Internal BLM memo recommends killing sick wild horses on range

(OPB) An internal memo has surfaced that shows the U.S. governments wild horse program is in dire financial trouble. It also calls for drastic changes including the possibility of killing sick horses on the range. In August last year, Joan Guilfoyle called for an immediate halt to all roundups. Thats something independent scientists called for last summer. This is the first time the public has learned that someone at Bureau of Land Management agreed. Guilfoyle is not just anybody. Shes in charge of the BLMs wild horse division. The halt to roundups is one of several recommendations revealed because a wild horse advocate sought documents under the Freedom of Information Act. Debbie Coffey, Vice President of the Wild Horse Freedom Foundation, says the BLM sent her two versions of the memo, one with large sections blacked out. But a duplicate titled Internal Working Document were completely uncensored. She thinks BLM goofed. “I saw they had given me an un-redacted version as well,” says Coffey. “So, just for fun, I decided to post that and let the public know whats really going on.”

Coffey is most troubled by one of Guilfoyles proposals. In the memo, the division chief recommends that BLM should euthanize horses on the range as an act of mercy if animals decline to near-death condition as a result of declining water and forage resources. Coffey says, “Suddenly theyre going to kill off the wild horses because theres a man-made drought cause by the BLMs own mismanagement of our public lands. They need to rethink how theyre managing public land if they cant sustain wild horses they have a mandate to protect.” Coffey blames BLM for allowing other users of public land to use up so much water, leaving little for wildlife including horses. The BLM has said in the past it is legally required to manage public land for multiple uses. Oregons BLM wild horse officials referred our questions about the memo to the Washington DC office, which did not respond. The recommendation to halt roundups was not followed. In January of this year, the BLM signed two more contracts to continue roundups. They will cost taxpayers $12 million. The memo suggests it could be another 20 years before the BLM is able to sustainably manage wild horses on the range. Visit OPB’s full digital story on mustangs and join the online conversation here: Wild Horses in Crisis.