The BLM has set its sights on the Wyoming Checkerboard Wild Horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) just finalized plans to eliminate more than one million acres of habitat and most of the federally-protected wild horses in the Wyoming Checkerboard.
This would be the largest eradication of these iconic animals from western public lands ever. The plan calls for the removal of every single horse from the Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas (HMAs) and the drastic reduction of the Adobe Town HMA mustang population.
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As a precursor to the eradication plan, the BLM conducted the largest wild horse roundup in agency history in the Wyoming Checkerboard, capturing over 4,000 wild horses and permanently removing 3,502 from their habitat.
The BLM says that 37 wild horses were killed as a result of the roundup, but records we obtained through the Freedom of Information Act indicate the death toll in the weeks and months after the roundup was actually higher.
Most of the horses who were lucky to survive have been crammed into the Wheatland Off-Range Corrals, a facility currently experiencing a large-scale outbreak of a highly contagious infectious disease known as strangles. The disease has killed 11 horses so far.
These wild horses do no harm where they belong — in the wild, but our government is placing them in harm’s way by subjecting them to brutal helicopter roundups and cramming them into crowded, dangerous holding facilities.
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Thank you,
American Wild Horse Campaign
RSVP NOW >> Keep WY Wyld Virtual Rally
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
During this event, we’ll be taking a look at livestock grazing in the Wyoming Checkerboard and the resulting removal of the wild horses living in the area. AWHC Communications Director, Grace Kuhn will be emceeing the event as we provide an update on our efforts in Wyoming and how we could use your help!
The event will also feature wild horse photographer Carol Walker, who has been on the ground as an observer of the roundup for AWHC and has spent significant time with these cherished herds! You’ll have a chance to hear the inside scoop on how the day-to-day roundup operations have been executed and as well as a few stories from the range!
We will also be premiering a mini-documentary about the issues surrounding livestock grazing — the competition with our federally-protected mustangs — with a special focus on this area in Wyoming! Erik Molvar, the Executive Director of the Western Watersheds Project is featured in the film and will speak with attendees about the situation in Wyoming as well as answer any questions during our Q&A about what’s happening on the ground.
Last but certainly not least, be prepared for some calls to action now that you are up to speed on this devastating roundup about how you can fight to preserve the freedom of Wyoming’s wild horses!
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Thank you,
AWHC Team
Webinar Invite: Asking you to take action for Wyoming’s wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Starting this week, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will launch the largest wild horse roundup in history.
On the call (8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST), you will:
- Learn about the planned roundup including background and history on the special interests that play a role in why this roundup is happening;
- Hear more about our national campaign, Keep WY Wyld and our plan to fight back for the horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard;
- Get inspired and learn more about how you can help in our fight to protect these wild horses!
Roughly 4,397 wild horses living in five herd management areas across the Wyoming Checkerboard will be rounded up as part of this action, so it’s critical that supporters like you join us in this fight. The proposed roundup will reduce the wild horse population across these areas to just 1,550 wild horses — leaving just 1 horse for every 2,217 acres of land.
We hope you’ll join us to hear more about our national campaign and get inspired to join the fight to protect these cherished icons.
Register here for our October 12 campaign kickoff call!
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— Suzanne Roy
Executive Director
American Wild Horse Campaign
The BLM is trying to remove hundreds of Utah’s Onaqui wild horses
The following is from the American Wild Horse Campaign:
Here is your latest news on all things wild horses and burros!
Action: Forest Service to Cull Small Arizona Herd
The Heber wild horses of the Sitgreaves National Forest in eastern Arizona have been through enough. Since 2018, the bodies of 28 horses from this small herd have been found shot to death in the Forest and not a single person has been brought to justice.
Now, the Forest Service has just released a Territory Management Plan that continues this assault — in a different way. The agency wants to reduce the population of these mustangs to as few as 50 animals on nearly 20,000-acres of public land.
Why? You might ask — well, taking a look at who else resides in the Forest might be a good place to find answers. At the same time that the Forest Service wants to drastically reduce the population of the herds, it permits nearly 500 cow/calf pairs to graze within the horses’ habitat.
We cannot let this stand. Please take one moment to speak up for Arizona’s Heber wild horses.
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The wild horses in the Onaqui Herd Management Area (HMA) of Dugway, Utah are arguably the most visited and cherished mustang population in the country. The herd’s accessibility provides a unique experience for visitors and photographers who, in turn, share their photographs and stories of these iconic animals with an international audience. Not only that, but there is a successful PZP program, spearheaded by volunteers, to stabilize the population numbers.
But none of that seems to matter to the BLM, which recently announced that it will be targeting hundreds of the Onaqui wild horses for removal as early as July 2021. When we heard the news, we sprung into action and are currently developing a plan to fight back. We will give you more details on that soon, but for now, please read our most recent oped in the Salt Lake Tribune about this situation.
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The BLM released an Environmental Assessment this week outlining a plan to continue its nearly decade-long assault on the iconic wild horses of the Wyoming Checkerboard. Under the proposal, the BLM would use helicopters to permanently remove 3,500 wild horses — or nearly 40% of the wild horse population in the state.
The BLM continues to cater to the interests of the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA), whose members view wild horses as competition for cheap, taxpayer-subsidized livestock grazing on public lands. Since 2011, AWHC has been involved in litigation against the RSGA and the BLM to defend the wild horses in this area and has amassed numerous court victories, including at the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. We intend to continue legal action to defend Wyoming wild horses and to rally public opposition to this plan — but more on that soon.
Check out our latest news release on the situation and stay tuned for more ways to take action in the coming weeks.
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—The AWHC Team
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