Sixty to seventy percent of travelers interviewed by the author of a new book point to Oatman as one of their favorite stops according to a story by KPNX News.
The report did not indicate if any visitors had been kicked by the burros.
The article about the Black Mountain WHT included a section about Return to Normal (Before WHB Act), a signatory to the “Path Forward,” and the sanctuaries it operates.
In the space of a few paragraphs, fertility control is mentioned five times.
RTF ringleader Neda DeMayo said the horses live as they’re designed to live—except for one minor detail.
She’s been pummeling the mares with a “non-hormonal, reversible birth control vaccine,” referred to on these pages as an ovary-killing pesticide, since 1999.
The stallion died of natural causes. He was not one of the top producers in 2025.
The mare slipped on ice and broke her neck.
The report by WBOC News did not indicate if any foals had been born in 2026.
Known for its abnormal sex ratio and unprecedented birth rate, the saltwater cowboys have engineered the herd for maximum revenue at the annual pony swim and auction.
The herd is so small that it’s in danger of becoming extinct according to an article by the New Times of San Luis Obispo.
A retired ranger from the Los Padres National Forest, home of the WHT, said she’s recommending and hoping that the Forest Service lets it die out.
Western Horse Watchers was unable to find a map of the territory but believes it’s located at the northern end of the Santa Lucia Ranger District based on remarks about a radar dome on page 45 (55 in the pdf) of the land management plan for the forest.
The WHT is not subject to permitted grazing.
The Forest Service does not post AOIs for neighboring allotments so it’s not possible to determine if the target stocking rate (20 horses on 13,3215 public acres) is reasonable.
Objective LG 3 in the management plan says the WHT remains suitable and sustainable over the long term but that was from 2005.
Despite cancellation of the AIP, 8,080 animals were placed into private care last year, up 20% from FY24, according to a BLM blog post.
The report did not indicate how many animals were removed from public lands during the same period and if the off-range inventory was rising or falling.
The scope of work includes transportation of 36 adults, 36 youngsters and 11 burros to a horse and cattle farm in Pikeville between February 15 and February 21.
The solicitation does not give a reason for the move.
The BLM and Forest Service seek nominations for six positions on the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board, three currently vacant and three to become vacant in September, according to today’s news release.
The agencies will host a webinar on March 11 to explain the process.
Board members serve three-year terms and meet one to four times per year.
Federal land management agencies are supposed to serve the people and protect the environment according to an article in today’s edition of This Is Reno.
But the Trump administration has gutted them and directed them to only work on projects that help oil and gas companies, ranchers and mining companies.
Which has the greatest impact on wild horses and burros?
Drilling and mining affect anywhere from a few acres to a few thousand acres while public lands ranching devours entire HMAs and beyond.
The BLM page concerning range and herd health, which applies to the wild horse and burro program not the grazing program, says PZP is only effective for approximately one year, unless four or more shots are given over time.
The new fee, effective March 1, is $1.69 per AUM, up from $1.35 in 2025.
The BLM news release said changes to the fee cannot exceed 25% of the previous year’s price, which is the case this year.
For comparison, the price of alfalfa-grass hay this week was $27 per bale, 20 bales minimum, putting the cost of feed at $135 per AUM (five bales per horse per month).