Horse Talk
by Rose Strickland

Range cons, wild horse enthusiasts, academics, tribal and animal rights representatives, scientists, hunters, ranchers, state and federal agency managers, politicians and conservationists gathered in early November to discuss management and public policy on wild and feral horses and burros in the US.x The conference, called by the Society for Range Management and co-sponsored by the Sierra Club, was held at the Sparks Nugget and included a tour of wild horse facilities north of Reno.

The purpose of the conference was a twofold search for practical solutions both to the current wild horse and burro dilemma on public rangelands and to the issue of domestic horse disposal and release upon public and private lands since the downturn in the economy and the lack of economic disposal methods due to closure of all horse slaughter facilities in the US. Panel presentations were designed to establish basic ecological, biological, and economic realities surrounding both feral and wild horse management, since practical solutions must be based upon these realities. In short, the wild horse dilemma was presented as increasing wild horse and burro populations and negative impacts on wildlife and other multiple uses of public lands, declining adoption demand, and increasing costs for BLM holding facilities and the feral horse disposition problem as destroying the domestic wild horse market.

Discussions were difficult due to the strongly held, yet polarized positions on both problems as well as potential solutions to these multi-faceted issues. Much support was expressed for keeping wild horses and burros on public rangelands in "thriving natural ecological balance" as mandated by the 1971 Wild Horse and Burro law, but there was little agreement on what constituted "thriving ecological balance." Little support was expressed for H.R. 1018, the Rahall bill. Some support was expressed for Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar's Wild Horse and Burro Initiative as a good beginning if not a total solution and for legislation known as H.O.R.S.E.

Tribal representatives told the conference participants that over 20,000 wild horses on reservations were not counted in the Dept. of Interior population estimates nor addressed in Secretary Salazar's initiative, but were causing the same adverse impacts evident on public lands. Domestic horse breeders explained some of the unintended consequences of a recent ban on horse slaughter in the US, including abandoning pet horses and dumping horse carcasses since no "legal" and affordable disposal options are now available to horse owners.

All agreed that there is a need for credible information and education about wild horses, their management, impacts upon rangeland ecosystems, population numbers and dynamics, fertility control and alternative management options.

See the Sierra Club Feral Animal Policy for public lands here. (http://www.sierraclub.org/policy/conservation/feral.aspx) For more information on how a non-profit organization is facilitating wild horse adoptions, go to: www.mustangheritagefoundation.org. If you're interested in feral horse problems and domestic horse issues, you can find out more at: www.unitedorgsofthehorse.org.

See Washington Post article on Secretary Salazar's Plan: Salazar Presents Ambitious Plan to Manage Wild Horses Preserves in Midwest and East, Sterilizations Proposed as Population Grows Beyond Control in West.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. WHAT ARE THE PROBLEMS?: Do your homework and research the issues: wild horse impacts on rangeland health and native species and their habitats, BLM management - what works and doesn't work, how does monitoring help determine range ecosystem health and "thriving natural ecological balance," how forage is divided among wildlife, livestock and wild horses, and wild horse management including adoptions, effectiveness of contraception, and where and when roundups are needed. If you're very interested, check out the laws and regulations which govern BLM management of public lands, wild horses, and all the multiple uses and decide whether the laws work or not.
2. ASSESS PROPOSED SOLUTIONS: Study Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's initiative on addressing current WH&B issues. If you support the DOI proposals or if you have other ideas on how to address the multiple and complex issues of public lands and wild horses and burros, write a letter to Secretary Salazar and copy the Nevada Congressional delegation - Senators Reid and Ensign and your Congressperson.
3. BECOME A PUBLIC LANDS ACTIVIST: Public lands and wild horses and burros belong to the American public. Figure out how to take an active part in decisions being made every day on grazing, wild horses and burros, recreation, wilderness, wildlife habitat, mining, roads, ATVs, land disposals, and the myriad of other public resources being managed by the Bureau of Land Management, the US Forest Service, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. If your interest is in native wildlife, get involved with the programs of the Nevada Department of Wildlife whose professional wildlife biologists are under attack and the USFWS which is making a decision soon on listing Sage Grouse under the Endangered Species Act.
4. SIERRA CLUB VOLUNTEER: Join the efforts of Sierra Club chapter activists to keep public lands public, improve public rangeland conditions, protect native wildlife and resilient habitat, and preserve wild horses and burros. Write letters, lead field trips, testify at hearings, inform our members and the public on both problems and solutions - some of the many activities in our conservation campaigns.