Menu

BLM

Update from Colorado

, , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

It’s officially month 4 of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter roundups, which continue to inflict stress and suffering on wild horse and burro populations on public lands across the West. Since June, the BLM’s inhumane helicopter roundups have amassed more than 90 deaths (and counting). Make no mistake: We will continue to expose the brutal reality our mustangs and burros face until these cruel, unscientific BLM roundups have ended for good. To continue these efforts through the fall, we need to raise at least $20,000 by the end of September. Will you chip in to help us reach this ambitious goal?

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL

Just this week, the BLM wrapped up a roundup in the Little Book Cliffs Herd Management Area in northwest Colorado, which aimed to reduce the herd size by 57%. This goal was based on an unscientific appropriate management level (AML) of 90-150 horses. Based on the data reported so far, here’s what we know about this operation:

A total of 140 animals were captured and removed, including 21 foals. This roundup also resulted in three unnecessary deaths. 


Photo of Little Book Cliffs Roundup by WilsonAxpe PhotoAdvocacy

The Little Book Cliffs roundup is yet another stark reminder of the ongoing battle to protect our wild horses and burros. The BLM’s mismanagement continues to raise serious ethical concerns, and we cannot remain silent while these animals are subjected to such treatment.

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL

The cruel and costly BLM roundup is expected to cost American taxpayers up to $154 million and this summer has targeted more than 10,000 wild horses on the public lands in Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, California, Oregon, Arizona and, now, Colorado.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Our work at the American Wild Horse Conservation proves there are more humane, cost-effective ways to manage our wild horses — especially in Colorado where the state is poised to help support and expand existing fertility control programs. 

FUEL OUR FIGHT

Thank you for being an ally in our ongoing fight to protect America’s iconic wild herds from eradication. Together, we can stop inhumane helicopter roundups and fight for in-the-wild conservation for our cherished wild horses and burros.

Together,

American Wild Horse Conservation

Take action for the Montgomery Pass Wild Horses

, , , , , 1

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Last month, we asked you to speak up for the Montgomery Pass wild horses (also known as the Mono Lake horses). And thanks to your advocacy, we generated nearly 5,000 letters demanding that The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) implement humane, scientifically led conservation solutions instead of cruelly rounding this historic herd.

Now the wild horses who roam the 50,815 acres of public and private lands need your help again. On August 8, 2024, the BLM and USFS released an Environmental Assessment, detailing their proposed action for the Montgomery Pass wild horses.

This inhumane plan calls for multiple roundups in order to remove all horses who currently reside outside of the Territory, as well as to achieve the unscientific Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 138 to 230 animals. This AML was set in 1988 and has not been re-evaluated in the 36 years since. 

Object to this Proposed Action

When evaluating the final proposed action in this Environmental Assessment, the agencies failed to consider:

  1. Relocating the horses: According to binding USFS regulations, the agency must consider relocating the removed wild horses. In this case, the USFS should relocate the Montgomery Pass horses inside the Territory and address the ecological conditions that are causing them to leave their designated habitat. If that is not possible, they should evaluate other USFS lands where the horses could be relocated.
  2. Reevaluating the AML: The BLM and USFS should conduct a thorough reassessment of the AML using new and updated scientific data to ensure it reflects the current ecological reality.
  3. Implementing Fertility Control: Utilize humane, scientifically studied, and reversible fertility control initiatives to humanely manage the population of the herd, without resorting to removals.
  4. The impact of Livestock Grazing: Assess and acknowledge the detrimental impacts of livestock grazing on the Territory and incorporate this understanding into all management decisions.
  5. Protecting predators: A 25-year study on mountain lion predation shows this herd has been managed successfully by predation. This study provides invaluable insights into natural population control mechanisms and should be considered for re-establishing natural predation to manage the herd’s population.
Object to this Proposed Action

This proposed action is not guided by science and allows for the most outdated, costly and cruel methods of managing wild horses including helicopter roundups. Speak up now to formally object to this proposed action!

Take Action

Thank you for your advocacy,

Team AWHC

We’re Fighting for Transparency — Can You Help?

, , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The investigative work we do at the American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) represents some of the most impactful action we take for our nation’s iconic wild herds. A critical component of that work includes our ongoing efforts to file Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests uncovering the fate of captured horses and burros. This wouldn’t be possible without your support. As we enter the final stretch of summer and fall roundups, will you rush a donation to fuel our investigative work through the end of the year?

