Congress tells the BLM to fix the wild horse ‘problem.’ Let’s look at the numbers.
Data from this post and this post, rounded, lands managed by the BLM:
- 9 million AUMs per year currently used by livestock
- 12 million AUMs per year available to livestock
- 155 million acres of public lands available to livestock
- 71,000 wild horses and burros currently on public lands
- 27,000 wild horses and burros allowed on public lands
- 27 million acres of public lands available to wild horses and burros
Assumptions:
- Livestock graze 6 months per year
- Horses and burros graze 12 months per year
AUM consumption, current conditions:
- 9 million AUMs per year allocated to livestock
- 0.85 million AUMs per year allocated to wild horses and burros
Animal population, current conditions:
- 1.5 million cow/calf pairs
- 0.071 million horses and burros
Population density, current conditions:
- 9.7 cow/calf pairs per thousand acres
- 2.6 horses and burros per thousand acres
Graphical summary:
AUM consumption, planned:
- 12 million AUMs per year allocated to livestock
- 0.32 million AUMs per year allocated to wild horses and burros
Animal population, planned:
- 2 million cow/calf pairs
- 0.027 million horses and burros
Population density, planned:
- 12.9 cow/calf pairs per thousand acres
- 1 horse or burro per thousand acres
Graphical summary:
There is no wild horse problem, only a livestock problem. Thanks to the public-lands ranchers, the contractors, the trade groups, their cheerleaders and political allies—all working together to eradicate wild horses and burros—on land that belongs to you.
