Massive mustang roundup

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

By Jake Nichols

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-The Bureau of Land Management announced last week plans to conduct a large-scale roundup of wild horses in southwest Wyoming this fall, a proposition that has wild horse advocates bristling and state leaders begging for more time.

 The BLM said state objectives for wild horse populations are somewhere between 2,700 and 3,700 head. Currently, estimates put the total number of wild horses and burros in Wyoming at about 5,000. The agency plans to gather 1,950 horses, releasing only 370 back into the wild. One hundred of those horses will be mares treated with fertility control vaccines. The roundup will take place in the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek areas of the Red Desert.

Many wild horse advocacy groups like the national organization Cloud Foundation and state-based Wyoming Wild Horse Coalition oppose the removal of any wild horses on public land, believing the animals can and will adjust their populations naturally to available land and forage. Methods of horse-gatherers also come under scrutiny.

The most cost-effective and quickest way to roundup wild horses is through the use of air support – fixed wing and helicopter. BLM’s latest roundup in northern Elko County, Nevada resulted in 21 fatalities for 636 horses gathered. Wild horse advocacy groups went to court to stop the roundup saying the use of helicopters in the summer heat would be inhumane. A judge ruled it would be more inhumane to let the horses die of dehydration because water sources were drying up on their range.
Helicopter roundups have been conducted in Wyoming in the past with little controversy. Still, Wyoming Wild Horse Coalition coordinator Patricia Fazio said use of aircraft traumatizes horses unnecessarily and could cause them to injure themselves.
Meanwhile, state officials have asked the feds for more time to hear from stakeholders regarding the proposed Wyoming roundup scheduled to begin October 1st.
A letter drafted by Sens. Mike Enzi and John Barrasso and Rep. Cynthia Lummis was sent to Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on July 22. The Wyoming committee petitioned Salazar for another 60-day comment period. The current comment period expires August 3rd. The committee also asked the BLM to make feedback methods easier for people with limited or no Internet connections. The group also lauded a public workshop held in Denver on June 14th and suggested there be more such meetings taking place in rural Wyoming communities.
Wyoming holds the second largest population of wild horses after the state of Nevada. Most are concentrated in the southwest portion of the state but a few isolated herds exists in the north, including the coveted Pryor  Mountain mustang herd, who’s bloodline has been traced back to horses of Spanish Conquistadors.
Wyoming wild horse population soared to 7,000 in 2003, prompting the massive roundups in the mid-2000s. Horses that are gathered and removed will be sent to holding facilities in the Rock Springs area where they will be processed for adoption. Horses that are not adopted after three tries are moved to federally-run horse sanctuaries out-of-state. JHW


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Massive mustang roundup | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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