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Every time the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) conducts a roundup, we get to work filing FOIA requests to shine a light on what’s really happening to wild horses and burros after they have been ripped from their habitats. The BLM often reports low death rates during these operations, but our investigations have uncovered a more grim reality.

For example, in 2022, the BLM rounded up 1,022 wild horses and burros from Nevada’s Blue Wing Complex. The government reported 14 deaths associated with that roundup. But, our investigation revealed an additional 63 animals perished in the months following the operation — including 31 burros who likely died of a condition typically brought on by extreme stress.

These heartbreaking deaths would have remained hidden if not for the records we obtained through our FOIA efforts. The worst part: This is not an isolated incident. We are on a mission to continue pursuing transparency and holding the BLM accountable. At any given time, our team is following up on dozens of active FOIA requests, many of which are subjected to a series of unnecessary delays. As a result, we have filed over 20 FOIA lawsuits just to access public information from our own federal government.

SUPPORT OUR WORK

This work is vital to exposing the truth and pursuing meaningful change for American wild herds — especially with yet another federally funded roundup operation set to begin this month in the Twin Peaks Herd Management Area (HMA) straddling Lassen County, California, and Washoe County, Nevada. The Twin Peaks roundup will deploy helicopters intent on trapping and eradicating over 800 wild horses from their home on 758,128 acres of public land.

We can’t do this alone. Your support allows us to continue filing FOIA requests, taking legal action, and shining a light on the BLM’s failures to provide humane treatment to America’s wild herds.

Will you join us in our fight for government transparency? Your donation fuels our Legal Fund and helps give a voice to America’s voiceless wild horses and burros.

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Thank you for standing with us and for these incredible animals.

Warm regards,

Amelia Perrin
American Wild Horse Conservation

Our latest investigative findings

, , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

An important cornerstone of our work to protect America’s wild herds is our investigations into the Bureau of Land Management’s costly and cruel Wild Horse and Burro Program. Through this work, we aim to pull back the curtain on the grim realities these federally protected animals face daily. We can’t continue this work without you. Will you chip in right now to fuel our investigative work through the end of the year?

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Our multi-year investigation into the federal government’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP) continues, and the most recent findings are deeply concerning. Since 2020, more than 2,100 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) horses and burros have been dumped in kill pens — a distressing outcome we cannot ignore.

The main driver behind this influx of horses and burros in slaughter auctions across the country is the AIP’s cash incentive: a $1,000 payment given to private individuals to adopt up to four unhandled, untrained wild horses or burros each year.

So far, our investigation has confirmed the following: 

  • AWHC obtained identifying brand information for 855 of the 2,100 animals.
  • Of those, 603 horses and burros were originally adopted through the AIP.
  • ONLY 29 animals have been verified as not part of the AIP.
  • 974 animals remain unidentifiable due to obstruction of their brands by the kill pens.
  • 520 animals have pending Freedom of Information Act requests awaiting BLM response to confirm their AIP status.
TAKE ACTION

It has been clear since the start that the AIP is nothing more than a pipeline to slaughter. Our investigative work continues to not only prove this but reveal how significant the problem really is.

More disturbing is the BLM’s lack of accountability in addressing the core issue, the cash incentives. The agency continues to wash its hands of any responsibility — all while failing to implement meaningful reforms to protect and manage American wild herds.

We cannot allow this disastrous cash incentive program to continue endangering the lives of hundreds — if not thousands — of these innocent animals.

That’s why AWHC has been working day in and day out in the field, in courts, and on Capitol Hill to hold the BLM accountable, but we need your help. Will you donate to help us STOP the cash incentives for the AIP?

SUPPORT OUR WORK

Thank you for your support of our programs, like our investigations work. With your help, we’ve not only been able to prove the AIP has created a slaughter pipeline, but also save mustangs and burros from slaughter auctions across the country. Our investigative work hinges on the support of advocates like you.

Onward,

Team AWHC

We must ensure accountability for our wild herds

, , , , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Our wild herds are suffering. Contractors, hired by the federal government to conduct wild horse helicopter roundups, are violating the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) very own animal welfare standards. These violations endanger our iconic wild horses and burros and put them at risk of serious injury.

Since 2021, the BLM has sent Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) teams to assess five roundups conducted by Cattoor Livestock, one of the BLM’s longstanding roundup operators. These assessments revealed that in the five roundups assessed, Cattoor Livestock contractors violated the animal welfare standards 30 times. Over 20 of those were “major” violations, which means they impact the health or welfare of our wild equines.

