The case, brought by the Vermont Law and Graduate School’s Environmental Advocacy Clinic on behalf of Wild Horse Fire Brigade, seeks to halt the removal of wild horses from private property within and adjacent to the HMA in southern Oregon, according to a news release dated October 8.
Plaintiffs allege that the BLM has violated the WHB Act and/or NEPA and have asked the Court to issue a temporary restraining order stopping the roundup.
The incident started on September 26. To date, three horses have been captured.
If free-roaming horses or burros stray from public lands onto privately owned land, the owners of such land may inform the nearest Federal marshall or agent of the Secretary, who shall arrange to have the animals removed, per §1334 of 16 USC 30.
The BLM issued a CX and DR for the action two years ago. The map on page 5 of the pdf shows much of the land inside the HMA is privately owned.
Is Oregon a fence-out state?
The CX was the only document posted to the project folder in ePlanning.
The aim of the Wild Horse Fire Brigade is to move wild horses from areas where they’re not wanted (by public-lands ranchers) to remote wilderness areas not particularly suited to livestock grazing.
“Horses are significantly more ecologically appropriate in wilderness areas over ruminant livestock like cattle, sheep, and goats,” according to its founder.
Achievement of that end would constitute victory for the ranchers in their long-held goal of purging wild horses from western rangelands.
Western Horse Watchers Association 