The proposed 2026 budget for the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program is significantly reduced, potentially impacting the program's ability to provide care and management for the horses and burros in its custody.

Even more alarming is the possibility that the budget proposal removes long-standing appropriations language that prohibits the destruction or sale of healthy wild horses and burros for slaughter. If this protection is stripped away, it could pave the way for the mass killing or export of captive wild horses for slaughter, in direct contradiction to the intent of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which recognizes these animals as “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West.”

The Environmental Assessment (EA) cites 16 U.S.C. § 1333(b)(1) of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA) on page 169 as direct authorization for using PZP and GonaCon-Equine for contraception. This interpretation is flawed because the cited statute solely permits sterilization for management purposes. The EA lacks explicit legal support for employing these substances merely to decelerate population growth, which is the primary goal stated for most PZP and GonaCon applications.

The Silver King HMA, covering 575,460 acres, allocates an estimated 30,356 Animal Unit Months (AUMs) annually to livestock across its grazing allotments, significantly outpacing resources for wild horses.

30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT STARTED MAY 23,2025

The NYPD Mounted Unit, also known as the "Ten Foot Cops," is a significant part of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and has been around since 1858. Read about Lightening’s journey. (photo courtesy of BLM)

The WFO is proposing to conduct a gather of excess wild horses in the Fifteenmile HMA and surrounding areas in the fall of 2025. Approximately 310 wild horses would be gathered by helicopter drive trapping in the Fifteenmile HMA. Approximately 210 wild horses would be removed, with approximately 100 wild horses returned to the HMA. Additionally, an estimated 12 wild horses residing outside the HMA, particularly in the area immediately SW of Worland, would be gathered and removed. Action was previously analyzed in the Fifteenmile Herd Management Area Plan.

Overgrazing is only one facet of the damage ranching inflicts on wildlife. A wide range of practices associated with or intended to support livestock grazing have also played a major role in the widespread decline of wildlife on federally managed lands. Chief among these is the systematic and ongoing eradication of animals perceived as threats or competitors to livestock.

Environmental assessments have been copied to project folders in ePlanning for public review, with comments due on May 7.

PARTIAL LIST

32 YEARLINGS $125  ADOPTABLE

19 GELDINGS $125 ADOPTABLE

1 MARE  $125  ADOPTABLE

18 MARES $25 SALE AUTHORITY

8 BURROS $25 SALE AUTHORITY

Since the BLM CAWP team was formed, have they FAILED any holding facility, Roundup or adoption events due to compliance issues? The answer is NO- The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) team is responsible for assessing compliance with animal welfare standards during wild horse and burro management activities. While the CAWP team has identified areas of non-compliance in various assessments, there is limited public information indicating that the BLM has officially failed an assessment due to compliance issues.​

Montgomery Pass Wild Horses

Urban Development on the Virginia Range

Red Rock Lake Emergency Gather

Callaghan HMAP scoping

Public Participation in Decision-Making: NEPA mandates that federal agencies, like the BLM, engage the public during environmental reviews of proposed actions, such as grazing permit renewals. This is often the only opportunity for the public—technically the owners of federal lands—to provide input on site-specific grazing practices. Through NEPA’s scoping, comment periods, and public meetings, stakeholders (e.g., environmental groups, local communities, and tribes) can influence allotment management plans, advocate for protections for sensitive habitats, or challenge practices that degrade rangelands. Without NEPA, decisions are made internally, sidelining public voices.

The Bureau of Land Management will host a virtual public meeting regarding use of motorized vehicles in managing wild horses and burros. The meeting is scheduled for May 6, 2025, from 1-3 p.m. MT, and will be held using Teams video conferencing technology.  

REGISTER TO COMMENT You can submit this comment via email to BLM_HQ_MotorizedVehicleHearing@blm.gov by 5 p.m. MT on May 6, 2025, or register to present it verbally during the virtual hearing, as outlined on the BLM website (BLM.gov/whb).

The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, as amended, explicitly authorizes the BLM to destroy unadoptable wild horses in the most humane and cost-efficient manner possible

The EA claims an annual growth rate of approximately 10%. For a population starting at 78 in 2016, with a 10% annual growth rate (compounded), the population after 8 years would be: P=78×(1+0.1)8≈78×2.1436≈167P = 78 \times (1 + 0.1)^8 \approx 78 \times 2.1436 \approx 167P=78×(1+0.1)8≈78×2.1436≈167 This confirms the population would be around 167, far less than the claimed 510.