One of the more concerning cases was the 2021 Antelope Complex roundup, where 11 wild horses died. Numerous violations were recorded including, separating foals from their mothers for at least six hours, and overcrowded holding pens. The BLM’s own publicly-available CAWP report from this roundup states:

“The contractor was observed to be disagreeable and argumentative at every opportunity for discussion with the COR, the contractor offered more excuses than demonstrated interest in complying with the CAWP standards.”
HELP US FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

This is not an isolated incident. In 2022, at the Black Mountain roundup, an employee of Cattoor Livestock was documented using a paddle in an abusive manner by jabbing and striking burros in their most sensitive areas, all while visibly angry and frustrated. 

And at the Piceance-East Douglas roundup in Colorado, the federal contractor company was cited for seven major violations, including failure to provide proper facilities to care for vulnerable horses, including foals, improper water trough placement, and neglecting to control dust levels that posed respiratory risks to the animals. These violations of basic animal welfare guidelines are unacceptable.

We can not stand by and let this abuse go unchecked. Wild horses and burros deserve better, and we need your help to continue fighting for justice and accountability for our wild herds. Can you chip in today to help power our work to stand up for these incredible animals?

HELP US FIGHT FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

Thank you.

American Wild Horse Conservation

URGENT: Speak up for the Tassi-Gold Butte burros!

, , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

The Tassi-Gold Butte burros in Arizona’s Mojave Desert are in urgent need of your help. Right now, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the National Park Service (NPS) are considering a proposed action that would remove every single burro from their home in the 100,000-acre Tassi-Gold Butte Herd Management Area (HMA). We can’t let this happen!

The BLM and NPS are accepting public comments on this plan until September 9th, and your voice could help make a difference. Will you speak up for these wild burros by sending a letter to the agencies opposing this unscientific and destructive plan?

TAKE ACTION

In 1998, the BLM and NPS set the Appropriate Management Level (AML) for burros in this area to zero – a decision based on unscientific information, which hasn’t been reevaluated in over 25 years. Now, they are using that decades-old AML to justify the complete removal of these historic animals from the land they call home.

The agencies claim the removal is necessary to protect the critically endangered Desert Tortoise, but research shows the real threats to the tortoise are human-caused: habitat loss, invasive grasses, and habitat fragmentation due to roads. These wild burros are being unfairly blamed, while the actual problems go unaddressed.

This cruel and costly plan threatens not only the Tassi-Gold Butte burros but also the balance of the desert ecosystem. We need to stand up for these innocent animals and demand a more humane and scientifically sound approach. Please take a moment to send a letter to the BLM and NPS opposing this disastrous proposal and calling for humane alternatives instead!

TAKE ACTION

Thank you,

Team AWHC

Support wild horses and their wild friends

, , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Happy National Wildlife Day!

This holiday was established to honor the wildlife living among us. That’s why we’re celebrating America’s wild horses and burros living in ecological balance with thousands of other species on our public lands across the West. Can you chip in to help fuel our in-the-wild conservation work to protect these iconic animals? >>


Photo: John T. Humphrey

Our Land Conservancy Project builds on our unmatched record of in-the-wild conservation by working to restore meadows, protect creeks and springheads to provide life-sustaining access to water, and reseed areas with native grasses to ensure that wild horses and other wildlife have the resources they need to thrive. As you can see from the photo above, mustangs aren’t the only form of life flourishing on AWHC land!

Support In-the-Wild Conservation

When we announced our Land Conservancy Project in 2021, it was a groundbreaking new idea that we knew would be successful. Today, our main focus is ground healing.

We hope to see continued success demonstrated by thriving wild herds and flourishing wildlife of ALL kinds roaming free on the lands they call home.


Photo: John T. Humphrey

In addition to our Land Conservancy Project, our dedicated team is showing up every single day in the field, in the courts, and on Capitol Hill continuing our fight to uphold the promise to protect America’s wild horses and burros for generations to come.

But we can’t do this important work without your help. If you’re with us in the fight to protect America’s wild horses and burros, will you make a donation of any amount to fuel our work today?

Chip In Now

Thank you for your support, and happy National Wildlife Day!

