wild burros
Wild Horse Annie and 54 Years of the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Today, 54 years ago, Congress passed the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act — the landmark legislation that first ensured federal protection for America’s wild herds.
This law changed everything. It recognized what millions of Americans already believed: Our wild horses deserve freedom.
But this Act didn’t come out of nowhere, Meredith. It exists because one woman refused to stay silent.
Velma “Wild Horse Annie” Johnston witnessed the brutal capture and slaughter of Nevada’s wild horses in the 1950s. She pushed back tirelessly — organizing a nationwide grassroots movement, mobilizing schoolchildren across the country, and generating more letters to Congress than almost any issue of that era. Her work galvanized the country and ultimately led to the unanimous passage of the Wild Horse & Burro Act of 1971.
But 54 years later, the promise she fought for is under threat.
Special interests have weakened core protections. Helicopter roundups continue to remove thousands of horses each year. More than 62,000 wild horses and burros are now trapped in holding facilities — more than remain even in the wild. Critical herds face shrinking habitats, fragmented ranges, and increased political pressure.
This is why AWHC exists — to defend the legacy Annie built and uphold the spirit of the Act she made possible. And we need your help to continue that fight.
We’re protecting America’s wild horses by:
- Challenging harmful policies in court
- Documenting every roundup
- Advancing humane, science-backed fertility control
- Fighting in Congress to strengthen protections
- Working with Tribal and local partners to build lasting solutions
But to continue this work into 2026, we must make progress toward our End-of-Year goal of $100,000. Wild Horse Annie didn’t just defend wild horses — she built a nationwide grassroots movement that proved change happens when everyday people raise their voices together.
Today, AWHC is carrying that legacy forward by building grassroots power, holding agencies accountable, and fighting to strengthen the Wild Horse & Burro Act so its promise endures for generations to come.
| MAKE A 2X MATCHED GIFT NOW |
Thank you,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conserv
These numbers should alarm all of us →
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
As we work toward our $100,000 End-of-Year target, we want to share some of the critical progress supporters like you made possible in 2025 — progress that proves again and again that freedom can’t wait.
Here’s some of what you helped accomplish:
Every step forward happened because supporters like you refused to give up on America’s wild horses. But in the new year, here’s what’s at stake:
Today, only about 56,000 wild horses remain free on the range across the American West. Meanwhile, more than 60,000 are trapped in government holding facilities, many likely to spend the rest of their lives there.
And in 2026, the Bureau of Land Management is planning the largest helicopter roundup in U.S. history — a mass removal that could permanently alter the future of America’s wild herds.
This is why your support matters more than ever.
These wins were hard-fought — but the threats ahead are larger than anything we’ve faced. To meet this moment, we must reach our End-of-Year fundraising goal of $100,000 so we can continue to protect wild horses through the courts, in Congress, and on the range.
| MAKE A 2X MATCHED GIFT NOW |
With gratitude,
Team AWHC
Celebrating National Day of the Horse with 2X the impact →
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Today is a very special day… It’s National Day of the Horse!
In 2004, Congress designated December 13th as a day to honor the incredible contributions horses have made to our nation’s history, culture, and spirit.
Here at American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), we’re celebrating the best way we know how: By doubling down on our fight for their freedom — because freedom can’t wait.
That’s why, in honor of this meaningful day, we’re setting an ambitious End-of-Year fundraising goal of $100,000 to power our work in 2026 — from documenting helicopter roundups to advancing humane fertility control, protecting habitat, and fighting for wild horses in court and in Congress.
Today marks the official launch of our year-end effort — and thanks to a generous donor, every gift made before the end of the year will be 2X-matched, making your gift go twice as far!
Meredith, we can’t afford to slow down now — not when America’s wild herds face unprecedented threats in the coming year.
When you give today, you help us start 2026 strong — and show that this movement is ready for the major fights ahead. In honor of National Day of the Horse, can you chip in today to help us kickstart our End-of-Year goal and unlock an incredible 2X holiday match?
| MAKE A 2X MATCHED GIFT NOW |
Thank you for celebrating this meaningful day in the way that matters most: By standing up for the freedom of the animals who define the American West.
— American Wild Horse Conservation
A decade of impact. A decade of freedom.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
In the new year, all of us here at American Wild Horse Conservation will be celebrating a major milestone: Our 10-year anniversary.
Ten years of documenting roundups.
Ten years of exposing cruelty.
Ten years of protecting the freedom, safety, and dignity of America’s wild horses and burros.
