9-28 FB BLM Wild Horses

 Wild horse and burro program conducted by BLM is wild horse and wild burro friendly. I’m David …

In a time where the government appears to be cutting back on every conceivable program it can, the BLM’s wild horse and burro program falls under the same scrutiny and BLM officials want some public input. Back in 1971, Congress passed a bill to protect wild horses and burros. Back then there were approximately 17,000 horses running wild in 10 Western States. Wild horses can multiply as fast as rabbits, so to speak, but they aren’t as vulnerable to predators. BLM’s Heather Tiel-Nelson discusses the consequences: “A wild horse herd can double in size nearly every 4 years so we have to manage that because it becomes unsustainable for healthy rangelands and we’re here to manage for healthy horses and rangelands.”

 We’ve covered this story from a different angle in the past. Representative Sue Wallis from Wyoming is a proponent of slaughtering some wild horses. The BLM is not including that option in their management plan. They want to corral horses on rangeland, increase forage and reduce populations through birth control.