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How we’re taking action for Wyoming’s wild herds in the courtroom

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Our wild herds are safest in the wild, where they can roam freely in their natural habitats with their families. But the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) inhumane policies are slashing wild horse and burro populations to dangerously low levels, depriving these iconic animals of their right to live freely on western public lands.

That’s why we’re working every day to end brutal helicopter roundups and keep wild horses and burros out of overburdened holding facilities. Today, we’d like to share an update on the critical legal work we’re undertaking in Wyoming to protect our wild herds. But first – if you’re able, please chip in to help us power our Legal Fund — and read on to learn about our efforts to defend wild horses  in Wyoming. >>

POWER OUR LEGAL FUND

For over a decade, we’ve been fighting in federal court to prevent the BLM from eliminating 2.1 million acres of federally designated habitat for wild horses in the state and slashing the state’s wild horse population by one third, including entirely eradicating the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin populations.

At issue is the BLM’s decision to eliminate wild horses from the 2-million acre Wyoming Checkerboard area at the demand of the Rock Springs Grazing Association. This decision sets a terrible precedent, essentially handing over our public lands to private interests and allowing private landowners to dictate the presence of wild horses on public lands.

In July, our 12-year legal battle culminated when our lawyers traveled to Wyoming to argue against this dangerous plan in court. Unfortunately, the lower court issued a decision in August that approved the BLM’s plan.

Given the political landscape in Wyoming, we anticipated that this case would likely be resolved by the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. With so much at stake for Wyoming’s wild horses and herds across the West, we moved swiftly to appeal. Just days after the lower court decision, our coalition of wild horse advocates, and animal welfare and conservation groups filed our notice of appeal. And just last week, we submitted our opening brief. 

This opening brief is a crucial step in the appeals process, laying out our arguments as to why the BLM’s actions clearly violate the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act and why the lower court’s decision is flawed. Our attorney, Bill Eubanks of Eubanks and Associates, has crafted a powerful case, and since we have previously succeeded on similar issues before this appellate court, we believe we have a strong chance of winning.

But this fight won’t be easy or quick. Because this case is so critical to the future of wild horses in the West, we’re asking for your support through a donation to our Legal Fund. Will you help today? We can’t do this vital work without your support.

POWER OUR LEGAL FUND

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Conservation

Empowering our partners on the ground to save lives

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

When wild horses and burros are in need, every moment is vital. Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we created the Rescue Fund to empower local rescue organizations with the tools and support they need to save lives. But we can’t do this work without you.

POWER OUR RESCUE FUND

Our Rescue Fund goes beyond funding emergency rescues. It provides capacity-building grants to give rescue partners the resources they need to care for wild horses and burros over the long term. These grants have funded everything from medical equipment to daily necessities – making it possible for rescue organizations to grow, respond faster, and provide better care.

With your help, we’ve supported the purchase of:

  • A squeeze chute for safe veterinary care, essential for treating wild horses and burros.
  • A flatbed truck to deliver hay and supplies to animals in remote sanctuaries.
  • An ATV to help manage large paddocks where the animals roam.
  • A 4×4 vehicle for critical rescue operations.


Flatbed truck purchased thanks to an AWHC rescue grant 
Photo by WilsonAxpe PhotoAdvocacy

These grants provide more than just equipment – they pave the way for brighter futures. With more resources and support, our rescue partners can provide life-saving care, offer sanctuary, and help these magnificent animals heal and thrive.

But we can’t continue this important work without your support. Your donation today will directly support the AWHC Rescue Fund, allowing us to provide more support to the rescue organizations working tirelessly on the frontlines to save wild horses and burros in need. Will you chip in whatever you can afford to help power our Rescue Fund today?

POWER OUR RESCUE FUND

Thank you,

Team AWHC

Help us demand government accountability

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Just this past week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wrapped up another brutal helicopter roundup targeting the wild horses, including many young foals, who call the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area along the California-Nevada border home. More than 900 animals were captured and removed, and four tragically died.

As with nearly every federal roundup, American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) observers were on the ground with the goal of documenting the cruel reality these equines face in real time, but here’s the unbelievable truth: The public observation is often abysmal.

The trap site, where wild horses and burros are driven at the end of a helicopter chase, is the most dangerous part of a roundup. It’s here where severe injury and even death are most likely to occur.

Despite public observation of a government operation being guaranteed under the First Amendment, AWHC observers are frequently positioned up to two miles away from those trap sites — so far they can’t see them at all. Even with the most powerful camera lenses, observers can see and document only a small fraction of the dangerous moments unfolding during a roundup.

Is that what transparency looks like?

These pictures were taken by roundup observer Darlene Smith when she was deployed to the Sulphur roundup in Utah.