And none of it would have been possible without you, Meredith.
What began as a small but determined group of advocates has grown into the largest wild horse protection organization in the country — a community of hundreds of thousands of people using their collective horse power to hold federal agencies accountable, advance humane solutions, and defend the herds we all cherish.
But as we look toward our 10th year, one truth has never been clearer: The fight for freedom isn’t over — it’s intensifying.
In 2026, the federal government is preparing for the largest planned roundup in U.S. history. Long-standing threats — slaughter pipelines, mass removals, and shrinking rangelands — demand more from us than ever before.
So our anniversary isn’t just a celebration. It’s a recommitment. A line in the sand.
A promise that in our next decade, we will build an even stronger, more strategic, and more powerful movement to protect every herd, every family band, and every inch of the public lands they call home.
You’ve been with us for the last decade. If you’re ready to stand with us for the next one, will you add your name so that we know that we have your support?
| ADD YOUR NAME → |
Your voice is the foundation of this movement. Together, we can show federal decision-makers that the public is united, organized, and unwavering in the fight to keep wild horses free.
Over the coming months, you’ll hear more about how we are scaling our efforts in AWHC’s next chapter — from expanded on-the-ground programs to national advocacy campaigns that elevate wild horses to the forefront of public policy.
But today, we simply want to say thank you. Your voice. Your compassion. Your support. That is what transformed a small effort into a national force for change.
Here’s to ten years of defending freedom — and to the next decade of progress we’ll build together.
With gratitude,
The AWHC Team
Speak up now for the future of Roosevelt’s wild horses >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park urgently need your voice.
| SPEAK UP NOW |
The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on National Parks will soon hold a hearing on S. 1377 — legislation that will determine whether this iconic herd survives or disappears forever.
When a young Theodore Roosevelt arrived in the Dakota Territory in 1883, he found more than rugged badlands — he found wild horses.
These untamed symbols of the American West that would shape his entire conservation legacy.
In fact, Roosevelt credited his time among these landscapes and horses with forming the conservation ethic that defined his presidency and protected millions of acres of public land for all Americans.
Today, these same horses face an uncertain future. Federal management decisions threaten to reduce or eliminate the herd entirely — erasing a living piece of the heritage that inspired one of our greatest conservation presidents.
Thanks to the advocacy by our partners at Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates, S. 1377 would award these incredible animals with the federal protections they deserve. Now the subcommittee needs to hear from you.
| TAKE ACTION |
Future generations deserve to experience the same wild horses that moved Theodore Roosevelt more than a century ago. This hearing is our chance to make that possible.
Thank you for taking action,
Team AWHC
Your impact will be felt across the West
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
I’m thrilled to share incredible news: thanks to your generosity, we reached our $100,000 Giving Tuesday goal!
Because you stepped up, every dollar was doubled. And because of you, we are entering 2026 — a defining year for America’s wild horses and burros — with renewed strength, and the ability to do more of the work this moment demands.
Thanks to your Giving Tuesday gift, AWHC can begin to broaden our work on the ground, extend our reach in Washington, strengthen our legal and investigative work, and start to advocate for and implement humane conservation strategies at a scale this crisis requires.
And while Giving Tuesday has wrapped, our work in these final weeks of the year is just as essential. This momentum you’ve helped build must carry us forward — the threats facing wild horses are escalating, and meeting them requires sustained commitment.
Your support ensures AWHC is prepared to rise to the challenges ahead in 2026 — a year that will demand even greater effort and resolve from all of us:
- Federal plans in Nevada for the largest wild horse roundup in U.S. history
- Over 62,000 once-wild horses and burros confined in holding facilities with no clear path to freedom
- Increasing pressure on the slaughter ban and humane reforms
- A critical need for deeper field monitoring, investigations, and legal action
Giving Tuesday isn’t just a fundraising day for AWHC. It’s a powerful reminder of what this community believes: that wild horses deserve safety, dignity, and a future on the public lands they call home.
And this year, your actions made that belief unmistakably clear.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing with us, for believing in this mission, and for helping AWHC meet this critical moment with the strength it demands.
With deep gratitude,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
P.S. Every member of our herd has a role in this mission — whether it’s financial support, volunteering, or taking action. If you didn’t yet have the chance to donate, you can still do so here. If you already donated or cannot afford to at this time, learn more about how you can advocate for our beloved wild horses and burros.
Final hours: your gift is still 2X matched >>
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
It’s Patricia. As Giving Tuesday comes to a close, I’m reaching out one last time on behalf of our team to ask for your support to help us hit our $100,000 matched Giving Tuesday goal before midnight.