– Team AWHC

With gratitude and hope ❤️

, , , , , 0

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

The cost of freedom lost

, , , , , , , 0

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

Saving lives through our Rescue Fund

, , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We are fiercely committed to safeguarding America’s iconic wild horses and burros. Many times, our promise to protect our wild herds requires activating the AWHC Rescue Fund at a moment’s notice. The Rescue Fund enables our team to provide vital support to on the ground rescues by funding hay and feed, transport to safety, and critical veterinary care. Before the end of this month, we hope to raise $10,000 to replenish our Rescue Fund so we can be prepared to step up at a moment’s notice. Will you chip in to help us reach our goal?

REFUEL OUR RESCUE FUND

As we speak, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s summer roundup campagin is continuing across Western states. These cruel and costly helicopter operations endanger the lives of wild horses, and lead to capture, confinement, and sometimes slaughter. Our Rescue Fund has been pivotal in rescuing hundreds of wild horses and burros in need of help.

Now we’re aiming to raise $10,000 to ensure our vital rescue operations can continue. These funds will support local rescue organizations that are saving mustangs and burros from imminent danger.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of supporters like you, the Rescue Fund has already saved hundreds of wild horses and burros, including victims of the BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program (AIP). This program has created a pipeline to slaughter by awarding $1,000 to adopters per horse or burro adopted. Then irresponsible adopters are pocket the cash and dump their adopted animlas in slaughter auctions across the country.

We’re fighting back against the BLM’s inhumane management practices, including the AIP, but we need to be ready to help mustangs and burros in need.

Please consider making a donation to our Rescue Fund today. Your support is crucial in ensuring we can continue our mission to protect and preserve America’s wild horses and burros.

REFUEL OUR RESCUE FUND

Thank you for standing with us in this vital cause. Together, we can ensure these magnificent animals remain free and wild, just as nature intended.

Onward,

Team AWHC

Bear Family Living in Ecological Balance With Nevada Wild Horses

, , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Many of you have been following our Land Conservancy Project, the bold initiative we pioneered last year. This program aims to perserve and enhance key habitats so our iconic wild herds can live wild and free in ecological balance in America’s western landscapes. Click here to support our Land Conservancy Project!!

FUEL THE LAND CONSERVANCY PROJECT

Our Land Conservancy Project is focused on three critical areas: land acquisition, habitat restoration, and humane management.

For context, the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) own range data indicates that private livestock overgrazing, along with fire and drought, have depleted habitats for all wildlife, including protected species like wild horses and burros.

This preventable habitat deterioration is one reason we took a huge step forward last year by acquiring 3,300 acres of prime habitat within Nevada’s picturesque Carson Valley. The land supports a diverse array of wildlife including the federally protected Fish Springs wild horse herd. We aim to use this innovative project to help set a new conservation standard for wild horse and burro protection. Our dedicated land manager, along with a team of passionate experts, is working on the ground, actively tracking wild horse movements, studying the intricacies of the land, and undertaking vital habitat restoration projects.

Photo of a Fish Springs foal by John T. Humphrey

We’ve spent the past year compiling photo evidence and scientific insights into how wild horses and local wildlife peacefully coexist, sharing the resources this land provides.


Photo taken on AWHC land by John T. Humphrey

Photo taken on AWHC land by John T. Humphrey

AWHC has a strong track record of protecting not only wild horses, but also the land they roam. Our Land Conservancy Project aims to build on this strong record by working to restore meadows, protect creeks and springheads to provide life-sustaining access to water, and reseed areas with native grasses to ensure that wild horses and other wildlife have the resources they need to thrive.

AWHC is proud to have embarked on this groundbreaking — or ground healing — project. 

If you’d like to help us support and expand this program to other areas of the West, please consider making a donation today. Your generosity will help ensure we have all the resources we need to make this initiative a success.

FUEL THE LAND CONSERVANCY PROJECT

Stay tuned for future updates on the program’s progress and the advancements this program allows us to make. And as always, thank you for standing up for American wild herds!

Onward,

Team AWHC

Three more roundups started last

, , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Within the last few days, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) began a series of wild horse and burro helicopter roundups as it continues its summer roundup campaign, aiming to remove over 7,000 federally protected animals. 

Photo of the White Mountain Herd by Nenah Demunster

PROTECT OUR WILD HERDS

Wyoming’s White Mountain roundup began on August 15th. Our on-the-ground observer visited the White Mountain herd in the few days before the helicopters took off. She documented the beautiful mustang families living wild and free in the Herd Management Area (HMA), and who were unaware that in mere days, nearly 600 would be ripped from the only homes they’d ever known.

