As we advocate for wild horses and burros we have to take actions toward long term goals as well as short term actions. This page will update frequently and will often contain multiple actions you can participate in.
Preface to all actions: Actions that address policy fall into 3 different branches of government. More HERE that can help you understand that a bit about the “who and how” of advocating for change.
This page contains several distinct actions you can take. Each Action is prefaced in red.
Drought:
Wild horses are being removed year after year due to “drought emergency.” Drought is not considered an actual emergency, it is expected and management planning should be in place to protect the resources wild things need to survive.
You can add your name to the call to BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning to require BLM to take action to get livestock off HMAs and protect the range during the fragile spring growing season.
Click here to read the letter and add your name.
Hearing on the Wild Horse and Burro Program
Congress must take their responsibility to hold the agency accountable both fiscally and morally. It has been 50 years since Congress declared wild horses and burros as integral to the system of public lands. For 50 years our wild horses and burros have not had an equitable system of management processes.
Your legislators get thousands of click-and-send letters and have a tendency to simply categorize them, instead of really reading each point you address. The click-and-send can help show interest in an issue that we can then use as we interact to educate lawmakers.
Taking the time to print and send a letter, or craft an individual email, can help you begin to create a more personal relationship with your lawmakers to better educate them. After sending your click and send, Send a personal email or make a call. You can find your representatives and their contact info here: http://govtrack.us
Appropriations (Spending)
Funding federal programs for the next fiscal year is outlined in the Appropriations bill. The government fiscal year runs from October through the end of September. The 2022 bill will add an additional $11 million to continue to increase the acceleration of the BLM 2020 plan with a focus on adding more immunocontaception. In 2023 we need actual reform. Continuing to accelerate population growth suppression of any form, without reforming management, is leading our wild, wild horse populations off the edge of a proverbial cliff.
The debate for 2023 begins January 3. You can take action below.
We have taken the things you have expressed to us and created an action item to reflect the frustrations you conveyed to us:
2023 Appropriations
Click HERE to Take our fast action item.
Contact Your Two Senators and One Representative
Call the Capitol Hill Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative. You can say:
“I’m a constituent, and I’m calling to ask that you please do all you can to influence the crafting of the 2023 Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Spending bill to help begin actual reform of the Wild Horse and Burro Program.
- Designate $5 million for water source creation and repair in HMAs.
- Defund removal plans where the BLM has skirted the NEPA process and failed to create a management plan for the herd, an HMAP.
- Designate specific funds to provide for an open online portal where the public can access range monitoring, roundup veterinary reports, shipping manifests and death statistics.
- Prohibit funding for creation of any facility that is “off-limits” to public visitation.
- Defund the Adoption Incentive Program pending a review.
- Continue to deny funding for “sales without limits.”
Fight Abuse
Abuses on an off the range continue. We must gain the expansion and revision of the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Policy (CAWP) that was promised.
You can learn more and download a postcard to mail here: https://wildhorseeducation.org/2021/05/13/countdown-to-helicopter-season-part-2-cawp/
HR 6635
Early last month Dina Titus (D-NV) introduced HR 6635: “Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2022.”
Citing the events documented at the Pancake Complex roundup (NV) where a young colt was stampeded by helicopter and lagged back from her family, snapping a front leg, Congresswoman Titus introduced her amendment on Feb. 8th.
If you read the bill the intent is simple: STOP the insane acceleration of helicopter capture (11,000 targeted through October), limit population growth suppression to reversible immunocontraception and task the Government Accounting Office (GAO) to conduct an immediate review of capture methods to find the safest alternative.
The bill has gained 5 cosponsors. You can see the full text of the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2022, introduced by Dina Titus (D-NV), HERE.
This fast click and send will go directly to your representative CLICK HERE.
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If you want to learn more about the “HMAP” and the BLM plan: https://wildhorseeducation.org/2020/05/20/blm-plan-and-the-hmap/
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Help us stay in the fight.
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