As of this moment, we are 72% of the way to our critical $100,000 goal, but we need one final push to get us across the finish line. Thanks to a generous matching gift, every donation made before midnight will be DOUBLED, giving you 2X the impact to protect wild horses and burros. Will you be the one to help us cross the finish line?
This community has accomplished extraordinary things this year:
- You helped us shut down the Adoption Incentive Program (AIP), after a landmark deciding in our years-long litigation that this program was funneling wild horses to slaughter.
- You helped us document every single Bureau of Land Management (BLM) helicopter roundup, turning footage into direct policy pressure.
- You helped us fight in court for Wyoming’s historic herds, halting one of the largest wild horse roundups in U.S. history.
- And you helped us reach members of Congress to preserve the federal slaughter ban, secure $11 million in government funding for humane fertility control and launch the Wild Horse Caucus to build long-term support in Washington for our wild herds
Because of you, real progress is happening. But the challenges ahead are unlike anything we’ve faced. Over 62,000 once-wild horses and burros are already confined in holding — with more at risk in the year ahead.
It’s essential we enter 2026 at full strength to protect our wild herds. Every dollar you give before midnight will be 2X matched, giving our team the tools we need to expose cruelty, fight harmful policies, and protect the freedom of these iconic animals. Will you make a donation before Giving Tuesday is over to power the work ahead, Meredith?
| LAST CHANCE: DONATE NOW! |
From the bottom of my heart: thank you for standing with us, for standing up for these herds, and for being part of the movement to keep wild horses and burros free.
With deep gratitude,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
I need you to hear this
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
When the helicopters came to my home at Twin Peaks this summer, my whole world changed in an instant.
I can still remember the ground trembling beneath us, the air thick with dust. Foals stumbled to keep up. Mothers cried out to their babies. Stallions like me tried to protect our families and lead them to safety.
We ran faster than we ever had in our lives, and yet somehow, it felt like we couldn’t escape the helicopters chasing after us. Finally, I found a gap with tree cover, and I bolted.
In the chaos, I had managed to get away. But when I stopped running and looked around, I was alone. My family was gone. So, I did the only thing my heart could understand — I turned back toward the trap site, hoping I might find them.
I paced back and forth near the trap, calling out to them. I was desperate for a familiar nicker, a voice I knew. But none of them were my family. I’ll never know exactly what happened to them, Meredith.
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The humans at AWHC are trying. They fight for horses like me — and for the family I couldn’t save — but they can’t do it alone.
More than 62,000 wild horses and burros are currently confined to federal government holding. Many were taken during roundups just like the one I survived. My family might still be languishing there – lost among the thousands, separated from everything they knew.
I learned something from that fateful day: Freedom isn’t just running wild — it’s running together. And right now, tens of thousands of wild horses are waiting for someone to fight for the families they lost — and the freedom they deserve.
| DOUBLE YOUR GIFT. DONATE TODAY! |
With gratitude,
River
2X MATCH: Your gift decides how many roundups we can reach
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The countdown is on.
At midnight, our $100,000 Giving Tuesday match expires — and wild horses across the West are running out of time.
Right now, our field documenters are gearing up for what could be the most brutal roundup year on record. In 2026, our team will be boots on the ground — in freezing wind, scorching heat, and dangerous terrain — to expose the brutal truth of what happens at the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) helicopter roundups.
Because when the world sees what really happens, change becomes possible.
This is what your Giving Tuesday gift makes possible:
$3,000 covers the cost of documenting a full federal roundup
This includes travel, equipment, field time, and the specialized gear required to capture video and photos from miles away. Just one documented roundup can be the difference between exposing abuses that change policy and the BLM continuing the status quo.
| DOUBLE YOUR GIFT. DONATE TODAY! |
$200 covers one week of zoom-lens rental for an observer
Most roundups place the public at least a half mile — sometimes even a full mile — from the trap. Without high-powered lenses, the public would never see the injuries, the brutality. Your donation literally brings the truth into focus.
| DOUBLE YOUR GIFT. DONATE TODAY! |
$100–$150 covers one night of lodging for an observer in remote areas
Many roundups happen in the remote corners of the West, hours from the nearest town. Your support keeps our team on the ground when it matters most.
| DOUBLE YOUR GIFT. DONATE TODAY! |
In 2026, the stakes are higher than ever: The largest roundup in U.S. history is set to take place, removing 5,000 wild horses from Nevada and the BLM has a dangerous $25 sale program that is renewing the demand to send once-wild horses into the slaughter pipeline.
