Courts deliver mixed results to BLM on wild horses

By Scott Streater | 04/01/2024 01:27 PM EDT

The two decisions underscore the complexity of managing wild horses and burros across 27 million acres in 10 Western states.

A group of wild horses is rounded up.

A group of wild horses is rounded up during a gathering July 8, 2005, in Eureka, Nevada. The Bureau of Land Management wants to reduce herds in the West. Justin Sullivan/AFP via Getty Images

This story was updated at 4:47 p.m. EDT.

Two federal courts last week handed the Bureau of Land Management mixed decisions on the agency’s management of wild horses and burros.

At issue in both cases: BLM’s herd management area plans covering hundreds of thousands of acres that set goals and outline action the bureau might need to take, such as increased roundups and removals, to achieve those objectives.

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A BLM spokesperson said the agency had no comment on the court decisions.

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