What’s the difference? On HMAs subject to permitted livestock grazing (which is most of them), the AML is the number of horses or burros the land can support after diverting most of the resources to privately owned cattle and sheep.
The true AML is the number of horses or burros the land can support after taking back those resources and managing the HMAs principally for wild horses and burros, per the statute. Some resources would be assigned to wildlife, bringing the total to 100%, with special attention to endangered species, per the statute.
The column headed ‘New AML’ in this report could have been labeled ‘True AML,’ as it was computed according to the definition above. You may be shocked by the magnitude of the numbers.
Western Horse Watchers Association 