Senate Rejects Sterilization of Wild Horses, House Approves

Senate FY 2019 Interior Appropriations Legislation

On June 15, 2018, theSenateAppropriations Committee unanimously passed Fiscal Year 2019 Interior Appropriations legislation that maintains prohibitions on killing and slaughter of our wild horses and burros and does not authorize the mass sterilization of wild herds. Also good news: theSenate’s insistence that management solutions be “politically viable.” This highlights the critical importance of ouradvocacyefforts – these options are only considered politically non-viable because we are speaking up loudly in opposition to them.

One issue of concern in theSenatereport language is a directive to reduce on-range and holding populations of wild horses and burros by methods “within its current authorities” and the committee’s appropriation of $5.5 million “as an initial investment” in a strategy to achieve that goal. While the language doesn’t specify howBLMshould reduce the horse and burro population,BLMcould try to increase transfers of horses to states and other government entities, as well as, potentially, transfers of large numbers of horses out of the country.BLMneeds to be directed to use the $5.5 million on the one humane and proven method to reduce population growth – PZP – and, with your help, we will continue to pushBLMto increase PZP use from the 0% of its budget it currently spends on it. Overall though theSenateaction is positive and a clear result of your actions in defense of wild horses and burros.

House FY 2019 Interior Appropriations Legislation

By contrast, the House FY 2019 Interior Appropriations bill includes the "Stewart Amendment" authorizing mass sterilization of wild herds, including via risky and painful surgeries like that seenhere. The report language accompanying the bill directs theBLMto the regulatory framework to implement a mass sterilization program and lay the foundation for the euthanasia of horses and burros over age 10 -- barely middle age for most wild horses. The bill was passed by the Appropriations Committee on June 6 and the full House on July 17, 2018.

Both bills await final approval by full floor votes. No such votes have been scheduled as yet.

Ultimately, a conference committee will iron out the differences between the two versions of the bills.

This means that we'll have to keep the pressure on throughout the summer and into the fall.

For now, if you'd like to thank Senators Lisa Murkowski and Tom Udall, chair and ranking member of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee for protecting wild horses and burros from mass killing, slaughter and sterilization, you can reach them through theSenateSwitchboard at 202-225-3121.