Photos by Darlene Smith at the Sulphur roundup in summer 2024.

Our observation teams are doing their best to document what’s happening to these iconic animals, but there’s only one way to guarantee no BLM atrocity goes unrecorded: Cameras on helicopters.

Will you join us in calling on the BLM to mandate cameras on all helicopters used for government roundups?

BLM roundups already take place in some of the most remote regions of the West — outside the public eye. Limitations on observation only further shroud the BLM’s irresponsible, unscientific management practices from the American people.

BLM roundups targeted more than 16,000 wild horses and burros last fiscal year— and more than 200 have died. These numbers include thousands of foals born mere months or weeks before being senselessly chased down and locked up, often separate from their mothers. AWHC is fighting every day to end costly, inhumane helicopter roundups. But until we can stop them for good, we need to ensure that we hold the BLM accountable for the cruelty wild horses and burros face during these tax-funded operations.

We are calling on the BLM to require camera installations on all helicopters used for federally sanctioned roundup operations. Will you join us and help ensure the BLM is held accountable for violations committed during dangerous helicopter roundups?

Thank you for your continued support of American wild horses and burros.

Onward,

American Wild Horse Conservation

The devastation doesn’t end once the helicopters are grounded

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Across the West, our nation’s iconic wild horses and burros are rounded up at an alarming rate. These helicopter chases cause deep trauma – and the impacts on survivors left behind on the range can be devastating.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) claims that roundups are necessary to maintain healthy wild horse and burro populations, but the facts don’t support this. Beyond the immediate suffering that mustangs and burros face during helicopter roundups, these operations actually threaten the long-term viability of America’s wild horse and burro herds.


Photo by Tandin Chapman

Family bands – critical social structures for wild horses – are torn apart by roundups as new generations are stripped from the wild, separating them from their families and weakening essential bonds for survival. Older, experienced horses are often removed, and with them, the wisdom needed to thrive in the wild is lost. Additionally, the BLM often sets the Appropriate Management Level (AML) of wild horse and burro herds below the standards recommended by equine geneticists to maintain herd genetic viability in the long term.

The fact of the matter is that roundups are not an effective way to maintain healthy populations of wild horses and burros. Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we’re fighting for more humane and effective alternatives to roundups, such as PZP fertility control, which keeps horses and burros safe and in the wild where they belong.

Our wild horses and burros deserve better, Meredith. Will you help us continue fighting for a better way forward for America’s wild herds, such as through humane fertility control, by chipping in today?

DONATE

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Conservation

USFS virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in roundups

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

On October 10th, 2024, from 3:30-4:30 PM PST, the United States Forest Service (USFS) is holding a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up for a more humane way of managing our wild horses and burros.

Take Action

On October 10th, 2024, from 3:30-4:30 PM PST, the United States Forest Service (USFS) is holding a virtual public hearing on the use of helicopters in wild horse roundups in the Modoc and Inyo National Forests. This is a crucial opportunity to speak up for a more humane way of managing our wild horses and burros. If you agree, can you attend this meeting and give public comment?

Read the Talking Points

If you can’t attend, you can still make your voice heard by sending a letter to the USFS urging them to adopt more humane management practices.

Thank you for your advocacy,

Team AWHC

With gratitude and hope ❤️

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Thank you for following our updates over the past few heart wrenching months of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter roundups. Your dedication to staying informed and engaged means the world to us and, more importantly, to the wild horses and burros we work every day to protect.

This year, BLM roundups have already taken a significant toll on our beloved herds. In just seven roundup operations, 89 animals have tragically lost their lives.  

For the next few weeks, federal helicopter roundups have been paused. But the somber reality of what our magnificent horses and burros have lost so far weighs heavily on all of us at American Wild Horse Conservation. 

Because, we know there’s a better way.

That said, your unwavering support gives us hope — hope that, together, we can continue to fight for a future where wild horses and burros roam free, unthreatened by this cruel, costly federal mismanagement.

To express our gratitude, we’ve created a special graphic that you can download and set as your mobile phone’s home screen. It’s a small but meaningful way to keep the spirit of these magnificent animals close to you — and a reminder of the impact you’re helping to make.

As we look ahead, please know that we remain committed to advocating for these animals, and we will continue to push for changes that ensure their safety and well-being. Your voice, your support, and your compassion are what make this work possible, and for that, we are profoundly grateful.

Thank you once again for standing with us. We will keep you updated in the fight that lies ahead and share ways you can remain a part of this critical mission.

