On September 9, BLM finalized the draft fiscal 2025 roundup schedule that will begin October 1 at Twin Peaks. (You can see the BLM schedule and initial rundown that includes Forest Service hitting Devil’s Garden starting October 28 HERE)
But before we look ahead, let is take a look at the fiscal year-in-review.
Before bait trap, 2024, Red Rock area Dogskins HMA (a removal BLM kept quiet by misnaming the HMA on the gather schedule)
This fiscal year has been the most devastating year since the 1971 Act was passed. Over 18,000 wild horses were captured. The schedule shows numbers “targeted.” We all know many operations this year went over target and totals are still being calculated. (see fiscal 2024 schedule HERE).
In July of 2024 BLM removed more wild horses and burros than in the entire year of 2013, 2014 or 2015.
These videos are always really hard to edit. How do you edit down an entire year, particularly a year that broke record numbers, into a few minutes? Each second of these videos provokes a thousand memories and a hundred stories.
The two videos above run through the 2024 roundup year where we all saw that the current CAWP standards and methods BLM uses for oversight continue to fail miserably.
One roundup to another can demonstrate extreme differences in practice due to the broad discretion given to the BLM employee in charge. One district may see the standards as a “policy” that they take seriously and another simply sees it as something to be disregarded in favor of pushing as hard and fast as possible to reach a number.
In 2024 we witnessed: electric shocks used to speed up loading, paddles flipped around and used to poke wild horses, horses hit in the head with handling aides, repetitive and persistent gaps in loading chutes and semi trucks during loading, barbed wire used as a wing of trap, rough and aggressive roping, horses and burros hit and kicked, roped and dragged, helicopters used aggressively flying too low and fast (even in light of the crash last year), etc.
While BLM claims they are removing wild horses and burros because of “the welfare of the herd,” BLM continually ignores the welfare of horses and burros. Reaching a number they set primarily through agreements in the 1980s with permittees (not data or science) is
BLMs number one goal.
BLM has still not released any findings or response to comments from the mandatory Motorized Vehicle Use hearings of 2024 that are supposed to address issues with the use of motorized vehicles.
South Steens, before the helicopter 2024
During the 2024 Blue Wing roundup horses and burros dropped dead in the heat during transport, were run in dangerous heat index warnings and air quality warnings (smoke), aggressively handled and international attention descended when a horse was kicked in the head. Aggressive roping had occurred since day 1 and was approved of by the BLM in charge saying that “getting to AML” was the primary goal with not one word referencing safety.
The BLM internal CAWP oversight team gave Blue Wing an “excellent” rating. Our team, even with extremely limited access found 18 violations of BLM standards. (More HERE)
Our FOIA investigative work has found that in one facility the death rate of burros has risen to 13.8% post-roundup in just 6 weeks. (More HERE) Our FOIA work continues to show a woefully broken system of record keeping where delays in logging in arrivals continue and vet reports are not being done and filed according to current CAWP guidelines.
Gaining an enforceable welfare policy should be simple. However, every time we get close to gaining funding for rulemaking for a welfare policy the debate gets derailed as the issue of “abuse” is used to forward other agendas like more fertility control or other aspects of the program that have nothing to do with stopping abuses. If you would like to learn more and take direct action to help stop abuse and prevent unnecessary suffering and death click HERE to learn more and take action by making a fast call to your lawmakers.
Elvis, “pretty boy” from Conant Creek, North Lander (photo: Jim Brown)
BLM has still not reached out to the public to address the release at North Lander where BLM did actually stop the roundup to do a census flight and found that they were, in fact, capturing below “Appropriate Management Level.”
BLM has refused to release actual census data and has only released their “modeling estimate.” BLM has not worked with advocacy to identify wild horses that contribute to the enjoyment of public land by stakeholders. Other stakeholders on public lands are included in every step of process. Advocates have been denied the ability to engage even the most basic aspects of management.
Final count remains unknown, 2024
BLM has refused to even do post-roundup census flights in most areas they have hit hard where we know they captured numbers below AML. Once BLM hits AML, the ten-year gather plans are invalidated and they would need to do another one and it seems BLM will do everything they can to simply keep removing horses and burros without any real data-based justification. We will all need to be prepared to fight the next round.
Pancake, the site of a win this year. A place where the unique genetics speak to history through the Damele Curly and Medicine Hats where no plan to preserve them exists. There won’t be another roundup there until we have a chance to create protections through management planning.
We have won two lawsuits this year that clearly show BLM has ignored actual data-based and transparent management planning for forty years. A removal plan is not a management plan.
WHE has never endorsed doing anything for political correctness or administrative ease… ever. WHE has always stood strong demanding data, science and transparent planning, transparent actions and basic humane protocols.
BLM must stop running the program to simply remove to suit other interests and begin to protect the herd and habitat they need to survive from continued encroachment of those interests.
Habitat loss and fragmentation is the driver of removals. It is the number one threat to all living beings on our public lands.
Once again we see herds where no management plans have ever been done.
We see no release of census and range data to show any actual determination of excess horses or burros on range. Once again, we see BLM placing a few areas on the roundup schedule before Appeal periods on new assessments have no expired. We see some with old assessments, some nearly a decade old, being used to claim compliance with the law without any supplements even after extreme changes have occurred with herd and habitat.
Once again, there is no enforceable welfare standard.
The numbers listed on the 2025 schedule may appear be nearly halved compared to the 2024 schedule.
That change is due in part to the budget debate that holds fiscal spending at levels of previous years, over crowded holding facilities and the fact that only a handful of herds have not already been driven down to levels that are not genetically sustainable and long-lasting “expanded fertility control” has been placed onboard. Path Forward goals are nearly complete and numbers can begin to drop after the greatest hit in history in 2024.
Our team is ready to hit the road and continues to work hard finding avenues to address issues in the courts and with lawmakers. You can continue to rely on us to bring you in-depth reporting from the field and to continue to strive to educate an effective advocacy.
We had additional lawsuits already active in the court system to expand on the two wins we had this year. As we move these cases to completion, real reform is on the horizon. We must keep the goal in site. Together we can achieve long overdue reform and begin to repair the damage done through big money lobby groups and decades of neglect.
Onward.
Through October 4th, all contributions will be matched up to $5,000. by a generous supporter. Thank you for keeping WHE running for the wild.
Through October 3rd, you can also purchase a shirt to show your support. 100% of proceeds and donations go to support our work and will be counted in the match. Click HERE for shirts.
Fiscal 2024 team reporting (helicopter roundups)
Sands Basin/Four Mile Emergency (ID)
Private Facility Reports fiscal 2024
Broken Arrow (Indian Lakes Rd, Fallon, NV)
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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