Tragically, almost every horse she saw in those last moments of freedom has now been captured. The south side of the HMA has been scraped clean. Every single band that has been known and documented for years has been permanently removed, every familiar face is gone. Now 536 wild horses have lost their freedom and 10 have lost their lives.

Oregon’s South Steens roundup began the same day. The BLM aims to capture 760 wild horses. So far, 574 animals have been rounded up and eight have died.

On August 18th, the Marietta Wild Burro Range helicopter roundup began as well. This Range is the nation’s first formally recognized range managed principally for wild burros and is home to an estimated population of 387 burros. This roundup will reduce the population by a staggering 75%.

Photo by Steve Paige

PROTECT OUR WILD HERDS

These operations endanger the well-being of these innocent animals as well as the long-term viability of their herds. These cruel roundups often leave wild horses and burros traumatized. Young foals are separated from their mothers, horses and burros are often run to exhaustion, injuries are commonplace, and sometimes lives are tragically lost.

 AWHC is on the ground at these roundups, in remote corners of the West, bringing firsthand reports from the frontlines of these roundups to share the stories of these wild horses. By raising awareness, we can drive change, and our observation program is the cornerstone of educating the public about the plight of our wild horses and burros.

As the BLM pushes ahead with these upcoming roundups, we’re preparing to deploy more observers to the field – but we need your support to ensure that they have the resources they need to continue this work. These iconic animals are counting on us to shine a light on the harsh reality of federal helicopter roundups. Can you chip in whatever you can afford to support our Observation Program today?

DONATE

Thank you,

Team AWHC

We’re taking our Wyoming fight to the Appellate Court

, , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

We are at a crossroads in our fight to protect America’s wild horses. This week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming ruled on our legal case giving the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) the green light to remove nearly 5,000 Wyoming wild horses and destroy 2.1 million acres of their habitat. But this is not the end of the story — it’s a call to action.

FUEL OUR LEGAL FUND

This outcome was not unexpected and we will appeal it to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. We knew from the start that this issue would ultimately be decided by the appellate court, regardless of which side prevailed at the lower court.

We’ve won important cases at this appellate court before that show the BLM doesn’t have the power to remove wild horses from public lands just because landowners want them off their private property. And we’re not backing down now. Can you donate right now to fuel our legal team and ensure we have the resources to see this case through the Appellate Court process?

Photo Credit: Kimerlee Curyl Photography

I’ve been working with the attorneys, fighting for Wyoming’s wild horses for over a decade.  I’ve visited these herds, I’ve seen how magnificent these wild horses are. I know that if we stand by, this ruling could give the BLM unprecedented power to erase Herd Management Areas, threatening the very existence of not only the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin herds, but also other wild horse herds across the West. But if we act now, we have a chance to preserve these lands and protect the wild horses who call them home. That’s why today, we filed a Notice of Appeal, making it clear to the BLM that we will not back down.

FUEL OUR LEGAL FUND

This is a pivotal moment in our 12-year fight for these incredible animals. We cannot allow the livestock industry’s demands for eradication of the iconic Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin wild herds to prevail. I hope you stand with me as we once again take this fight to the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Onward, together,

Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Conservation

This week’s eNews: an update from Capitol Hill on the abuse uncovered at the Blue Wing Complex

, , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

This week’s edition of eNews is full of updates from Capitol Hill, the country’s first wild burro range, and Utah’s off-range holding facilities. Read on to learn more about lawmakers speaking up for wild horses, the Marietta wild burros, and for a look inside the Sutherland and Axtell holding facilities.

Members of Congress Speak Out Against Wild Horse Abuse Incident

In response to AWHC’s recently released video showing a Bureau of Land Management contractor repeatedly kicking a collapsed wild horse during the Blue Wing Complex helicopter roundup, Representatives Dina Titus (D-NV), Steve Cohen (D-TN), and David Schweikert (R-AZ) have called for increased transparency, scrutiny, and strict adherence to animal welfare standards during roundups. They joined a chorus of organizations and individuals calling for an investigation into the incident, including re-evaluating the relationship with the contractor involved. Click here to read more.

Read More

Marietta Wild Burro Range

The Marietta Burro Range is the nation’s first formally-recognized range managed principally for wild burros. It was designated as such in 1991 in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. In just a few days, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to round up 75% of this historic burro population. Last week, AWHC observers made a trip to survey the conditions of the range and to document the burros in what may be their last week of freedom. Click here to read more and meet the Marietta wild burros!