With gratitude and hope,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Conservation

Help Support Fergie & her fillies with humane fertility control!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Meet Fergie, a beautiful mare who lives on Nevada’s Virginia Range. Here, the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) oversees an innovative fertility control program designed to ensure her well-being and the preservation of her wild herd.

CHIP IN TO SUPPORT WILD MARES

Fergie’s last foal was born in 2021. And thanks to our PZP fertility control treatments, she has been able to enjoy a well-deserved break from the demands of nursing and pregnancy. This respite has allowed her to maintain strong health and a steady weight, thriving in her stallion Will’s band of five.

The benefits of these treatments extend beyond Fergie. Her two offspring, both fillies, have also thrived without the strain of early pregnancy, giving them the time they need to grow strong and healthy. It’s stories like these that highlight the essential role of humane fertility control in ensuring a better future for our wild horse herds.

A single dose of PZP costs just $30. That’s why today, we’re asking you to chip in $30 to fund our PZP fertility control efforts. Your donation can help us continue this crucial work, giving more mares like Fergie the chance to live free and healthy on our public lands.

DONATE $30

Thank you,

Team AWHC

The cost of freedom lost

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Federal helicopter roundups have paused for the next few weeks. Before they resume in September, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on the staggering cost of freedom lost so far for America’s wild horses and burros. But first, will you chip in to help fund our efforts to document and shine a light on the cruel reality our beloved wild horses and burros face at the hands of the government?

CHIP IN TO PROTECT WILD HORSES

Since July 1, 2024, 6,629 wild horses and burros, many of whom are young foals, have been captured as a result of seven dangerous roundup operations conducted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). So far, 89 deaths have been reported.

Most recently, roundups in the Sulphur, Marietta and South Steens Herd Management Areas (HMAs) have concluded. During these three roundups alone, 1,612 horses and burros were captured and 19 animals lost their lives. In the South Steens, where 9 horses died of traumatic injuries or were euthanized by the BLM, the agency actually increased its capture goal by 120 horses on the last day of the roundup.

Photo from the White Mountain roundup by Nenah Demunster
CHIP IN TO PROTECT WILD HORSES

During the Blue Wing roundup 1,655 wild horses and burros were captured and a shocking 42 died. This helicopter operation was particularly gruesome as AWHC field observers documented shocking abuse during it, including capturing video footage of a collapsed horse being struck repeatedly in the head by BLM contractors. And in Wyoming’s North Lander roundup, a staggering 2,577 wild horses were captured, including 471 foals.

This has to stop. Over the course of the next month, over 1,000 more wild horses and burros are slated for removal. That means more horses and burros terrorized, more families broken apart, more life-threatening injuries, and more deaths

CHIP IN TO PROTECT WILD HORSES

Not only is this cruel and unscientific system costing these animals their lives and their freedom, it’s also costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. According to the BLM, the Wild Horse and Burro Program cost taxpayers $157.8 million in Fiscal Year 2023. For the Blue Wing Complex roundup alone, the contractor hired to conduct the brutal operation was paid $624,870.

We know there’s a better way. We’re proving just that through our successful and scientifically-backed PZP fertility control program, which only costs $30 per vaccine, and our groundbreaking Land Conservancy Project. These innovative AWHC programs show that there’s a more humane and cost-effect alternative to protect and conserve our nation’s wild horses and burros and the land they roam other than cruel and costly helicopter roundups.

We’re also fighting to hold the BLM accountable for abuses against wild horses and burros by deploying our humane observers to every single planned helicopter roundup of the summer so far to ensure the public knows what is happening to these iconic animals.

It’s up to us to continue fighting for the future of our wild herds, but we can’t do it alone. Your support is critical to powering this vital work. And by signing up for a recurring monthly gift, you can help us do even MORE to keep wild horses and burros free on the lands they call home year-round. Will you take your support to the next level and become an AWHC recurring donor today?

BECOME A RECURRING DONOR

Thank you,

Team AWHC

Roundups Status Update

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) summer helicopter roundups have officially been underway for a full month. Today, I want to provide an update about these cruel and costly ongoing federal operations in Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming that put our wild herds in danger of injuries or worse, death.

In Nevada: Over 1,660 wild horses and burros have been captured so far from the Blue Wing complex, including 247 foals. So far, there have been a staggering 42 deaths due to traumatic causes or euthanasia, often for non-fatal physical abnormalities. 

In Utah: Roundups concluded last week in the Swasey Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA). The BLM rounded up nearly 190 wild horses — including over 30 foals.

In Wyoming: A grueling 23-day roundup targeting the North Lander Complex, which includes the Conant Creek, Dishpan Butte, Muskrat Basin, and Rock Creek Mountain HMAs, has concluded. In total, 2,577 wild horses were captured — including 471 foals — and 16 wild horses were killed across the Complex. A second federal roundup is scheduled to begin later this month at the White Mountain HMA.

