Tribe Attempts to Block Montgomery Pass Roundup

The Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation brought the case earlier this week according to a story by Native News Online.

The complaint alleges that the defendants, which include the BLM and Forest Service, did not complete the legally required government-to-government consultation, identifying sacred sites and cultural resources within the operation’s footprint, or assessing the impact of helicopter operations on Benton Paiute land.

The plaintiffs asked the court to vacate and set aside the 2025 Decision Record and halt the removal of wild horses from the project area, among other things.

PREVIOUS: BLM, Forest Service Announce Montgomery Pass Closures.

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Advocates Opposed to Grazing Rule Changes?

Let’s see,

  • They’re beating the horse populations down in favor of livestock
  • Their sanctuaries are on deeded acreage
  • They think drillers and miners are the greatest threat to wild horses

In consideration of the foregoing body of evidence, the answer is No.

They want the ranchers to win.

PREVIOUS: BLM Posts Video of Grazing Rule Online Meeting.

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BLM Seeks Off-Range Pastures for 16,000 Wild Horses

The solicitation does not include a statement of work.

Scroll down to the Attachments section and click on the pdf.  Your download manager should ask you to open or save it.

Facilities should be located in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma or Utah and have the capacity of at least 200 animals.

They are not intended to be public viewing areas but the agency may require access for public and/or media tours during the life of the contract, which is ten years.

Proposals are due by August 3.

The facilities report gives capacities and inventories of existing corrals and pastures.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Closing Public Lands for Sand Wash Roundup

A new project was opened in ePlanning yesterday and two documents were uploaded.

There were no opportunities for public comment.

The agency will close public lands within a two-mile radius of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities to all public entry for the duration of the roundup.

Observers escorted by BLM staff are exempt.

Attachment 1 in the Decision Record shows the location of the trap sites.

The gather area is easily five times larger than the HMA and contains numerous grazing allotments, not shown in the map.

The incident has not been announced but is on the schedule with a start date of September 10.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM, Forest Service Announce Montgomery Pass Closures

The BLM news release includes a link to its Decision Record which shows both areas on Map 3.

Only essential gather personnel and permitted personnel will be allowed at trap and holding sites during operations according to the Inyo news release.

Permitted personnel may correspond to observers escorted by the Forest Service.

The closure areas contain numerous grazing allotments, not shown on the maps.

RELATED: Montgomery Pass Roundup Announced.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Foal-Free Friday, Ending the Lull Edition

The moratorium on helicopter roundups concluded on July 1.

The idea is that foals born in the spring are now strong enough to endure forcible removal from their lawful homes (in favor of privately owned livestock).

The largest roundup of FY26 will occur at the Callaghan Complex starting on July 10.

At least 25% of the captured animals will need to be foals to support claims that the herd is growing at a rate of 20% per year.

The incident has not been announced and a gather page has not been created.

The advocates want to replace motorized removal with long-term use of fertility control, resulting in permanent infertility and herd collapse.

PREVIOUS: Foal-Free Friday, Reading the Tea Leaves Edition.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Saylor Creek Roundup Pending

The incident will begin on or about July 15.

The capture goal is 100 and the removal goal is 68.

The AML is 50 and the current population is thought to be 118.

A helicopter will push the horses into the traps.

Animals identified for removal will be taken to the Boise Off-Range Corrals.

Up to 16 mares will be treated with GonaCon-Equine and returned to the range with up to 16 stallions.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

The news release said the roundup is open to public observation despite an order that closes all public lands within two miles of the trap sites.

PREVIOUS: BLM Issues Saylor Creek Final DNA and Closure Notice.

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BLM Assessing NEPA Adequacy Ahead of Challis Roundup?

A new project has been created in ePlanning but no documents have been uploaded.

It’s not clear if public input will be invited or considered.

Announcements of such opportunities are becoming fewer and farther in between in the current administration.

The incident is on the schedule with a start date of September 10.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Bans Public from Piceance and West Douglas Roundups

A new project in ePlanning authorizes the closure of public lands within a two-mile radius of active trapping locations and temporary holding facilities at the Piceance–East Douglas Herd Management Area, North Piceance Herd Area and West Douglas Herd Area to all public entry for the duration of the incidents.

