A look back on our 2023 legislative wins

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Help us unlock a 2X match!
Can you help us unlock a 2X matching gift to help us continue our critical work saving wild horses and burros in 2024? We need to raise $50,000 before Friday at midnight to unlock this match.

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Throughout 2023, we’ve secured some pretty incredible wins, furthering the wild horse and burro conservation cause. So with 2024 less than two weeks away, we’re going to take the next few days to look back on all the success we achieved together this year.

But first, we’d like to ask you to make a contribution towards our end-of-year goal. In case you missed it, all donations through December 31st will be matched up to $125,000, but only IF we raise the initial $50,000 we need before midnight this Friday! You can chip in here >>

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THE MATCH →

Today, we’re going to focus on the impact we’ve been able to make together both in Washington D.C. and in state legislatures across the country to protect our wild herds.

In Colorado, we achieved a major breakthrough with the passage of SB 23-275, The Wild Horse Project. This legislation established a dedicated working group in the state, tasked with enhancing on-range and off-range solutions for wild horse conservation. Additionally, the legislation allocated $1.5 million in state funding to support these efforts.

On Capitol Hill, we worked with our partners in Congress to introduce several critical bills that would advance humane reforms to the federal management of our nation’s wild herds, including:

• The Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023 (H.R. 3656), which would finally ban costly and inhumane helicopter roundups of wild horses and burros;
  • The Supporting America’s Forgotten Equines Act (H.R. 3475), which would ban equine slaughter for human consumption in the U.S. and the export of horses for slaughter abroad;
  • And the Ejiao Act (H.R. 6021), which would ban the U.S. import of products containing Ejiao, a gelatin made from donkey hides.

And finally, AWHC secured the support of 77 Members of Congress to include protective language for wild horses and burros in the House and Senate Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations bills. The House passed its bill, which includes protection from slaughter and dedicated funding for fertility control. Further, it also directs the BLM to explore alternatives to helicopter roundups — marking the first time in history that Congress has addressed this issue! The Senate has not yet passed its final version of the funding bill.

AWHC’s legislative advocacy work is critical to securing a safe future for our wild herds, so they can live freely as they deserve. When we create partnerships with allies on the Hill and in state governments throughout the West, we create progress. This year’s wins for wild horses and burros are an example of just that. 

If you’re still with us in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros, will you donate whatever you can afford towards our end-of-year goal to help us continue this important work in 2024? If we raise $50,000 before midnight on Friday, we’ll unlock a generous 2X match from one of our major donors, meaning you can double our legislative impact next year!

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Thank you!

American Wild Horse Campaign