It is not the romantic western landscape from the movies. Nor is it a healthy one. Herds of wild horses and burros continue to balloon well beyond population markers that classify them as both overpopulated and unsafe.

A consortium of hunting, conservation and livestock organizations recently submitted public comment asking the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to rectify a situation that is only growing worse year by year. According to BLM, there are approximately 85,000 wild horses and burros across 10 western states. The population is more than three times the “appropriate management levels” of 25,600 WHB (wild horses and burros) and increases 15 to 25 percent annually, roughly doubling in size every four years.

“Animals are starving on landscapes stripped bare by overpopulated WHB herds, native wildlife populations are declining, habitat and water sources are being destroyed, and taxpayers are paying ever more to hold excess animals for decades,” according to submitted comments.

The groups offered four recommendations:

• Healthy horses, burros, wildlife and rangeland ecosystems require managing WHB to a substantially lower population

• Managers should embrace the full set of tools provided by Congress to reduce on-range and off-range numbers

• Existing management methods have failed to lower WHB populations to sustainable and legally required levels

• Restoring ecological balance on the landscape benefits American taxpayers and allows more funding to support WHB and rangeland ecosystems

“The WHB themselves suffer through starvation and thirst as herds outstrip the range’s capacity. In addition, more than 62,000 animals now sit in holding facilities at a cost exceeding $100 million per year, over 70 percent of the program’s budget,” according to comments. “This status quo is not financially sustainable, causes ecological damage and is contrary to federal law.”

The groups support stipulations spelled out in the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which directs BLM to manage animals to maintain a thriving ecological balance on public lands and protect the natural ecological balance of all wildlife species that live there.

Hunt 2 Conserve supports management action to benefit native wildlife, their habitat and the health of wild horses and burros.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: Bureau of Land Management)