A coalition of more than 70 equine protection, animal welfare, and environmental groups called on Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to end livestock grazing on public lands in favor of wild horse and burro populations.
“The mass roundup and surgical sterilization of our iconic American equines to pad the pockets of industrial agriculture and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is an affront to wild horse advocates and the American taxpayer,” wrote Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action.
The coalition asked Haaland in its open letter to prioritize keeping horses on designated herd management areas, and to prepare a scientific assessment on “the baseline ecological conditions that have been adversely impacted by livestock grazing” in order to determine sustainable population numbers. The groups also call for the immediate elimination of all cattle and sheep grazing on horse-occupied herd management area lands.