Your support has been instrumental in raising awareness and advocating for the humane conservation of America’s iconic wild herds. Thank you for standing with us in our fight to protect wild horses and burros from eradication. Your advocacy never goes unnoticed.

Onward, 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director

RED ALERT: Wild Horse Abuse By Fed’l Contractors Caught On Camera

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Our humane observers recently documented extreme abuse during the Blue Wing Complex wild horse roundup. Our footage shows contractors repeatedly kicking a collapsed wild horse in the head. The horse is one of over 1,700 wild horses and burros targeted for removal from Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex as part of the BLM’s mass summer roundup campaign.

SPEAK UP FOR THE BLUE WING WILD HORSES

The ongoing Blue Wing Complex roundup has been conducted under punishing conditions, amidst two prolonged heat waves and poor air quality due to wildfires in the area. An astounding  39 horses have so far died during the roundup. The causes of death include:

  • Traumatic injuries such as broken necks and blunt-force trauma
  • Three animals arriving at the holding corrals dead on the trailer after transport from the roundup site.
  • Non-life-threatening conditions like arthritis and clubbed feet for which the BLM routinely euthanizes animals.
TAKE ACTION AND DEMAND AN INVESTIGATION

AWHC immediately lept into action and filed a formal complaint regarding this horrific act of violence, calling for immediate investigation into the abuse, which rises to a level of criminal conduct under the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and is punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 one year in jail or both.

Now we need your help. Can you please sign on to our petition calling for the BLM to hold these contractors criminally responsible for the abuse inflicted upon the Blue Wing Complex wild horses? We’ve set an ambitious goal of getting 20,000 signers to show the BLM that this type of treatment is unacceptable. Please sign on now.

TAKE ACTION

Thank you for your advocacy.

Onward,

Team AWHC

Tails from the Wild

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We have quite a few updates for you in this week’s edition of e-news. Read on to learn about our recent political efforts, a timeline of our 12-year battle for Wyoming’s wild horses, and an exciting tale (or tail!) from the Virginia Range!

AWHC Political Update

Recently, AWHC’s government relations team has been hard at work both at the state level and at the federal level! Read our most recent blog about our efforts to support wild horse-friendly legislation in both Colorado and Congress.

Read More

AWHC Litigation Update 

We often get asked, “Why don’t you sue?” And the answer is, we do!

When considering potential litigation, there are many factors our expert legal teams consider — including the viability of legal action and the precedent the lawsuit will set if we win or lose. We take on litigation that will have the biggest impact on our wild horses for years to come.

In the Wyoming Checkerboard, we’ve been litigating to protect 1 million acres of public lands and the horses who inhabit them for the last decade. Read the full timeline of our legal actions here. AWHC and partners took the BLM to court over their decision to completely eradicate two wild horse herds in the Great Divide Basin HMA and Salt Wells Creek HMA. The court will determine if the BLM has the authority granted by Congress under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to make such drastic and harmful decisions. This case could set a precedent for the future of wild horse protection. Longtime AWHC attorney Bill Eubanks said, “Arguably this is the most important wild horse case that’s ever been argued.” Watch his full interview here!

The Wyoming Checkerboard Timeline

Tails From the Wild

Wild horse bands have a complex social structure that is incredible to witness when you get a chance to see them in the wild! One day, AWHC volunteer Deb Sutherland was there to witness them in action. She was hiking on the range documenting the Virginia Range mustangs for AWHC’s fertility control program when she came across a chestnut stallion with a star, a dark blue roan stallion, a light bay mare with a funny-looking blaze, and a dark bay mare. A herd of bachelor stallions was playing in the spring that this family was walking toward. Click here to read what happens next!

Read the Full Story

Roundups Update: 

  • Total number of wild horses and burros rounded up (as of July 18): 3,460
  • Total number of foals rounded up (as of July 18): 592
  • Total number of deaths (as of July 18): 35
  • Wild horses and burros to be rounded up before Oct 30: 6,844

Thank you for reading this edition of e-news, Meredith.

Stay wild!

Team AWHC

eNews Update

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

This week’s edition of e-news is packed with exciting updates, concerning developments, and insightful perspectives on our mission to protect America’s wild horses and burros.

Good News: AWHC Renews Cooperative Agreement to Continue Groundbreaking Humane Mgt Program

Last month, AWHC and the Nevada Department of Agriculture signed a non-exclusive agreement to implement a humane fertility control program for the Virginia Range free-roaming horse population for the sixth year in a row. This program is the world’s largest of its kind and was the basis of a recent, peer-reviewed scientific study, affirming the viability of large-scale fertility control programs. Read the announcement.

