Public Lands News®
Published by Resources Publishing Co. • P.O. Box 41320 • Arlington, VA 22204. Annual subscription $287 for 24 issues and 10 bulletins • © 2009 EIN 52-13635389
Phone: (703) 553-0552 • Fax: (703) 553-0558 • Website: http://www.publiclandsnews.com • E-Mail: james@publiclandnewsletter.com
Editor: James B. Coffin
Subscription Services: Celina Richardson Volume 34 Number 10, May 15, 2009
Wild horses are gainers in Obama budget
Within BLM’s resource management line item the budget proposes a sharp
increase for wild horse and burro management of $27 million, from $40.6 million in
fiscal 2009 to $67.5 million in fiscal 2010. As PLN has frequently reported, the
wild horse situation on the public lands has reached crisis proportions with the
number of animals on the range exceeding carrying capacity and BLM unable to pay for
maintaining excess animals.
An Interior Department budget summary says the increase would “allow BLM to
vigorously pursue increased adoptions and sales through new management policies,
such as stewardship incentives and expanded partnerships with horse advocacy groups,
and to more aggressively implement population control efforts that will help reduce
out-year funding requirements for the program.”
But, warns the budget request, “The BLM’s latest analysis indicates that
program costs would continue to increase significantly in future years unless new
and innovative management approaches are implemented, such as a stewardship
incentive program and aggressively implementing fertility control treatments and
adjusting sex ratios of wild horses in Horse Management Areas.”
Leave a Reply