2022 Early Hearing Detection & Intervention Virtual Conference
March 13 - 15, 2022
8/23/2017 | 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM | Wild Horse & Burro Management: Framing The Issue | Salon F
Wild Horse & Burro Management: Framing The Issue
Current federal management of wild horses and burros is conducted under the authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971, as amended. Free-roaming horses and burros are ecologically non-native, feral animals in North America. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service are tasked by the Act with managing these species on more than 31 million acres of herd management areas (HMA) on federal public lands across 10 western states in a manner that produces a "thriving natural ecological balance” with other uses of those lands. In the context of current laws and regulations, the general approach to managing wild horses and burros can be defined in three steps: 1) establish population management objectives through a science-informed, public-engaging resource management planning process for each HMA, 2) conduct on-range management to meet population objectives (e.g. gather and remove animals; apply fertility control; etc.), 3) place animals into off-range holding facilities until they are adopted by a private individual. BLM established its 2017 management objective at 26,715 wild horses and burros across all HMAs. As of March 2017, BLM’s on-range population was estimated at 72,674 animals; in addition, BLM had 46,015 animals in off-range holding facilities. The agency adopted into private care 2,135 animals in FY2014, 2,631 animals in FY2015, and 2,912 animals in FY2016. Scientific reports indicate wild horse and burro populations can grow up to 20 percent per year. More than $49 million (63%) of the agency’s program budget is spent caring for animals in holding facilities. BLM limits on-range population management (gather and removal) due to lack of financial capacity to place additional animals into holding facilities. Policy changes are needed to ensure the program can remain tenable, achieve legal mandates, and protect the health of public lands.
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Presenters/Authors
Keith Norris
(), The Wildlife Society and the National Horse & Burro Rangeland Management Coalition, keith.norris@wildlife.org;
Keith Norris is the Director of Wildlife Policy & Programs at The Wildlife Society, where he supports policies and professional development opportunities to empower, enable, and assist wildlife professionals in science-based management and conservation of wildlife and their habitats. He holds a B.S. degree in Wildlife from Purdue University, a M.A. degree in Public Policy & Management from the John Glenn College of Public Affairs, and a M.S. degree in Environment & Natural Resources – Wildlife and Fisheries at The Ohio State University, and is certified as an Associate Wildlife Biologist®. His career has included positions in wildlife research, education, policy advocacy, leadership development, and program administration.
In his role at The Wildlife Society, Keith serves as a Co-Chair of the National Horse & Burro Rangeland Management Coalition, a partnership of more than 18 national organizations, encompassing a wide range of sportsmen, livestock grower, state and local government, wildlife, and land conservation organizations and professional societies. The Coalition represents over 10 million Americans and 6,000 local governments, and focuses on commonsense, ecologically-sound approaches to managing horses and burros to promote healthy wildlife and rangelands for future generations.
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