Read More

AWHC in the News: New report finds success in wild horse adoption program, critics disagree

The Reno Gazette Journal recently interviewed AWHC team member, Amelia Perrin, about a new report that endorses the Bureau of Land Management’s Adoption Incentive Program. AWHC blasted the report and its recommendation to increase the cash incentives that are sending droves of wild horses into the slaughter pipeline, stating it was just an “endorsement of the expansion of a fundamentally broken management system.” Read the article for more.

Read More

Opinion: Wild horse roundups are cruel and deadly. And the deaths don’t stop when helicopters land

In a recent opinion piece, AWHC’s Nevada state director, Tracy Wilson, criticizes the Bureau of Land Management’s wild horse roundups as cruel and deadly. The article emphasizes the high mortality rates at holding facilities, such as the Fallon Off-Range Corral, where nearly 9% of horses died within a year, and offers humane solutions that would keep wild horses in the wild, where they belong. Read the full piece.

Read the Article

SIGN ON: Tell the BLM to END the AIP cash incentive, not increase it >>

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

You may have seen that, this week, the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) released a report praising the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) controversial Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which pays individuals $1,000 per animal to adopt up to four wild horses and burros a year. Unfortunately, this report not only ignores the consequences of the AIP, but it calls for increasing the cash incentive payments that are sending thousands of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline. Further, this report supports the status quo of roundups and removals and minimizes the importance of scientific, affordable, and publicly acceptable wild horse conservation solutions.

We know the AIP has been a disaster and using this report to justify the continuation of the program would mean more beloved wild horses and burros in the slaughter pipeline. Will you take a moment to protect wild horses and burros from slaughter by calling on the BLM to abandon the cash incentives, not increase them?

TAKE ACTION

Since 2020, the BLM has rounded up over 50,000 wild horses and burros and adopted out a mere 15,000 through the AIP. During the same timeframe, our Investigations Team has identified over 2,100 BLM-branded wild horses and burros in kill pens. This is just a fraction of the true total since most kill pens don’t publicly advertise these animals before shipping them to slaughter.

Cash incentives are not a solution for addressing the animal welfare crisis created by the BLM’s roundup and removal program. It’s indisputable that the continuation of the cash incentives is placing the 64,000 wild horses and burros in the BLM’s holding system at risk of slaughter. We MUST speak up on behalf of these animals and stop this slaughter pipeline! Please join us in urging the BLM to end the cash incentives for the AIP.

TAKE ACTION

Our investigation – which resulted in a 2021 groundbreaking front-page exposé in the New York Times – identified over a dozen groups of related individuals that have been defrauding taxpayers out of thousands of dollars by adopting multiple rounds of AIP animals and then sending them to kill pens once the cash incentives clear their bank accounts. In some cases, these nefarious adopters go back just days after being awarded title to adopt their next round of animals.

Unfortunately, this crisis has only gotten worse since our investigation began, as the BLM continues to round up more and more mustangs and burros every year. In fact, the influx of AIP wild horses and burros into slaughter auctions has far exceeded the capacity of rescue organizations trying to save them.

END THE AIP CASH INCENTIVE

But, it’s vital that the BLM end the AIP cash incentive, not increase it. Instead of handing out cash payments, the BLM should offer a noncash veterinary voucher to support responsible adopters and offset the initial care of adopted wild horses and burros. But to make that happen, we need to raise our collective voices and demand the change these innocent animals desperately need.

Please take a moment to send a letter to the Director of the BLM and urge them to stop the cash incentives and instead, offer a veterinary voucher to incentivize responsible mustang and burro adoptions!

Thank you,

Team AWHC

How we’re fighting for burros

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Wild burros are faced with significant threats to their freedom and safety as a result of misguided federal policy that prioritizes cruel roundups instead of humane in-the-wild management.

We focus much of our efforts on fighting for wild horses, and we are just as staunch in our commitment to advocating for our beloved burros! And what better time to double down on our burro advocacy than during Burro Awareness Month?

GIVE TO HELP US ADVOCATE FOR BURROS

One of the most important ways we’re fighting back for burros is on Capitol Hill. We’re advocating for several important bills that would reform the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) cruel and costly Wild Horse and Burro Program, like the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023-2024 introduced by Representative Dina Titus (D-NV)). This important piece of legislation would ban the use of helicopters in federal wild horse and burro roundups. Thanks to our advocacy efforts, over 20,000 individuals have written to their Members of Congress asking them to cosponsor the bill.