Meet the Burros!

Utah Off-Range Holding Facility Tours

AWHC’s observer recently attended two tours of Utah’s off-range holding facilities. The first was at the Sutherland off-range corral, which is overcapacity and is home to 1,524 wild horses. The second tour was at the Axtel facility, which holds 1,612 wild horses and 968 burros. Click here to read AWHC’s report from these tours and see photos of the captured wild horses.

Read the Reports

Onward,
Team AWHC

Including wild horse conservation in your legacy planning

, , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Did you know that August is National Make-A-Will Month?

We know this subject can seem daunting … but estate planning is incredibly important! Not only does creating a will give peace of mind and a sense of security to you and your family — but it’s a great way to create a lasting legacy for the causes you care about.

Planned gifts like wills and trusts are some of the best ways to help the charities you care about long after your lifetime. Special gifts like these help our amazing team implement the best possible programs to protect wild horses and burros. If you’re curious how you can add a Legacy Gift on behalf of America’s wild horses to your will, check out our info on it here:

MAKE A LEGACY GIFT

Many American Wild Horse Conservation supporters have already opted to include a Legacy Gift in their will, ensuring that their passion for wild horses will be remembered for many years to come.

So, as you contemplate your future planning, please consider weaving the noble cause of protecting wild horses and burros into the fabric of your legacy. By doing so, you can ensure that your impact continues through time, creating a lasting benefit for these majestic animals for generations to come.

– American Wild Horse Conservation

P.S. Interested in other ways to give? Check out all the different ways you can help wild horses!

Roundups Status Update

, , , , , 0

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

, , , , , 0

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

ROUNDUP ALERT: Swasey Mountain Horses Need Your Help

, , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Amidst the hottest months of summer, a series of helicopter roundups have officially begun in Wyoming, Nevada — and, now, Utah. American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is on the ground documenting these brutalities as they unfold. We’ve set an ambitious goal to raise $15,000 by the end of the month to ramp up advocacy efforts in Wyoming, Nevada, and Utah, where roundups are taking place. Will you chip in to help us reach this goal?

HELP US REACH OUR GOAL

The BLM’s latest roundup initiative hit the ground (and skies) a week ago, targeting 134,000 acres of public land in Utah called the Swasey Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA). This federally sanctioned operation aims to slash Swasey Mountain’s wild herd population by 46%. In fact, in the past seven days alone, 189 wild horses have been captured at Swasey Mountain. That number includes 33 foals — many of them subjected to dangerous levels of stress by helicopter roundups that often separate mares from their young.

CHIP IN TO FUEL OUR FIGHT

As of the latest reports (updated on July 25) here’s what we know:

  • 2,577 wild horses have been captured in North Lander, Wyoming.
  • 1,429 wild horses and burros have been captured in Blue Wing, Nevada.
  • 189 wild horses have been captured in Swasey Mountain, Utah.
  • 720 foals have been captured.
  • 48 animals have died, often euthanized for non-fatal deformities.

Together, these three operations have already cost taxpayers more than $1.2 million in field operations costs alone and that number is on track to rise steadily for the next two months. All told, the expensive, inhumane BLM roundup enterprise is expected to cost American taxpayers up to $154 million and target more than 10,000 wild horses on the public lands they have roamed for generations.

The exorbitant price tag — plus the moral cost of using unscientific management tactics to rip foals from their families — equals the cost of freedom lost for America’s federally protected wild herds. We MUST intervene to whatever extent our funding allows to protect America’s iconic wild horses and burros. Will you donate to help us reach our $15,000 goal before the end of July? 

CHIP IN TO FUEL OUR FIGHT

As you can see, we need all hands on deck to ground the BLM helicopters and secure the humane conservation of our nation’s federally protected horses and burros. Thank you for being an ally in our ongoing fight to protect America’s iconic wild herds from eradication. Your advocacy never goes unnoticed.

Onward,

American Wild Horse Conservation

TAKE ACTION: Demand cameras on BLM helicopters!

, , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Federally sanctioned roundups are in full swing as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to target thousands of wild horses across the West. As we speak, innocent horses and foals on Wyoming’s North Lander Complex are the targets of a grueling, multi-week helicopter roundup that is set to cost taxpayers in excess of $100 million. 

