in its trainwreck of a wild horse program.”

AWHC also expressed concerns from an animal welfare perspective, predicting that thepolicywill lead to more federally-protected wild horses and burros entering the slaughter pipeline by incentivizing adoptions by individuals lacking the necessary skills and resources.

TheBLMclaims the adoption incentive would initially increase costs but will eventually pay for itself by reducing off-range holding expenses. However, it does not acknowledge that roundups and removals will continue, adding thousands more horses and burros to holding facilities each year.

In contrast, a 2013 National Academy of Sciences review of theBLM’s program suggested that intensive management throughfertility control, though initially expensive, is a more affordable long-term solution than continuing to remove horses to holding facilities. Currently,BLMspends less than 1% of its budget on humane and cost-effective fertility control, while allocating 10% of its budget to the adoption of approximately 4,000 wild horses and burros annually.

TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservationis the nation’s leading wild horse protection organization, with over 700,000 supporters nationwide, including more than 2,000 members in New Mexico.