Lawsuit Halts U.S. Forest Service Wild Horse Roundup in Eastern Nevada

February 14, 2012

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has agreed to cancel its plans to capture and remove 198 wild horses living in the Monte Cristo Wild Horse Territory (WHT) in eastern Nevada. This decision comes as a result of a federal lawsuit filed by the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation), the Western Watersheds Project, and The Cloud Foundation. The agreement was signed by the plaintiffs' lawyers and the U.S. Department of Justice.

The removal of wild horses from the Monte Cristo WHT was part of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM’s) Pancake Complex roundup plan, which aimed to remove 800-1000 wild horses from the 855,000-acre public land complex every two to three years over the next six to ten years. Thelitigationhas also led theBLMto postpone plans to castrate up to 200 wild stallions and eliminate all wild horses from the Jakes Wash Herd Management Area in the Pancake Complex.

“The Forest Service’s decision to withdraw from theBLM’s ill-conceived Pancake Complex roundup is further proof that the removal of these horses is unnecessary,” said Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Conservation. “We call upon the federal government to stop removing horses from ourpublic landsand to instead humanely manage them on the range by reducing livestock grazing in wild horse habitat areas and by utilizing PZP fertility control when necessary to control wild horse and burro reproduction.”

Ginger Kathrens, volunteer Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation, added, “The herd living in the Monte Cristo Wild Horse Territory is one of the wild herds that is inappropriately managed at a dangerously low number of animals – only 96 horses. The Forest Service’s cancellation of the roundup is especially important for this small herd’s long-term genetic health and well-being.”

Jon Marvel, director of the Western Watersheds Project, commented, “For decades, the Forest Service and theBLMhave mismanaged ourpublic landsto benefit commercial interests. There is absolutely no reason to remove federally-protected wild horses from these public land areas when thousands of privately-owned cattle and sheep continue to graze there.”

TheBLMannounced last week that it had completed the first phase of the six- to ten-year roundup plan, capturing 1,088 wild horses and permanently removing 890 of them from the 855,000-acre complex. Nine horses were killed during the roundup, including three horses who broke their necks while being stampeded by helicopter into the trap.

Other plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit challenging aspects of the Pancake roundup include wildlife ecologist Craig Downer and photographer Arla Ruggles, who enjoy wild horse viewing in the HMAs and whose professional and aesthetic interests will be harmed if theBLMmoves forward with its plan. The plaintiffs are represented by the Washington D.C. public interest law firm Meyer Glitzenstein & Crystal.

A previous lawsuit filed in July 2011 by the firm prompted theBLMto withdraw a similar plan to release hundreds of castrated wild stallions in two HMAs in Wyoming. The complaint alleges that theBLM’s plan for the Pancake Complex violates the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the National EnvironmentalPolicyAct, and the Administrative Procedures Act. The complaint can be readhere.

About the Plaintiffs

The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign)is a coalition of more than 45 horse advocacy, public interest, and conservation organizations dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come, as part of our national heritage.

Western Watersheds Projectis a non-profit conservation group dedicated to protecting and restoring western watersheds and wildlife through education, public policy initiatives, andlitigation. The group works to influence and improvepublic landsmanagement in 8 western states with a primary focus on the negative impacts of livestock grazing on 250,000,000 acres of westernpublic lands.

The Cloud Foundationis a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and protection of wild horses and burros on our Westernpublic landswith a focus on protecting Cloud’s herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.