In an attempt to compromise on the ever-growing conflict of what to do with the abundant feral horse and burro populations in the U.S., a group of stakeholders across a range of industries has released a proposal for a solution.
Agricultural organizations, government groups, and humane advocates alike have allied together for the past few months to submit a proposal based on the congressional appropriations process. This proposal does not touch on making amendments to the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA).
“This is a proposal brokered between groups that have disagreed over this issue in the past,” Ethan Lane, senior executive director for NCBA Federal Lands and executive director of Public Lands Council (PLC) told WLJ.
The stakeholders in the agreement share common goals in reviving ecosystem health, humanely treating animals, and fiscal responsibility.
“It’s an attempt to find a common path forward and come to an agreement that can be taken back to separate worlds of different industries,” Lane said. “The [WFRHBA] has tied the BLM’s hands, and this proposal is an attempt at a solution for that.”
The path forward for management
The proposal is aimed to provide an “economically and environmentally viable, humane, non-lethal, and feasible long-term management plan” for the feral horses and burros in the U.S.
The BLM has stated that the agency is legally required to manage the federally protected wild herds. Attempts to curb population growth mainly through roundups and removals have “not sufficiently slowed the growth of wild horses and burro populations on the range,” according to the proposal.
The proposal reads that with proper direction, funding and execution, the BLM’s appropriate management level (AML) for feral horses and burros should be achieved in a financially sustainable and humane manner. The parties also suggest the BLM produces a report to Congress at years three, five and seven to show progress towards an ecological balance.
There are four suggested solutions included:
• Relocate removed animals to more cost-effective pastures;
• Secure lower-cost leased land from private parties;
• Apply humane population growth suppressants; and
• Promote adoptions.
If followed, the proposal signers estimate a return to a sustainable population in the next two decades.
Management in the past
Wild horses and burros differ from other wildlife species and livestock on rangelands in that the populations are not managed by state wildlife agencies or livestock owners. The proposal encourages the necessity to properly manage the feral herds in order that “all species can thrive on healthy rangelands.”
The BLM has been limited in the tools at its disposal to implement an effective and financially stable plan after the signing of the WFRHBA around 40 years ago, according to the proposal. Horses and burros currently over-reproduce at a rapid rate on rangelands, which has a negative effect on the range ecosystems.
Lia Biondo, Washington, D.C. liaison for the Society of Rangeland Management, told WLJ, “Horses are physiologically different than any other animal on the rangelands. They have a harder, flat hoof that is able to degrade areas of land easier. In addition, having both sets of front teeth can allow them to graze a plant straight down to the root, which will cause for the plant to not grow back.”
Currently, two types of holding facilities are maintained to hold removed animals from rangelands. Contracted pastures that cost $1.82 to $2.42 per animal per day currently hold nearly 37,000 animals as of March 2019. In addition, short-term corral facilities (feedlots) house around 14,000 animals at a cost of $4 to $7 per animal per day.
The BLM has estimated the current population of feral horses and burros on federal lands is around 82,000, which is three times greater than the AML goal of 26,690 animals.
The solution
The proposal signers suggest that in order to return the feral populations to a sustainable level, a combination of large-scale removals, off-range relocation, and fertility control be implemented.
Range restoration would occur immediately following large-scale removals, and the land would be assessed in order to move towards recovery. Biondo said that in addition to range degradation, studies have shown that feral populations have a harmful effect on wildlife as well.
“If a horse is near a watering hole, bighorn sheep are 75 percent less likely to approach,” Biondo said.
In the last six years, only around 4,300 feral horses were treated with fertility control. The parties recommend a higher average removal at first in order for fertility control to catch up. After the first three years, numbers should drop 5,000 to 10,000 per year as fertility control takes effect through treating more than 90 percent of mares in a herd management area. Implementing this practice would eliminate the need for large-scale removals.
Relocating corralled horses and burros to private pastures would be an up-front investment, but could save $46,000 over the course of each horse’s lifetime. Organizations and entities throughout the U.S., including sanctuary organizations, located in areas that could sustain year-round grazing could allow the animals to live in natural pasture settings.
In the previous five years, only 2,000-4,000 animals have been adopted per year. Incentivizing the current adoption program and developing a program to encourage the public to adopt through a training program could increase these rates. The proposal states that the East Coast is believed to be a large audience to target with these programs.
The proposal concludes that with the help of other federal agencies, humane gentling and handling of horses and burros could provide the opportunity to be utilized by mounted law enforcement, the United States Forestry Service, and other government entities.
If this proposal is not successful, “we would have exploding populations,” Biondo said.
“A population doubles every four years, so in some areas [such as Nevada] where the HMA is in excess of 1,000 percent of AMLs, this would have a devastating effect.” — Anna Miller, WLJ correspondent
