The Wyoming Stock Growers Association didn’t have to hire Tom Horn to get what they wanted this time; they just employed the weak feebleness of the BLM. In a final air attack from helicopters, the freedom symbol of the American West will no longer roam free.
With an appeal timeline, litigation and the faint possible injunction still looming in the far-off distance, all of which is nothing more than the vibration of a broken drum. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) decided over 3,000 wild horses can be eliminated from Wyoming’s public land.
An argumentative plan to completely remove two herds, and a portion of another herd, is seemingly a behind-closed-door arrangement. It is the now open initiation of complete compliance to the wants of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association (WSGA) and the Rock Springs Grazing Association. (RSGA).
THE WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS ACT OF 1971
(PUBLIC LAW 92-195) §1331.
Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.
1332. Definitions As used in this Act
(a) "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior when used in connection with public lands administered by him through the Bureau of Land Management and the Secretary of Agriculture in connection with public lands administered by him through the Forest Service.
(b) "wild free-roaming horses and burros" means all unbranded and unclaimed horses and burros on public lands of the United States.
(c) "range" means the amount of land necessary to sustain an existing herd or herds of wild free-roaming horses and burros, which does not exceed their known territorial limits, and which is devoted principally but not necessarily exclusively to their welfare in keeping with the multiple-use management concept for the public lands.
The BLM in Wyoming has cleared its environmental review process. This is the beginning to fully eradicate free-roaming horses in southwestern Wyoming. Nowhere are the directives of the policy that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death.
This soft choice of words, ‘eliminating’ is only a limp and loose way of announcing and revealing the want of complete annihilation. It also sets a precedent to continue the removal of wild horses at the whims of others who want more control of public lands.
The BLM announced the permanent removal of more than 3000 feral equines that dwell in the Great Divide Basin, Salt Wells Creek and Adobe Town herd areas. In their continuous play with terminology, to what they believe is an ignorant audience, the BLM uses feral equines. They have forfeited the terminology of Congress who declared that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the American West.
Kimberlee Foster, BLM field manager for the Rock Springs office said she carefully considered all public comments received and wished to thank all commenters for their interest in wild horse management in the project area. However, the voice of the people must have not been bold enough. Foster ignored the people and started riding for the other brands. I hope that when she folded, complied and started riding for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association and the Rock Springs Grazing Association, she at least got a freezer full of beef and mutton.
Foster is the pen behind the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan revision, a project more than 12 years in the making. “It’s very rewarding to see it nearing a Record of Decision,” she said.
Foster was recognized with the BLM for, Director’s Excellence Through Leadership Award for providing exceptional public service. The award celebrates exemplary leadership through actions that involve programs, projects, events, individual employees, and teams.
Seemingly though, what is seen is the weakness of complying to the power of the WSTGA and the RSGA. Her actions show she is holding little regard for the true meaning of public land and the wants of all the people.
The 2025 roundup is anticipated to last for two months to terminate an estimated 3,624 horses in the Salt Wells Creek and Adobe Town herds. These maneuvers are the largest horse-removal effort scheduled to take place across the West. The Great Divide Basin herd removal will follow in 2026.
Wyoming’s checkerboard region, a 40-mile-wide area where public and private land meet, has been the cause over a long-running dispute over free-roaming horse management. They also have generated a high-profile public land access dispute at common corners.
The Rock Springs Grazing Association, which owns and leases about 1.1 million acres of private land in the checkerboard, revoked consent for ‘feral horses’ to roam its property. Wild horse advocacy groups and the wild horse hating Grazing Association have been in a constant tormented battle with the BLM over who gets the biggest sand box to play in.
The WSGA is a long-standing advocacy group for livestock ranchers in Wyoming. Historically they have taken a strong stance on the management of wild horses on public lands. They are a prominent voice in the ongoing debate about wild horse management in Wyoming.
They advocate for their removal and a more aggressive population control. Their concerns stem from the potential for wild horses to compete with livestock for resources and negatively impact rangeland health.
The WSGA's concerns about overpopulation have been a recurring theme in their advocacy for wild horse management. They expressed concerns that the growing wild horse population on public lands in Wyoming and the potential for them to overgraze rangelands, negatively impacts the livestock production.
The WSGA has openly criticized the federal regulations governing wild horse management, arguing that they can hinder effective management of wild horse populations. Their emphasis is the need for healthy rangelands to support livestock. They believe that wild horse overpopulation can negatively impact rangeland health
When the 30-day appeal period lapses on June 28, there will be no additional steps in the BLM’s process. The documents released will constitute the final decision to authorize the whole-herd removals, according to Foster. Whole-herd removals are nothing more than another way to calmly announce the complete illegal and criminal annihilation of the most symbolic symbol of the American West. Tip your hat, bow your head and pause in silence for a quiet moment. Once this starts it will not end until the end. – dbA
You can find more of the unfiltered insight and the Art of Dan Abernathy at www.contributechaos.com.