Oftentimes, if we are not there with the cameras rolling — no one will be.
| DOUBLE YOUR GIFT. DONATE TODAY! |
Thank you for your support.
— AWHC Roundup Documentation Team
You fueled this progress — now help us finish strong
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Every victory we’ve earned this year — every horse saved, every policy shift, every exposé — started with you.
Today, you have the chance to make your support of AWHC go twice as far — a generous donor is matching every gift made this Giving Tuesday up to $100,000. We want to show you what your support makes possible across all five pillars of AWHC’s mission:
ADVOCACY
We mobilized hundreds of thousands of supporters to defend wild horses in Nevada and California, delivered petitions to Congress, and elevated the voices of Tribal partners fighting for humane, culturally grounded herd management.
CONSERVATION
From humane fertility control to land preservation, we expanded innovative, science-based management that keeps horses wild, free, and on the range where they belong.
LEGISLATION
Our team helped secure bipartisan backing for bills to end helicopter roundups, strengthened humane treatment standards, and protected the federal slaughter ban — a protection that comes under attack every single year.
LITIGATION
We stood up in federal court to challenge illegal removals, fought back against devastating management plans, and defended iconic herds from the largest proposed mass eradication efforts in history.
INVESTIGATIONS & DOCUMENTATION
Our field teams documented every single helicopter roundup — every chase, every injury, every foal separated — shining a national spotlight on the cruelty that the Bureau of Land Management tries to hide.
But, the threats coming in 2026 are the most dangerous we’ve seen: The largest federal roundup in U.S. history — nearly 5,000 horses — are at risk of being ripped from their home range in Nevada. Their freedom can’t wait.
| DOUBLE YOUR GIFT. DONATE TODAY! |
Thank you for standing with wild horses.
AWHC Team
48 HOURS: Our biggest day of the year
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
We can hardly believe it, Meredith: In less than 48 hours it will be Giving Tuesday — our biggest fundraising day of the year.
This year, we’re aiming to raise $100,000 to fuel our critical work in saving the freedom of wild horses and burros on the public lands they call home. Their freedom can’t wait, Meredith. Can we count on your support to help us reach this goal?
| MAKE YOUR EARLY GIFT NOW |
And here’s the best part: A generous donor has pledged to match every contribution towards our $100,000 goal. That means your donation will be doubled — giving us double the power to protect our cherished wild horses and burros.
Your gift will:
DOUBLE our ability to fight against the largest roundup in U.S. history — keeping 5,000 horses wild and free where they belong.
DOUBLE our legal efforts to fight back in court to protect wild horses’ rights and their natural habitats for generations to come.
DOUBLE our advocacy work to demand fair, humane, and sustainable policies like strengthening the federal slaughter ban and stopping the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) $25 sale program that is sending horses to slaughter.
Double the impact. Double the progress.
This is the moment that will define our next decade. As Giving Tuesday approaches, we’re asking you to help us make the most of this opportunity. Your gift today will go TWICE as far, helping us continue to lead the fight for wild horses and burros across the West.
| MAKE YOUR EARLY GIFT NOW |
Thank you for being a vital part of this mission. Together, we can protect the wild horses and burros who need us most.
AWHC Team
This fight is only possible because of you
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Every victory we’ve earned together started with dedicated supporters like you. And today, we want to show you just how powerful this community truly is.
Because of you, we’ve shut down slaughter-linked programs, stopped mass eradications, and documented every cruel roundup — every chase, every injury, every loss.
But now we face one of the most dangerous moments wild horses have seen in a generation, and Meredith, their freedom can’t wait.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is preparing for the largest roundup in U.S. history — nearly 5,000 horses are being targeted in Nevada for removal.
California’s remaining herds — from Mono Lake to Devil’s Garden — are at risk of disappearing entirely.
Congress could again attempt to strip the federal slaughter ban, putting tens of thousands of horses at risk.
And the BLM’s $25 Sale Program continues to funnel once-wild horses and burros into kill pens
Meredith, this is what we are up against in 2026 as we enter AWHC’s 10th year — a decade defined by relentless advocacy, groundbreaking investigations, and victories earned because we refused to back down.
