This year, the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros (ISPMB) is highlighting the US government’s apparent failure to adequately safeguard wild horses on public lands. According to the ISPMB, this could eventually lead to the extinction of wild horses on these lands.
The ISPMB says the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has over 10,000 wild horses in holding facilities. This is due to BLM removing nearly 49,000 wild horses from public lands between October 2013 and September 2020. Removing these animals lowers the amount of available forage on public lands that the animals would typically eat, which means less food for the horses left on the range.
The ISPMB also says that in the fiscal year 2020, BLM spent $49 million more to maintain wild horses and burros in holding facilities than it would have cost to remove them from public lands.
The organization goes on to say that because BLM is not removing these animals at the levels they say are necessary, the horses have been forced to compete for food and water with cattle on public lands. These conditions have led ranchers to reduce or stop their use of these public lands altogether. In turn, this decision further reduces the amount of available forage on public lands and key habitats for a variety of species.
Most supporters of wild horses, according to the ISPMB, accept the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management when they say wild horses need to be controlled because they are overpopulated. However, according to the ISPMB, the Bureau of Land Management claimed to the United States Congress that the number of wild horses and burros in America is increasing at a pace of 20% per year and will reach more than a million by 2030.
The ISPMB is encouraging its supporters to call their senators and representatives in Congress to demand that they take action to protect wild horses on public lands.
“We’re asking them to use their oversight authority to improve the management of wild horses and burros on public lands. We need them to ask why BLM has no plan for removing excess horses or even keeping track of population numbers,” said ISPMB volunteer Blair Dunn.
“We’re also asking our supporters to share this article with their friends and family via email, Facebook, Twitter, or even by word of mouth.”
The International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the world’s historic and wild free-roaming horses and burros. Their organization has 6,000 members in 67 countries. As of May 31, 2019, the organization has raised more than $7 million for its mission.
According to Blair Dunn, “If you see one of these animals on public lands, please do not approach them or try to help them yourself. There are trained professionals doing this work every day.” They can be found on the range or in holding facilities throughout the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
