The statement occurs at 1:36 in the following video by KUSA News of Denver.
Could it be true? Yes, during the off season.
Table 2.1 in the Final EA for resource enforcement actions shows grazing seasons for allotments that overlap the HMA. The pastures in rows 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7 are inside the HMA and represent a shifting of resources from wild horses to public-lands ranchers.
Grazing does not occur in June, July and August, so during the summer, the horses are the majority consumer of food and water.
Gates and fences might impede their movement within their home range and some areas may be off limits to help them recover for the next grazing season. Most of the land does not meet standards for rangeland health.
The management plan assigns 79% of the authorized forage to privately owned livestock over a twelve month period, as explained in this report. The horses are the minority consumer of resources overall, next to wildlife.
The pre-gather population of 896 is unacceptable—the horses are robbing too much forage, sometimes referred to as ‘their food,’ from the ranchers.
That’s why they have to go. Resource enforcement.
Livestock AUMs may have been cut due to a temporary change in the weather but the horses are being permanently removed. When conditions improve, it’ll be business as usual, with the ranchers receiving the lion’s share of the resources.
The BLM rep in the video is not telling the whole story.
Would that be true for your favorite advocacy group?
Western Horse Watchers Association 