In 1971, the Act inspired more emotional public outcry than any other legislation except the Vietnam War. On June 19, 1971 the Act passed both the House and the Senate with no dissenting votes. Six months later the legislation was approved on December 15th and was signed into law by President Nixon on December 18, 1971 and yet our iconic wild horses are still fighting their battle.
In 1971, the Act mandated the BLM preserve and protect our nation’s wild horses on our public lands. Since it’s inception, this Act has been systematically gutted with amendments. A lethal blow to wild horse and burro protections was the Sale Authority Amendment which was buried as a rider to the 3000 page 2005 Agricultural Appropriations Bill.
The BLM’s current plan will continue to reduce the populations of America’s wild horses lower than it was when The Act passed unanimously, as a result of concern for their dwindling population in 1971.
Please continue to use your voice to help these beautiful animals who survive by a thread in this changing world. They do not create profits for multi-billion dollar industries and therefore are not considered nor allocated their fair share of rangeland resources.
The horse thrives in North America, the origin of equus. They were here 55 millions of years before us, made all their adaptations in North America including their last adaptation to the one toed Equus caballus- the current genus- the modern horse.
Call your representatives today and ask them to take a stand for America’s wild horses by supporting a moratorium on roundups until the BLM provides a judicious and humane plan for on the range management alternatives and reimbursing the horses the 20 million acres that was taken from them. We want our tax dollars to support wild horses on the range.