We’re also advocating for the passage of the Ejiao Act, a bill that would prohibit the transportation, sale, and purchase of donkeys or donkey hides for the purpose of producing ejiao – a gelatin made from boiling donkey skins. Experts estimate that the global demand for donkey skins is approximately 4.8 million hides per year. As a result, the donkey skin trade is decimating global donkey populations. Passing this legislation could help save untold numbers of donkeys and burros from slaughter for their skins. Our advocacy work has generated over 50,000 letters sent in support of the Ejiao Act!

AWHC is leading the charge and thanks to our herd of advocates, Congress is hearing our collective calls for the humane conservation of America’s wild horses and burros!

POWER OUR ADVOCACY WORK FOR BURROS

Beyond our legislative efforts, we’re also defending burros in court, particularly against the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which has resulted in droves of wild burros being funneled into the slaughter pipeline in recent years.

The AIP was meant to increase the number of untrained wild horses and burros adopted out by offering financial incentives to adopters. However, less than two years after the program began, AWHC began receiving reports from rescue groups about an influx of BLM-branded wild horses and burros to known kill pens. Our team has identified and aided in the rescue of several groups of AIP burros, including a group of 22 burros and another group of 11 burros that were all dumped at kill pens together. 

To combat this extremely worrying trend, AWHC filed suit against the alleged illegal implementation of the AIP and is taking the BLM on court right now to put a stop to the program.

FUEL OUR FIGHT FOR BURROS

These are just a few of the ways we’re fighting for the freedom and safety of wild burros across the country. In honor of Burro Awareness Month, will you chip in to support our work to protect America’s wild burros?

Thank you,

Team AWHC

A Victory for North Dakota Wild Horses

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Have you heard the incredible news out of North Dakota? Thanks to a strong showing of public support from wild horse advocates, the Three Affiliated Tribes, state leaders, and Congressional representatives — North Dakota’s only wild horse herd will be allowed to continue living in the only home it has known for centuries. 

GIVE TO HELP US ADVOCATE FOR WILD HORSES

The National Park Service recently announced it will abandon plans to severely reduce or completely remove the Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP) horse herd. Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the only parks in America where visitors can catch a glimpse of free-roaming horses.

Photo courtesy of Sandy Sisti

When we heard about the plans to eradicate the Teddy Roosevelt wild horses, we knew we had to join the elected leaders and wild horse organizations fighting back. So, AWHC submitted public comments, launched awareness-raising billboards, and mobilized over 20,000 members of the public to speak up for the preservation of this historic herd. Strong showings of support, like this one, are key to enacting lasting policy reform in both the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

The future of America’s wild herds depends on our ability to advocate for them on Capitol Hill, in the courts, and in the field. Can you donate today and help sustain our lifesaving efforts?

POWER OUR WORK

Together, we can secure a future of humane management and fair treatment for these historic animals.

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Conservation

SIGN ON: Join our demand for transparency at BLM Roundups!

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Thanks in part to AWHC’s public awareness campaigns, a growing number of Americans are speaking out against the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) cruel helicopter roundup and removal cycle. Despite this growing outrage, the agency continues to conduct these operations – oftentimes in some of the most remote corners of the West and away from the public eye.


Photo of the January 2024 roundup at Black Mountain by Darlene Smith

While we send observers to document as many of these roundups as possible, the BLM and its contractors enact restrictions on public observation, including placing our observers over a mile away from the trap. This often results in a significant lack of transparency during the roundups.

That’s why we are continuing to call on the BLM to require camera installations on all helicopters and wranglers used during roundups and at the trap sites of these operations. Will you join us and help ensure transparency and accountability for any violations during BLM helicopter roundups?

SIGN ON →

The roundups of the Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) burros in Arizona over the past few years are prime examples of why these cameras are so desperately needed.

This HMA spans an impressive 1.1 million acres and encompasses public, state, tribal, and private lands in Mohave County, AZ. The BLM estimated the current population of the Black Mountain HMA to be nearly over 800 burros, making it one of the most genetically diverse wild burros herds left in the American Southwest.

Unfortunately, this herd has been repeatedly targeted for removal by the BLM and has suffered tremendously as a result.

Photo of the January 2024 roundup at Black Mountain by Darlene Smith

The agency targeted hundreds of burros for removal from the HMA this year in an attempt to reduce the population to an arbitrary Appropriate Management Level (AML) of just 478 burros. While the BLM did not meet its target, many burros were captured and removed from their homes, and one burro was even euthanized for a pre-existing condition.

This herd was also targeted in a particularly brutal roundup in 2022. AWHC had observers on the ground to document the operation, but it wasn’t until after the roundup had concluded that it was uncovered that the BLM granted its contractors permission to use electric cattle prods on several animals while loading them onto trailers. 

