A California-based wild horse advocacy group says it is “poised to pursue legal action” if the Bureau of Land Management continues with plans to remove more than 2,500 horses from the North Lander Herd Management Area Complex this year.
The American Wild Horse Conservation organization sent a formal objection letter to BLM Wyoming State Director Andrew Archuleta this week, arguing that the plan exceeds the agency’s legal authority and represents “an impermissible attempt to remove wild horses to a level below the low Appropriate Management Level (AML).”
The AML for the North Lander HMA Complex ranges between 320 and 536, according to the BLM, but there are currently about 3,035 wild horses living there, AWHC Director of Law and Policy Fernando Guerra wrote in the objection letter, citing agency statistics.
Almost 20 percent of those wild horses are foals, however, Guerra said, again citing information “disclosed” by the BLM – and foals are not meant to be counted as part of the AML, according to the agency’s Wild Horse and Burro Management Handbook.
Removing foals from the equation, Guerra said there are actually about 2,460 adult wild horses in the North Lander HMA Complex – fewer than the amount slated for removal this year.
“Following this (plan) would likely zero out the population, and at minimum would leave fewer horses on the range than permitted by the low AML of 320,” Guerra wrote. “Given these figures, the agency has blatantly and grossly exceeded its authority to remove ‘excess’ wild horses from the range. …
“Your current plans are arbitrary, capricious, and unlawful. AWCH hopes that you will take actions to remedy this major abuse of discretion but stands poised to pursue legal action should your office continue this malfeasance.”