New BLM Director Urged to Protect Wild Horses Amid Rancher Threats

Washington, DC (April 8, 2014)- Today, as the U.S. Senate confirmed Neil Kornze as the director of the Interior Department Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign), its parent organization Return to Freedom, and coalition partner The Cloud Foundation called upon the newBLMdirector to vigorously uphold federal law in the face of threats by ranchers in Utah and Nevada to illegally capture and remove federally-protected wild horses frompublic lands.

Across the West, ranchers are targeting wild horses, viewing them as competition for cheap, taxpayer-subsidized livestock grazing onpublic lands. However, the number of wild horses onBLMland—fewer than 35,000 on nearly 27 million acres—pales in comparison to the millions of livestock that graze on 155 million acres ofBLMland in the West.

“We expect Director Kornze to impose a zero tolerance policy toward threats of illegal action by ranchers who are given the privilege of grazing their privately-owned livestock on ourpublic lands,” said Suzanne Roy, AWHC director. “TheBLMis mandated to protect wild horses, while livestock grazing is authorized entirely at the discretion of the Interior Department.”

“These are America’s horses, and the public strongly supports their protection on ourpublic lands,” said Neda DeMayo, President of Return to Freedom and Founder of the AWHC coalition. “TheBLMmust stop catering to special interests and start managing our public lands for the interests of the American taxpayers, wildlife, and the environment.”

“American taxpayers already bear the heavy burden of the federal livestock program,” said Ginger Kathrens, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation. “TheBLMkowtowing to ultimatums from welfare ranchers sets a dangerous precedent that could impact not only wild horses but all the uses ofpublic lands. It’s time for Director Kornze to reverse course. TheBLMneeds to decide who they manage the public lands for—welfare ranchers or the public at large.”

Late yesterday, attorneys for the groups sent astrongly-worded letterto the Iron County, Utah Board of Commissioners and the UtahBLMin response to a threat by local officials to round up wild horses onBLMlands in southwestern Utah. The letter warns that any attempt by local officials to round up wild horses would be a federal crime, and that theBLMitself cannot round up horses without proper analysis and disclosure under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act as well as the National EnvironmentalPolicyAct.

National polls demonstrate that thevast majority of Americans support protecting wild horsesonpublic lands, while just29 percent of the public wants to ensure thatpublic landsare available for livestock grazing.

TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign)is a coalition of more than 60 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.

Return to Freedom (RTF), is the founding and parent organization for the American Wild Horse Conservation. RTF is a national non-profit dedicated to wild horse preservation through sanctuary, education, and conservation, and also operates the American Wild Horse Sanctuary in Lompoc, CA.

TheCloud Foundationis a Colorado-based 501 (c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of wild horses and burros on our westernpublic landswith a focus on protecting Cloud’s herd in the Pryor Mountains of Montana.