Officials in Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Pershing, White Pine and Lincoln counties have issued emergency declarations or resolutions citing impacts they attribute to wild horses according to a report by KOLO News.
An estimated 37,426 wild horses and 5,146 wild burros roam freely in the state, compared to an AML of 12,811.
The acreage occupied by those animals was not given.
Who’s complaining? It’s not a, b or c as the advocates would have you believe.
a. Drillers
b. Miners
c. Loggers
d. Hunters
e. Ranchers
Let’s do what they don’t want us to do: Look at the data.
The management plans allow 11,987 wild horses and 824 wild burros, equivalent to 12,399 wild horses, on 14,032,947 public acres identified for their use, or 0.9 wild horses per thousand public acres. (Refer to 2026 population dataset.)
Beyond that, rangeland health will suffer according to your faithful public servants.
The allotment information report at RAS shows 2,083,025 active AUMs, equivalent to 173,585 wild horses, on 40,160,475 public acres. (Refer to this spreadsheet.)
The equivalent stocking rate is 4.3 wild horses per thousand public acres—almost five times higher than the rate associated with “healthy horses on healthy rangelands.”
The current population, equivalent to 37,426 + 5,146 ÷ 2 = 39,999 wild horses, has probably spread beyond the HMA boundaries.
If you assume they’re residing within the HA boundaries, the stocking rate would be 39,999 ÷ 19,778,204 × 1,000 = 2.0 wild horses per thousand public acres.
Twice the limit for wild horses but half the limit for livestock.
The impact on rangeland health cannot be determined because of the double standard.
The real concern, of course, is that they’re robbing forage from big game and livestock.
In keeping with established practice, the writer included comments from the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses, even though its rep is no longer with the nonprofit.
► Get the truth about wild horses and the wild horse advocates at westernhorsewatchers.com.
Western Horse Watchers Association 