WILD HORSE AND
BURRO LEGISLATION
Introduction
The
wild horse and burro issue has perplexed the various interests involved in it
for years. The herds have been managed
by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) since passage of the 1971 legislation
protecting them. To some they are a part
of the “American heritage.” To others
they over breed and compete with other livestock for forage and water on
federal lands.
BLM
has offered these horses for adoption for years under their Adopt-a-Wild Horse
program. But herd sizes continue to grow
faster than the excess horses are adopted and BLM maintains it has not been
able to bring the herds down to manageable levels. There are now an estimated 24,000 animals in
holding facilities costing $495 per animal per year.
In
the last Congress, Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT) and others included a provision
in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill repealing the prohibition on the sale of
wild horses and burros for commercial purposes and authorizing the Secretary of
Interior to sell excess animals at public sales “without limitation” on their
use. Excess horses are deemed to be
those over ten years of age and those that have not been adopted in three
attempts. BLM has estimated that
approximately 8,400 animals fall in those categories. Many are concerned that such animals could go
to slaughter.
House Legislation
On
The
House bill was referred to the Committee on Resources, and was then referred to
the House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. As of mid-March 2005, the bill had 41
co-sponsors.
On
June 20, 2005 Representatives Jon Porter (R-NV), Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and
James Gibbons (R-NV) introduced the “Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Sale
and Adoption Act of 2005” (H.R. 2993), which would provide for the sale and
adoption of excess horses and burros.
This bill would extend the one-year federal protection for horses
acquired through the BLM adoption program to the “excess” horses sold under the
sale authority Congress passed last year.
The effect of this would be that any excess horses purchased would have
to be held for at least one year. The
bill would also allow all horses not suitable for adoption to be sold, lift the
limit (presently four) on the number of horses an approved adopter may purchase
and lower the minimum adoption fee from the present $125 to $25.
The
bill was referred to the House Committee on Resources.
Senate Legislation
Senator
Robert Byrd (D-WV) introduced companion legislation in the Senate (S. 576) to
the Rahall bill in the House. This bill
was referred to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. As of mid-June, the bill had 7 co-sponsors.
On
June 20, Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and John Ensign (R-NV) introduced a
companion bill (S. 1273) to the Porter bill in the House. This bill was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources.
Congressional Action - Interior
Department Appropriations Bill Amendment
There
have been no hearings or other action on any of the “stand-alone” bills.
In
mid-May, the House passed an amendment to the Interior Department’s Fiscal Year
2006 Appropriations Bill prohibiting the use of any funds for personnel
involved in the sale of wild free-roaming horses and burros. The purpose of this amendment is to
effectively repeal the provision passed in the last Congress allowing wild
horses to be sold for various commercial purposes, including possibly
slaughter. Congressman Rahall (D-WV) offered
this amendment and it passed as part of the broader Interior Appropriations
legislation.
There
is no similar provision in the Senate Interior Appropriations bill, which has
been passed by the Senate.
There
will be a conference between the House and Senate to reconcile the differences
in the two Interior Appropriations bill including the House-passed amendment
prohibiting the use of funds for personnel involved in the sale of wild
free-roaming horses and burros.
AHC Position
The
AHC does not have a position on this legislation at this time.