According to the agency’s own Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program Assessment, BLM contractor’s staff treated burros in an abusive and inhumane manner, including “aggressively hitting and jabbing the paddle into the sides and sensitive areas of burros.” 

The contractor faced little to no repercussions for their actions, and without this report, the mistreatment of these burros would remain unknown. But Meredith, if there were cameras on helicopters and at trap sites, the public could hold the BLM accountable for the the cruelty inflicted upon these animals.

AWHC is fighting hard to put an end to helicopter roundups through our work on Capitol Hill, in the courts, and in the field. But until we can stop them for good, there is only one way to guarantee that no BLM abuse goes undocumented. Will you call on the BLM to mandate camera installations on all helicopters and at trap sites used for roundups?

ACT NOW

Thank you,

Team AWHC

ICYMI: Our investigations team helped uncover hundreds of deaths at this BLM facility

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

In case you missed it, last month the American Wild Horse Conservation’s investigations team unveiled Bureau of Land Management (BLM) records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. These records revealed a deeply disturbing trend at the Indian Lakes Off-Range Corral in Nevada.

In 2023 alone, 267 wild horses died in captivity at this federal holding facility. These deaths — many of them unexplained — represent a staggering 9% mortality rate for just one year.

HELP US CONTINUE RAISING AWARENESS

Here’s some of what our team uncovered through the FOIA records: 

  • 30 horses were euthanized by the BLM for non-life-threatening conditions such as eye abnormalities.
  • 49 horses died from traumatic injuries resulting in broken bones.
  • More than 100 horses were “found dead in their pens” for reasons described as “Unknown/Undiagnosed.”

Our commitment to changing the BLM’s inhumane treatment of wild horses and burros doesn’t end with just uncovering the truth. So, we took our findings to the media because if we know one thing, it’s that Americans are outraged and want to take action when they learn what’s happening to our wild horses and burros.

Based on AWHC’s findings, both the Las Vegas Sun and 8NewsNow published articles exposing the dark side of the Fallon holding facility.  Thanks to our awareness-building media outreach, we are driving real policy change and governmental accountability.

In fact, Representative Dina Titus said it best in the Las Vegas Sun article:

“This is completely unacceptable treatment of these icons of the West, and I remain committed to ending the mass captivity of wild horses in Nevada.” 

Meredith, our important work is powered by wild horse and burro allies like you. Your donations enable us to take action to reveal the truth about what is happening to American wild horses and burros and then drive reform through public awareness and congressional action. Can you chip in a contribution today to power this vital work?

POWER OUR WORK

Thank you,

American Wild Horse Conservation

BREAKING: 77 House Reps Sign Letter Demanding Humane Treatment of Wild Horses, Burros

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

When wild horse advocates allies band together, we can move mountains — or at least make them safer for America’s wild horses and burros. This month, 77 members of U.S. Congress, from both sides of the aisle, called for humane wild horse management in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) House Appropriations legislation.

In the language submitted, they have requested the following: 

  • The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spends no less than 10% of its budget on humane fertility control in at least five herd management areas (HMAS).
    • If the BLM fails to implement acceptable fertility control programs within 120 days of the bill’s passing, it will incur a $100K reduction in program funding per day until it does so.

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Why accountability matters: This isn’t the first time Congress has directed BLM to spend up to $11 million on humane fertility control programs. Despite this, the BLM continues to round up tens of thousands of wild horses and burros and funnel them into overburdened federal holding facilities, while historically spending less than 1% of its budget on humane fertility control.

Our advocacy in the federal government represents some of the most impactful work we do. The support by nearly 80 representatives is a clear indication that Congress shares our frustration with the BLM’s failure to reform its inhumane and unsustainable program We extend a special thank you to Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), Steve Cohen (D-TN), and David Schweikert (R-AZ) for leading the bipartisan effort to end BLM’s cruel, costly helicopter roundups.

Give to Support Our Work on Capitol Hill

Additional requests contained in the bipartisan letter: 

  • Prohibit the use of funds for ovariectomy procedures
  • Direct studies considering humane alternatives to helicopters
  • Stop cash incentive payments for adoptions
  • Identify HMAs and Herd Areas that could be redesignated for relocating horses as an alternative to off-range holding
  • Maintain the prohibition on the sale or adoption of healthy wild horses and burros that results in their destruction.

Meredith, our important work on Capitol Hill is powered by grassroots advocates like you. YOUR donations ensure we have the resources to expose federal agencies’ lack of accountability, educate elected leaders, and effect much-needed change for our wild herds. Can you chip in a contribution today to power this vital work? 

