BLM Review of Triple B Wild Horse Gather
Finds
Overall Safe Practices, but Cites Incidents of Aggressive Handling
After
reviewing instances of alleged animal abuse during the recently completed Triple
B wild horse gather in Nevada, a Bureau of Land Management team has found that
helicopter contractor Sun J Livestock generally demonstrated appropriate, humane
handling of wild horses over the course of the six-week gather that ended August
31. The review team also cited specific incidents of inappropriate, aggressive
practices, including cases when the helicopter operated too closely to single
horses and pursued small groups of horses or single horses too long. No single
incident, however, generated a consensus among animal welfare experts that
horses were treated inhumanely. The team’s seven-page report made 11
recommendations, including the need for the BLM to ensure clarity of management
expectations of what is appropriate and what is not in gather-related
operations. The agency will take corrective actions in response to all
recommendations.
BLM
Director Bob Abbey called for the review on September 23, following the
conclusion of the Triple B gather, which resulted in the removal of more than
1,200 wild horses from overpopulated herds roaming in a complex northwest of Ely
and southeast of Elko. The purpose of the gather was to bring wild horse herd
populations into balance with the land’s forage capacity, consistent with the
BLM’s mandate to manage the public lands for multiple resources and uses,
including wildlife habitat, livestock grazing, and outdoor recreation. Toward
the end of the gather, U.S. District Court Judge Howard D. McKibben granted a
Temporary Restraining Order to plaintiffs opposed to the Triple B gather because
of his concern that a helicopter was flying too closely to a horse being
gathered.
“Aggressive
and rough handling of wild horses is not acceptable and we are actively taking
steps to ensure that such behavior is not repeated,” Director Abbey said.
“Guidance documents will be issued to ensure that all gather personnel are
aware of appropriate handling techniques and related procedures.”
The
BLM team was composed of Ken Collum, BLM Eagle Lake (CA) Field Manager; Gus Warr,
BLM-Utah Lead Wild Horse and Burro Specialist; Steven Hall, BLM-Colorado
Communications Director; and Dr. Owen Henderson, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service veterinarian. The team interviewed BLM staff, external animal
welfare experts, and Sun J Livestock employees. The team also reviewed
declarations filed in U.S. District Court by public observers who documented
alleged abuse at the gather. In addition, the BLM examined 11 videos taken by
public observers of the BLM’s Triple B gather and reviewed the more extensive
collection of BLM videos, photos, and reports.
“I
am instituting a proactive process for conducting internal reviews of many
aspects of our program to ensure that we are moving toward the ‘new normal’
of wild horse and burro management,” said Joan Guilfoyle, Chief of the BLM’s
Wild Horse and Burro Division.
In
response to the team’s recommendations, the BLM is taking corrective actions,
including:
n
Establishing a helicopter gather
contracts review team to determine what operational improvements are needed,
whether by modification of existing contracts or by issuing new “Requests for
Proposal” (solicitations) for gather-related work, and to clarify management
expectations as to what is appropriate and what is inappropriate.
n
Reviewing existing training
courses and recommending supplemental curricula to help implement an incident
command structure and meet the expectations referred to above.
n
Issuing guidelines to ensure that
helicopters do not make contact with wild horses and burros and to clarify
decisionmaking regarding the movement of small groups of horses or single horses
to the trap.
The
full text of the report, along with the 11 recommendations and the corrective
actions the BLM is taking, can be found at http://on.doi.gov/TripleBReport
.
The
BLM manages more land - over 245 million acres - than any other Federal agency.
This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in
12 Western states, including
Alaska
. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million
acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's
multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public
lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau
accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock
grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural,
historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
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