Photo taken at RTF’s San Luis Obispo, Calif., satellite sanctuary by Lori Sortino.

By Celeste Carlisle

In an oversimplified view of wild horse and burro management on public lands: ranchers have generally complained of the rapid growth of horse populations and the limits of the resources on the range, while wild horse advocates have been frustrated by the high numbers of livestock, the loss of lands granted to horses, and the cruelty of frightening roundups.

Wildlife and conservation organizations have oftentimes felt at a loss as to how, or whether, to enter such a fray.

The 1971 Wild and Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act is 54 years old, and the same arguments and challenges have swirled about since that time. Opportunity exists to involve wildlife and conservation organizations, and to shift stale arguments together.

At the Wildlife Society Western Section meeting in Monterey in early February, I spoke to a large audience about how growing a centered approach to policy around wild horses and burros will help eliminate intractable disagreements.

If wild horse advocates, ranchers, and conservation organizations agree that a non-lethal approach can be achieved while taking into account concerns about climate change, wildlife, and the multiple uses our public lands are utilized for, instead of pitting some uses against other uses, then our ability to unify messaging about continuing a non-lethal management approach and increasing fertility control improves.

Remember, a 24-hour news cycle and social media have made it easy to distribute any message by anybody, and that can confound good, practical, thoughtful efforts. For example:

• The American public is not supportive of euthanasia to manage wild horses, even though the 1971 Act allows for it, but some organizations continue to push for it.
• Though we need it, desperately, both for pragmatic and strategic gains, organizations litigate the use of fertility control for managing wild horses or burros.

Return to Freedom has always prioritized engagement in multiple directions, and the development of excellent relationships and networks. We are pleased to be part of ongoing conversations with professional wildlife organizations.

—Celeste Carlisle is RTF’s biologist and science program manager