The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced changes to its Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) to “enhance existing protections for adopted wild horses and burros.”
BLM will now require compliance inspections of animals adopted under AIP to occur within six months of adoption. In addition, title applications will have to be signed by a veterinarian or BLM-authorized officer before the incentive payment will be given.
As an incentive to increase the number of adopted wild horses and burros, adopters can receive up to $1,000 to defray costs of care. The incentive payment will also now be made within 60 days after the title date, rather than half at the time of adoption and half at the title date.
The minimum adoption fee for animals adopted through AIP is also increasing from $25 to $125.
“We have an unwavering commitment to the humane care and placement of America’s wild horses and burros,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning in a statement. “By and large, the AIP has provided the boost people have needed to support their dream of adopting and appropriately caring for a wild horse or burro.”
Last summer, BLM said it was implementing stricter protective measures in its adoption program, after being accused of complacency from horse advocacy groups who alleged horses were ending up sold for slaughter.
BLM said the new changes are layered on top of other protective measures that require adopters to certify under penalty of prosecution that they will not sell or transfer the animal for slaughter or processing into commercial products.
Adopters are limited to adopting four animals within a 12-month period and are prohibited from title transfer for at least 12 months. BLM also conducts compliance inspections on animals while in private care, prior to title transfer.
Hannah Downey, policy director for the Property and Environment Research Center, told The Center Square the number of horses adopted has increased by 200 percent since the program began in 2019.
“This tremendous success story is a real credit to the bureau’s outstanding efforts to humanely address herd overpopulation, which will continue with these new refinements,” Downey said.
“In addition to transferring over 8,000 animals out of federal holding facilities and into good homes, this creative market-based approach is helping to restore the ecological health of our public lands and saving taxpayers $24,000 per horse. These clear wins will compound over time and ensure a lasting benefit for generations.”
A total of 8,637 animals were placed in private care in fiscal year 2021, which was the largest number in the past 24 years. More than half were adopted out through AIP, BLM said.
BLM also noted public input will be requested in the future through roundtable sessions to consider noncash incentives for the program. — Anna Miller, WLJ managing editor
