The AML for wild horses across all HMAs is 23,866, with 2,919 burros allowed by plan, according to the HMA stats for March 1.
That’s equivalent to 25,326 wild horses, in terms of resource loading, on 26,917,766 public acres.
The stocking rate allowed by plan is 0.94 horses per thousand acres.
The BLM sells around 12 million AUMs per year to livestock operators on 155 million public acres, give or take.
That resource would support one million wild horses, for a stocking rate 6.45 horses per thousand acres.
Forage production works out to 77.4 AUMs per year per thousand acres for livestock and 11.3 AUMs per year per thousand acres for horses.
In some cases, it’s the same land.
Why the disparity?
It’s not because forage on public lands is favored by livestock and shunned by horses.
There’s considerable dietary overlap.
It’s because the bureaucrats have decided to manage the land for the benefit of the ranchers, with the full cooperation of the advocates.
RELATED: Cost of Removals.
Western Horse Watchers Association 