New grants from the Bureau of Land Management focus on managing and protecting wild horses and burros on public lands. The federal government awarded grants to six organizations and universities in Colorado, Oregon and Utah.
The BLM manages and protects free-roaming wild horses and burros on public lands as required by the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Most herds on public lands are in arid environments and lack natural predators that can control herd growth. The grants are part of efforts to work with community partners on projects that will benefit wild horses and burros and their habitat, including increasing the use of fertility control to slow herd growth.
The latest population estimates found more than 82,000 wild horses and burros on BLM-managed public lands. Though down from a record high in 2020, this population is more than three times the level that is healthy for the herds and their habitat.