We are determined to hold the BLM accountable for continued inhumane and costly taxpayer-funded helicopter roundups. Thank you again to our legion of bipartisan support in Congress, and to YOU for following our fight to conserve our wild wild horses and burros.

Onward,

American Wild Horse Conservation

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World Donkey Day: A Personal Story

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

My name is Nicole Hayes and I’m AWHC’s Conservation Scientist! I’m reaching out today because tomorrow is World Donkey Day! This is an important day for me and every member of my team at American Wild Horse Conservation because it falls in May, or Burro Awareness Month! This is a month-long celebration of the unique lives and benefits of our wild burros!

TAKE ACTION FOR DONKEYS AND BURROS! >>

In the spirit of World Donkey Day, I want to share a personal story about the burros who inhabit some of the wildest corners of the American West.

Dusk was settling in the Big Smoky Valley in Nevada. I was road-tripping with AWHC state director Tracy Wilson last year, and we took an unplanned detour to some well-known hot springs just before sunset. To our surprise, we started to notice wild burros coming into the water around all us. To respect their space, we moved to our vehicle and watched for over an hour as 30 to 40 wild burros descended on the springs for a drink of water before nightfall. It was my second encounter ever with wild burros and my first time seeing so many!

That afternoon was one of the most memorable experiences of my conservation career — and an important reminder that wild burro conservation is crucial.

DONATE NOW TO DONKEYS AND BURROS! >>

Burros serve as remarkable ecosystem engineers. Research shows that wild burros actually boost water availability in deserts across the American West. Wells dug by burros in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts serve as a water source for more than five dozen native species. In fact, sometimes burro wells are their only water source.

This Burro Awareness Month, join us in taking action to protect the donkeys of the American West against mass roundups and removals by the Bureau of Land Management. Then, voice your support for these precious animals on social media with the hashtags #KeepWildBurrosWild and #SaveOurBurros!

DONATE NOW

Thank you! Together we can make a difference for America’s wild herds.

Nicole Hayes
Conservation Scientist
American Wild Horse Conservation

Checking in

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The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

My team let me know that it has been a while since we heard from you, so we wanted to check in. Recently, a lot has been going on in the fight to conserve the freedom and habitat of America’s wild horses and burros. And we want to make sure you are in the loop.

On Capitol Hill, several critical bills are being considered that will advance humane reforms to the federal management of our nation’s wild herds. One of these bills is the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2023-2024 (H.R. 3656), which seeks to prohibit costly and inhumane helicopter roundups of wild horses and burros. American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is working hard to pass this key legislation. We recently led a Day of Action, leading to over 20,000 letters sent to Congress urging support for the bill.

AWHC is also advocating for provisions to be added to the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 appropriations bills that would require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to enact several key reforms to its Wild Horse and Burro Program, such as:

  • Allocate no less than 10% of the agency’s budget for the implementation of humane fertility control programs in at least five additional Herd Management Areas (HMAs). If the BLM fails to do this 120 days after the passage of this bill, it will incur a$100,000 fine per dayuntil it implements acceptable fertility control programs.
    • Ensure no funds are used for permanent mare surgical sterilization.
    • Study humane alternatives to the use of helicopters.
    • End the BLM’s cash incentive component of the disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), which has funneled hundreds of wild horses and burros into the slaughter pipeline.
    •And more!
FUEL OUR GR WORK

In the field, we’ve embarked on an exciting new initiative called the Land Conservancy Project. This innovative program aims to preserve and enhance key habitats for America’s wild horses and burros to support self-sustaining wild horse populations in ecological balance with the land and other wildlife. To this end, AWHC recently acquired 3,300+ acres of prime habitat in Nevada’s beautiful Carson Valley to serve as a pilot program for the project.

We’re also expanding our fieldwork, conducting humane, reversible fertility control programs on local wild horse herds. For the past four years, we’ve implemented the world’s largest humane management program for wild horses on Nevada’s Virginia Range. Now, we’ve recently been approved for a federal grant to support the implementation of a fertility control program on Utah’s Cedar Mountain herd!

FUEL OUR FIELD WORK

In the courtrooom, we’re taking the BLM head-on to protect wild horses and burros. We have two major ongoing federal lawsuits against the BLM. In Wyoming, we’ve been involved in critical litigation for more than a decade to prevent the eradication of wild horses from the Wyoming Checkerboard in favor of commercial livestock grazing. We are also suing the BLM over the alleged illegal implementation of the disastrous AIP.

FUEL OUR LEGAL WORK

With over 20,000 wild horses and burros slated for removal in FY 2024, these iconic animals need our support now more than ever. If you’re still with us in the fight to protect our wild herds and keep them in the wild where they belong, will you consider contributing today to help power this critical work?

Thank you,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Conservation

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