To meet the challenges of this milestone year, we must start from a place of strength. That’s why we’ve started our Giving Tuesday fundraiser early — to ensure we have the resources necessary to fight back against these threats to our wild herds in the new year.
| MAKE YOUR EARLY GIFT NOW |
With gratitude,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
Countdown to Giving Tuesday — preparing for the fight of our decade
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
The countdown to Giving Tuesday begins now. Our BIGGEST fundraising day of the year is less than four days away – and this year, we’re setting an ambitious goal to raise $100,000 to protect wild horses and burros in 2026.
Before Giving Tuesday arrives, we need to share the truth about what lies ahead in the new year for America’s wild horses and burros — and why this year, our campaign theme for the giving season, Freedom Can’t Wait, is more urgent than ever
| MAKE YOUR EARLY GIFT NOW |
Despite the progress our community has made, Meredith, wild horses and burros face their darkest hour yet:
The largest roundup in U.S. history is coming.
In 2026, the BLM plans to remove nearly 5,000 horses in Nevada — the largest planned round up in history — a single operation that would shatter family bands, orphan foals, and decimate entire herds.
The federal slaughter ban is at risk — again.
Each year in Congress, opponents try to gut the very protections that keep tens of thousands of horses from being trucked to slaughter.
The BLM’s $25 Sale Program continues to funnel horses into kill pens.
While the Adoption Incentive Program has been terminated, the federal agency continues to exploit it’s Sale Authority Program. This allows individuals to buy horses and burros for just $25 each, creating a possible pipeline to slaughter.
Meredith: This is the landscape we face as we enter 2026 — AWHC’s 10th year as the nation’s leading voice for wild horse and burro freedom. But this milestone year is not just a celebration. It’s a turning point.
How we begin the new year will decide whether wild horses remain free for generations to come. That’s why this Giving Tuesday, a generous donor will MATCH every gift — up to $100,000.
Your doubled gift will fuel:
- Litigation to end catastrophic roundups
- Field investigations to expose abuse
- Legislative work to protect — and strengthen — the federal slaughter ban
- On-the-range humane fertility control
- Protection for America’s most at-risk herds
Wild horses cannot wait. And neither can we. Every dollar we raise will help us fight back for our wild herds. Can we count on you to help us get a strong start toward our $100,000 goal?
| MAKE YOUR EARLY GIFT NOW |
With gratitude,
American Wild Horse Conservation
Thank you!
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
I’m so grateful to share some truly wonderful news with you today: Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, we reached — and unlocked — the full $25,000 Land Fund match.
Because of you every single dollar was doubled.
Because of you, urgent restoration work at the Fish Springs Land Preserve can now begin.
And because of you, Meredith, young horses like Neptune — and the entire Fish Springs herd — will see their home start to heal.Thank you.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I want you to know how deeply grateful we are for this community. Your compassion, your belief in this mission, and your love for America’s wild horses are at the heart of everything we do. You’ve given the Fish Springs herd — and all of us at AWHC — something truly meaningful to be thankful for this season.
And as we look ahead, we’re also preparing for Giving Tuesday, one of the most impactful days of the year for wild horse protection. Thanks to your support, we’re heading into the season of giving with strength, momentum, and a renewed sense of hope for the work ahead.
Over the coming weeks, our Nevada field team will begin laying the groundwork for this Fish Springs recovery effort. While this is just the beginning, we’ll keep you updated every step of the way so you can see the impact of your generosity in action. These donations will go far in beginning the reseeding process of the lands the Fish Springs herd calls home.
With gratitude,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
Deadline TOMORROW: Help restore critical wild horse habitat
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
We’re down to the final hours to unlock our $25,000 Land Fund match, and we still have a long way to go. The deadline is tomorrow at midnight, and the wildlife that calls Fish Springs home can’t afford for us to fall short.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
When the Conner Fire tore through Nevada at the beginning of summer, it scorched critical habitat of our Fish Springs Land Preserve — including key habitat for the wild horses who depend on this land for forage, water, and safety.
This community has already stepped up in incredible ways. But to have the resources necessary for the restoration work this land requires, we need to unlock the full match — and we’re not there yet.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Your support will directly fund critical restoration efforts like reseeding burned areas, repairing damaged habitat, and rebuilding natural water sources across the preserve.
We’re almost there — but we can’t finish this without you.
Thank you for powering this important work.
— The AWHC Team
Neptune’s home range needs our support.
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Earlier this year, we introduced you to a newborn colt named Neptune, born during foaling season on AWHC’s Fish Springs Land Preserve. He took his first wobbly steps on the cold, March earth of the range — full of that unmistakable, too-long-for-his-body foal energy.