Closures have also been announced at Saylor Creek and Moriah.

The Piceance roundups are set to begin on August 1 according to the schedule.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Posts Video of Grazing Rule Online Meeting

The news release said the changes would give ranchers more flexibility, improve the health of rangelands and support rural communities across the West.

What they’re really trying to do is limit the use of allotments to animals approved by the ranching industry, not the preference holders, thwarting the creation of wild horse and burro refuges on public lands.

A special interest will control the way allotments are used, not the owners or lessors of the base properties attached to them.

You can comment against the proposal at the Federal Register.

PREVIOUS: Driver of Grazing Rule Changes.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Loss of Water Spells End for Virginia Range Mustangs?

An in-depth report by Carson Now identifies two problems complicating the situation: Most of the land is private, subject to purchase and development, and NDA considers the horses to be estray livestock, even though they’re unclaimed and unbranded.

Western Horse Watchers disputes claims that development at the higher elevations, which is minor compared to growth in south Reno, is driving them out of the mountains and into foothills.

Why didn’t the writer question the mass sterilization program authorized by NDA and carried out by the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses?

The article suggested that watering is unlawful.  The practice is discouraged in urban areas but it is not illegal.

Feeding is illegal.

Although the fat lady has yet to sing, you can be sure there are many players working to eradicate the herd, including those who claim to be its defenders.

RELATED: BLM Issues Decision on Virginia Range Fencing Project.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Driver of Grazing Rule Changes

Your faithful public servants are trying to insert “production-oriented livestock” everywhere they can in the Part 4100 regulations to pacify the crybabies in Montana who didn’t like the type of livestock American Prairie ran on its grazing allotments, and their overlords across the west who saw the practice as a threat to their hegemony.

They stated in the notice that they were “seeking to head off suggestions that grazing permits may be appropriate for other purposes, including preservation or conservation,” precluding the use of grazing allotments for wild horse refuges.

You have until July 13 to comment against the proposal.

PREVIOUS: Grazing Rule Changes Explained.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Advocates, Not Drones, Greatest Threat to Currituck Herd

Unmanned aerial vehicles are one of the most invasive, disruptive things the horses must deal with according to a report by WAVY News.

Far worse than pesticide-laced darts, fired by the advocates, that can sterilize mares and destroy entire herds if applied for more than five years.

It’s still not clear if the Currituck darting program was stopped soon enough to save the herd from total collapse.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

BLM Assessing NEPA Adequacy at Cedar Mountain?

A new project has been created in ePlanning but no documents have been uploaded.

There is no description.

The title suggests that a roundup is in the works but the HMA is not on the schedule.

The agency had been paying the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses to beat the horse population down with PZP and that component is still there.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Grazing Rule Changes Explained

What would you say if the city cancelled your building permit, duly obtained, because your neighbors didn’t like the style of your roof, and the planning department imposes new rules later in the year to justify it?

That’s what the BLM is doing to American Prairie and anyone else who would lawfully obtain a base property and convert the preference to animals disliked by ranchers.

It’s wrong, there’s no statutory warrant for it and it must be stopped.

You can put an end to it by commenting on the proposed changes by July 13.

PREVIOUS: Should You Oppose the Grazing Rule Changes?

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.

Should You Oppose the Grazing Rule Changes?

There is no statutory basis precluding the use of grazing allotments for conservation herds.

If there was, Mustang Monument never would have gotten off the ground, American Prairie’s bison restoration project would have been dead on arrival and Wild Horse Refuge would have been told to keep their animals on their own property.

The avowed enemies of wild horses, consisting of hunters, ranchers, trappers and their supporters, not drillers and miners, know this so they’ve strongarmed their allies at the BLM into rule changes that would, in effect, amend FLPMA by prohibiting certain uses of public lands, without the approval of Congress.

Did you know that a rancher in New Mexico has a permit to graze burros?

It’s a devious plan that will funnel wild horses into private care on deeded acreage only, exactly what the ranchers want.

Now is the time for the advocates to put their darting rifles aside and comment against the changes.

If a proposed sanctuary does not include public lands and does not displace livestock therefrom, it’s not worthy of your support.

PREVIOUS: Grazing Rule Changes Reflect DOI Hypocrisy.

► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.