Forum: A Framework for Resetting Wild Horse and Burro Management

Abstract

There are now over 130,000 head of wild horses and burros in the Bureau of Land Management program. Management tools in the original authorizations (Wild Horse and Burro Act; Public Rangelands Improvement Act) have been inhibited or banned by subsequent appropriation riders. The original framework for horse and burro management has been undermined, leading to on-range populations in excess of legally mandated levels. New, creative approaches to horse and burro management are required to bring populations back to legally mandated and ecologically appropriate levels. The Society for Range Management