As AWHC’s Nevada State Director, I’ve watched many foals take those first steps across Nevada’s desert landscape. But today, I’m reaching out because the land Neptune and his family band depend on needs our help.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
When the Conner Fire swept across the 17,700 acres of Fish Springs at the beginning of summer, it burned up critical wildlife habitat — including the meadows and open spaces where Neptune spent his first days exploring the world alongside his herd.
Thankfully, Neptune is still with his family — healthy, wild, and growing fast. But the lands he calls home need rebuilding.
Your support will fund efforts like reseeding, restoring habitat, and helping to rebuild the fragile areas that young horses like Neptune rely on for forage, shelter, and safety.
That’s why this restoration effort matters so much — and it’s why a generous donor has offered to match every gift made to our Land Fund, up to $25,000, through Monday at midnight. Will you make a 2X-matched donation today to help restore Neptune’s home on the Fish Springs range?
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Thank you for caring about Neptune, his herd, and this land as much as we do.
With gratitude,
Tracy Wilson
Nevada State Director
American Wild Horse Conservation
Your gift goes 2X as far until Monday at midnight
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
We’re starting to make progress towards unlocking our $25,000 Land Fund Match — but we’re still $19,889 away from reaching our goal. The Monday night deadline is approaching fast, and we cannot afford to lose momentum now — the Fish Springs landscape can’t wait.
Over 1,000 acres of our Fish Springs Land Preserve — a critical habitat for wildlife — were scorched by the Conner Fire this past summer. Meadows where wild horses grazed, native grasses flourished, and wildlife gathered for water now sit exposed. If we don’t act soon, the damage could deepen, making restoration even harder in the spring.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Your support today will fund critical projects on the Fish Springs range like reseeding efforts, habitat restoration, and rebuilding damaged ecosystems that the Fish Springs wild horses and other wildlife rely on for their survival.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do this without you.
— American Wild Horse Conservation
$25,000 GOAL: A summer wildfire changed everything for Fish Springs
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
At the beginning of this summer, deep in Nevada’s Fish Springs range everything looked just as magnificent as ever — grasses swaying in the wind, fields of sagebrush buzzing with insects, and the Fish Springs wild horses grazing softly in the sunlight.
But just a few weeks later, everything changed. I’m about to tell you why — but first, I need you to know this: A generous donor has agreed to match up to $25,000 in gifts made to our Land Fund between now and Sunday at midnight.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
A spark ignited south of Gardnerville, and fueled by relentless 45-mph winds, the Conner Fire swept across the Nevada landscape with terrifying speed. What had been a quiet valley became a wall of flame and smoke. Ash drifted through the air like snowfall. The sky glowed red. By the time the fire was contained, 17,700 acres had burned.
Part of this fire’s devastating path included nearly 1,400 acres of AWHC’s Fish Springs Land Preserve — nearly half of the land we had secured to protect habitat for the wild horses and wildlife who call this place home.
While the cherished Fish Spring horses thankfully escaped, the scars of the wildfire are undeniable.
Winter is approaching, and without intervention, the land will struggle to recover on its own. But we have an opportunity — and a responsibility — to help the land heal.
| DOUBLE MY DONATION |
This land has cared for generations of wild horses. Now, it needs us.
Thank you for standing with AWHC in this important work.
With gratitude,
Patricia Miller
Board Chair
American Wild Horse Conservation
[Action Needed] Roundup funding has been restored
The following is from the American Wild Horse Conservation:
Mono Lake’s wild horses are in imminent danger.
With the federal government now reopened, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) now has the funding to move forward with helicopter roundups — and they could begin at any moment, Meredith. Join us in urging USFS to abandon these plans now. →
The Mono Lake horses are deeply tied to the cultural and spiritual heritage of the local Indigenous communities. Yet despite broad opposition, USFS is still preparing to use helicopters to chase, trap, and remove these innocent animals.
| ACT NOW |
Our team has been working in collaboration with the local communities to call for a humane, science-based, and culturally grounded alternative that includes:
- A two-year pause on any helicopter roundups in the Mono Lake region
- A Tribal Management Council to guide decision-making
- A Tribe-run training and adoption facility that creates jobs and cultural connections
- Use of humane, on-range fertility control, not removals
- A transparent review of herd-size targets with community voices involved
This is what humane, responsible, wild horse management should look like. With removal funding restored, we need strong public pressure to ensure the Forest Service changes course.
| ACT NOW |
Your action today can help ensure that these iconic horses remain free.
Thank you for speaking up at this critical moment.
— American Wild Horse Conservation