American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) observers are on the ground documenting these brutalities in real time, but what you may not know, is that the BLM blocks observers from seeing the most barbaric events unfolding.

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 — often resulting in severe injury and death.

Despite public observation of a government operation being guaranteed under the First Amendment, AWHC observers are frequently positioned so far from the trap site that they can’t see it at all. For example, at the ongoing North Lander roundup in Wyoming, our observers have been placed up to 1.6 miles from the site.

Thank you to AWHC observers Monica Martinez Ross and Steve Paige, who are on the ground in Blue Wing, Nevada, where at least 1,277 horses and burros have been captured so far. Their documentation (below) puts into perspective the distance BLM inserts between our volunteers and the brutal realities of government roundups — and the lengths BLM is willing to go to hide their costly, inhumane herd management tactics.


Video Credit: Monica Martinez Ross

When the Blue Wing roundup kicked off across the Nevada desert, AWHC’s roundup observers were positioned over a mile from the trap, which was in a ravine — rendering any view of the situation nearly impossible. So far this summer, at least 31 horses and burros have died during the Blue Wing roundups.

Our observation teams are doing their best to document what’s happening to these innocent animals, but there’s only one way to guarantee no BLM atrocity goes unrecorded: cameras. Will you join us in calling on the BLM to mandate cameras on all helicopters used for government roundups?

These roundup operations already take place in some of the most remote regions of the West — away from the public eye. Limitations on observation are only meant to further shroud the BLM’s irresponsible, unscientific management practices from the American people. For example, within just the first two weeks of the North Lander roundups in Wyoming, three foals died of “capture myopathy,” a serious condition involving muscle damage incurred when horses are subjected to extreme stress.

Over 10,000 wild horses will be rounded up by October. That includes thousands of foals who were born mere weeks before being senselessly chased and captured — sometimes separated 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 tax-funded operation the federal government doesn’t want you to see.

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 grueling helicopter roundups?

Thank you for your advocacy.

Onward,

Team AWHC

National “I ❤️ ” Day

, , , , , 0

The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:

Did you know that today is National I Love Horses Day? Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we take any and all opportunities to celebrate horses, both domestic and wild!

And, tomorrow, AWHC’s lawyers will be in Court arguing two cases that will decide the fate of not only the wild horses from Wyoming’s Checkerboard, which include the Salt Wells and the Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMA), but will also set an important precedent for generations to come: Will private interests be allowed to dictate the use of public lands and decide whether our federally protected wild horses and burros can live on them?

POWER OUR WORK 

In honor of National I Love Horses Day, we want to tell you a touching story from the Great Divide Basin HMA.

AWHC’s partner and co-plaintiff in this critical litigation, Kimerlee Curyl, was out photographing the incredible Great Divide Basin horses when she came across a stunning, heavily pregnant white mare. Kimerlee stayed a respectful distance away from her, watching the mare and her family interact. While she was sitting there, a group of boisterous bachelor stallions approached the band, trying to steal the band’s mares. But their lead stallion was not about to back down. He fought the bachelors with fury.

The other mares and a few youngsters in the group were extremely distressed, but they knew they had to protect their pregnant family member. They started running circles around her — kicking up dust, determined to keep her safe. This made it extremely hard for any bachelor to try and infiltrate the group.

Kimerlee wrote about this experience:

“Finally, the stallion drove the last of the bachelors towards the horizon, the ground shook with the stampeding of hooves across the desert floor. I didn’t think he could do it, but he did. The powerful stallion won this battle with his strength, determination, and the unbreakable family bond they possessed. 

He swiftly galloped back to the family and returned directly to her side with an air of chivalry. A testament to the enduring noble nature of the wild. She returned her tired head to the space upon his back where she had been resting, let out a big breath and all was calm in their world once again. Witnessing such events and moments in their wild world is the inspiration to continue the fight to keep them wild.” 

She memorialized the touching moment between this mare and her stallion with this photo.


 Photo: Kimerlee Cryl Wild Horse Photography

It is stories like these that make us even more determined to protect wild horses and burros across the West — and it’s why we’ve been litigating for over a decade to protect this herd and set legal precedents that uphold the law and protect all wild horses and burros. This National I Love Horses Day, join us in celebrating our wild horses and the incredible family bonds they hold.

If you are with us in this fight, can you donate to help fuel our litigation efforts, ahead of tomorrow’s oral arguments?

POWER OUR WORK 

You are the backbone of our movement.

Thank you for your generosity,

Team AWHC

Load More