Advisory Board (when and how to comment)

By Laura Leigh on June 9, 2021

Stone Cabin wild horses

The BLM National Advisory Board will be meeting June 30-July 1.

You can submit written comments to whbadvisoryboard@blm.gov. Include “Advisory Board Comment” in the subject line of the e-mail. If you want the comments to be part of the meeting record, submit by June 27.

You can sign up to speak in the first ever Zoom comment period (audio only) by clicking here. There will be three comment periods throughout the meeting.

WHE will speak in the 3rd round of comments. We like to hear what the board discusses before finalizing what we will say.

The board is supposed to advise the agency on internal policy and suggest improvement. The board is not supposed to ask the agency for changes to the law. In the past, we often hear advisory board members express primarily opinion, have very little actual working knowledge on the actual processes of land management and push BLM (a federal agency) to advocate for changes to the law (actually illegal for BLM to do).

The board wants comments relevant to process, yet often is not relevant themselves to actual data points, history and procedures.

People will ask us “what do we say?” Your can comments on any part of the process and suggest changes and improvement. Most of you are very familiar with all that bothers you about the program. Wild horses and burros are simply not protected, but removed to suit industry. The make-up of the board is also not actually made up of those protecting wild horses and burros, but connected to the profiteers.

You can browse the Take Action page for ideas. Remember, you will have about 2 minutes if you decide to speak.

You could urge them to recommend BLM cease all livestock grazing and mine approvals in HMAs during this mega-drought and turn on all waters and open all gates in HMAs using an emergency order.

BLM PRESS RELEASE BELOW

National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board to meet virtually
The public meeting will be held June 30 – July 1, 2021 via Zoom Video Conferencing and live-streamed at BLM.gov/live

GRAND JUNCTION, Colorado — The Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet virtually June 30 – July 1, 2021. The board will discuss the management of wild horses and burros on public lands, including the challenges of safely reducing widespread overpopulation and measures for increasing the placement of wild horses and burros into good homes through adoptions and sales.

The Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board provides advice and recommendations to the BLM as the agency carries out its responsibilities under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law mandates the protection and management of free-roaming horses and burros as integral parts of America’s public lands. The BLM cares about the health, safety, and wellbeing of adopted animals. It is illegal to adopt a wild horse or burro with the intent of selling or transferring the animal for slaughter or for processing into commercial products. The individuals who serve on the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board represent a diverse range of stakeholders and interests related to the management of wild horses and burros on public lands.

The board meeting will be held virtually using Zoom video conferencing technology and live-streamed at BLM.gov/live. The agenda of the meeting will be published in the May28 Federal Register. A more detailed agenda, meeting materials and information to register to provide verbal comment to the board will be posted to BLM.gov/whb/advisoryboard at least 15 days prior to the meeting. Speakers must be registered to deliver public comment at least 3 days prior to the meeting. The time available for public comment during the meeting is limited each day; registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis. The audio of all public comments will be recorded.

Speakers and those who cannot attend the virtual meeting can also submit a written copy of their comments to whbadvisoryboard@blm.gov. Please include “Advisory Board Comment” in the subject line of the e-mail. Written comments emailed three days prior to the meeting will be provided to the Advisory Board for consideration during the meeting.

For more information about the meeting, please contact Dorothea Boothe, Wild Horse and Burro Program Coordinator, at (602) 906-5543 or at dboothe@blm.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may reach Ms. Boothe during normal business hours by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

Learn more about WHE and wild horses and burros

WHE legal action

Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP)

Spending Bill Budget Debate

Centennial HA Zero Out (Roundup page)

Take Action

Help keep us in the fight.