Senator Feinstein Urges Bureau of Land Management to Find Alternatives to Euthanization of Wild Horses Held on Federal Lands

Press Release

U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is urging BLM Director James L. Caswell to come up with options other than euthanization or sale for slaughter to manage increasing wild horse populations held in federal holding pens.

The Bureau of Land Management removes excess and endangered horses from the range and places them in holding facilities for care and potential adoption. Rising costs for fuel to transfer horses and hay to feed them have significantly decreased the public's ability to adopt these horses.

As a result, the BLM has had to hold far more wild horses for longer time periods. According to a Government Accountability Office report released last month, only 62 percent of the 74,000 animals removed from the range since 2001 have been adopted or sold. As of June 2008, the BLM was holding 30,088 horses -- up from 9,807 horses in 2001. The cost of holding these horses exhausted 67 percent of the program's Fiscal Year 2007 budget. That number is expected to grow to 74 percent for Fiscal Year 2008.

Earlier this year, the BLM posted on its website that it was considering euthanasia and sale for slaughter as options for reducing the wild horse herd.

In a letter to Director Caswell, Senator Feinstein adamantly opposes euthanization or sale of wild horses for slaughter as an option to manage the BLM's wild horse program. She is asking the BLM to provide a detailed assessment of its efforts to resolve the program's challenges and combat the decreasing number of wild horse adoptions.

Following is the text of the letter Senator Feinstein sent to James L. Caswell, director of the Bureau of Land Management:

November 19, 2008

Mr. James L. Caswell
Director
Bureau of Land Management
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mail Stop 401-LS
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240-0001

Dear Director Caswell:

I am adamantly opposed to any euthanasia or sale for slaughter of wild horses under the care of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM has announced that it is considering these practices as options for reducing the rapidly growing number of wild horses held in the agency's facilities. I urge the BLM instead to report back to me on alternative options for the long-term management of these magnificent herds of animals.

As a result of drought-induced scarcity of available forage, the BLM has had to remove greater numbers of horses from the range in danger of starvation and dehydration. Moreover, increasing fuel and feed costs have significantly decreased the public's ability to adopt these horses and caused the Bureau unsustainable economic strain. Consequently, the number of horses removed from the range is far greater than the number being adopted and BLM has had to hold far more wild horses for longer time periods. According to a Government Accountability Office report released last week, as of June 2008, the BLM was holding 30,088 horses, up from 9,807 in 2001, and the cost of holding these horses has exhausted sixty-seven percent of the horse program's fiscal year 2007 budget.

It is my view that a solution must be reached which will provide for the long-term sustainability of the BLM's horse management program, while allowing these horses to live out their natural lives, be treated humanely, and adopted when possible. I request that your agency present a detailed assessment of your efforts to find a long-term resolution to the increasing population of horses held in BLM facilities, and the decreasing number of adoptions by the public. This report should address the following questions:

What efforts is the BLM taking to resolve the significant challenges to the long-term sustainability of its Wild Horse and Burro Management Program?
Has the BLM studied alternative methods for managing wild horse populations, such as contraception and sterilization or the relocation of horses to Herd Management Areas (HMA) with populations below the Appropriate Management Level (AML)?
What efforts can be made to better promote the BLM's public adoption program?
Finally, an article in yesterday's Washington Post mentions that Madeleine Pickens, wife of T. Boone Pickens, is seeking to adopt most or all of the horses kept in BLM facilities. I would like to know the status of this offer, whether it appears to be a realistic prospect, and how significantly this would benefit the short- and long-term sustainability of the BLM's wild horse program.

To be clear, I recognize the substantial work on the part of BLM to manage our nation's wild horses, and I thank you for all of your efforts. Given my belief that euthanasia and sale for slaughter are unacceptable options that should be taken off the table, I am actively seeking alternative solutions that will offer these animals the most humane treatment. I look forward to working with you on this important effort.

Sincerely,

Dianne Feinstein
United States Senator

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