The fiscal cost of freedom lost
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
I first spoke at a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) meeting in 2009. In the 14 years since, I’ve continued to advocate for our wild horses and burros. And I’ve seen it year after year, the BLM spends hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars on costly and cruel helicopter roundups.
Here at AWHC, we know we can protect our wild horses and burros in the wild where they belong without the use of helicopters. Not only that, but we’re proving that it can be done through our boots-on-the-ground programs. By giving today, you’re advancing our efforts to reform the BLM’s program and to promote science-backed humane conservation solutions.
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The moral cost goes without saying. But the financial numbers for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 are truly staggering. Here are some figures you should know:
$154.8 Million
That’s how much taxpayers paid in FY2024 for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program. This represents an increase of nearly $7 million from last year. If our government were putting that budget toward in-the-wild conservation and upholding federal protections for wild horses and burros, this may not be cause for concern. However…
$6,000,000+
That is the amount paid out to roundup contractors this fiscal year. This includes contractors caught on camera violating the BLM’s own animal welfare standards.
70% of the budget spent on off-range holding
This year, more than two-thirds of the program’s budget was spent on covering the cost of off-range holding facilities, where currently over 66,000 wild horses and burros languish and are at risk of entering the slaughter pipeline thanks to the BLM’s disastrous Adoption Incentive Program (AIP).
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These rising costs only increase as the program continues to prioritize holding animals in captivity, rather than supporting humane, effective in-the-wild conservation initiatives.
But that’s not all. Now, the BLM’s 2025 budget request has ballooned to $170.9 million — including an additional request for $15 million to fund a permanent sterilization program.
The reality is that these expenditures come at a high cost to taxpayers and wild horses alike. Imagine what a $170 million budget would accomplish if it were directed toward scientific, sustainable conservation approaches that keep wild herds in the wild, where they belong.
Standing up for horses and American taxpayers,
Amelia Perrin
American Wild Horse Conservation