The fight to protect wild horses in the Pancake Complex continues with a new lawsuit. 

The battle to safeguard Nevada’s wild horses continues. A new federal lawsuit challenges the Bureau of Land Management’s missteps in managing the Pancake Complex.

In spring of 2024, we won a lawsuit against the BLM that kicked the roundup plan off the table and found that actual management plans, the Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP) had been illegally delayed for the Pancake Complex in central Nevada.

Activities involved in an HMAP would be to determine how many horses can live on the range (what BLM calls AML), disclose how they arrive at the number, and what a Thriving Natural Ecological Balance (TNEB) looks like and many other topics involved in actual management. Much like an Allotment Management Plan (AMP) for livestock, it should be a blueprint built on data demonstrating a baseline and management options.

In the prior case the Court found BLM’s Gather-EA failed to analyze topics such as how the removal of large numbers of horses would impact fire fuels. The Court also found that the BLM never disclosed how AML was set (even though they claimed it was in underlying planning, it was not) and BLM was continuing to approve things like water projects for cows (shut off when the cows go home and the gates open) and mining in vital foaling grounds.

From the Court Order: “Engaging in the decision-making of an HMAP without actually preparing an HMAP could therefore deprive interested parties of the administrative review processes to which they are entitled.” 

“BLM’s decades-long delays in developing and approving HMAPs have therefore been “nothing short of egregious” and clearly violate the rule of reason.”

In March of 2025, BLM released what they called a “Gather and Herd Management Area Plan.” They released a roundup plan with a new name. They target the same existing low AML as the gather plan did with no data to backup that number.

There is no real data or analysis in this document. No disclosure of how AML was set, habitat needs for wild horses, triggers for when livestock would be removed, not even a data-based look at the removal of wild horses and wildfire.

A new lawsuit has been filed in Federal District Court. 

Warning: Video below contains disturbing video

On the first day of the the last Pancake helicopter roundup in 2022, a young colt snapped a leg bringing international outrage and spurring new legislation to be drafted. HR 3656, introduced by Dina Titus (D-NV), even mentions this incident by name. 

Nothing in this so-called “Herd Management Area Plan” even address the area that creates the most public interest. Nothing identifying foaling season, safe times of year for capture (not in winter mud and ice), drive distances, or even stoping a roundup when there is an injury.

The HMAP is the only place the public can have actual input on things like numbers of horses, protecting critical habitat and even identifying foaling season with data to create accountability to the prohibition on capture during that time via helicopter.

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The HMAP also does not address the shooting and killing of wild horses in the Herd Management Areas in the complex. It is really common to come across remains that show victims. BLM has still not solved the shooting of an entire band in Jakes Wash. The HMAP should discuss the additional monitoring required to stop this common issue and, at least, recognize it exists.

Our last win at Pancake set national precedent that has impacted numerous herds.

This case must move forward to “make it count” for all of our herds.

As advocates we need a real voice in management decisions. The HMAP is the only document that can bring about transparency and the type of justice we all seek.

Thank you for standing with us!

Thank you for keeping WHE running for our wild ones!

On October 19th at 11 a.m. PST we will be running a live session for the subscriber tiers on our Patron account. We will give you an update on litigation and, if the government is back to work, we will also give you outreach tips. You can join our monthly supporters on Patreon HERE. If you join in October, your first 3 months of contributions will be doubled as part of the matching funds we were offered by a generous donor!