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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages and protects wild horses and burros on 26.9 million acres of public lands across ten western states as part of its mission to administer public lands for multiple uses. The Wild Horse and Burro Program's goal is to manage healthy wild horses and burros on healthy public rangelands. The BLM created the Wild Horse and Burro Program to implement the Wild-Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, passed by Congress in 1971. Broadly, the law declares wild horses and burros to be “living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West” and stipulates that the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service have the responsibility to manage and protect herds in their respective jurisdictions within areas where wild horses and burros were found roaming in 1971. The Wild Horse and Burro Program consists of two main branches: (1) On-Range management of wild horses and burros, and (2) Off-Range management and care of wild horses and burros. The goal of the On-Range program is to manage for healthy wild horse and burro populations and to maintain a thriving natural ecological balance with other resources and land uses. The Off-Range management goal is to ensure the health and welfare of wild horses and burros that were removed from public lands under BLM care, to place animals into private care through adoptions, sales, and transfers, to conduct compliance inspections of adopted animals and to build partnerships and relationships with external organizations. Communications, outreach, and education are priorities of both branches. This program continues to advance the Department of Interior's priorities to address the climate crisis and restore balance on public lands and waters.
This chart shows obligations for the program by fiscal year. All data for this chart was provided by the
administering agency and sourced from SAM.gov, USASpending.gov, and Treasury.gov.
For more information on each of these data sources, please see the
About the data page.
No current data available. The BLM currently manages approximately 58,000 horses and burros in 179 herd management areas in 10 western states. Nationally, the appropriate management level (optimum number of animals on the range -AML) is about 27,000 animals. BLM does not have adequate tools to make significant progress towards achieving AML and continues remove excess animals from the range to address public safety & health issues, court orders, private land encroachment and to reach AML in priority habitat areas and to avoid range deterioration. BLM plans to reduce population growth by increasing fertility control vaccine applications through partnerships, and implementing spay and neuter methods. . BLM looks forward to expanding partnerships for long term care of animals and expanding programs to increase adoptions and sales.
The BLM currently manages approximately 58,000 horses and burros in 179 herd management areas in 10 western states. Nationally, the appropriate management level (optimum number of animals on the range -AML) is about 27,000 animals. BLM does not have adequate tools to make significant progress towards achieving AML and continues remove excess animals from the range to address public safety & health issues, court orders, private land encroachment and to reach AML in priority habitat areas and to avoid range deterioration. BLM plans to reduce population growth by increasing fertility control vaccine applications through partnerships, and implementing spay and neuter methods. . BLM looks forward to expanding partnerships for long term care of animals and expanding programs to increase adoptions and sales.
Fiscal Year 2018: The BLM managed approximately 82,000 wild horses and burros in 177 herd management areas (HMAs) in 10 Western states and placed 4,609 wild horses and burros into private care through adoption and sales Nationwide.
The BLM currently manages approximately 88,000 wild horses and burros in 177 HMAs in 10 western states. Nationally, the appropriate management level (AML) is about 27,000 animals. BLM does not have adequate tools to make significant progress towards achieving AML and continues remove excess animals from the range to address public safety & health issues, court orders, private land encroachment and to reach AML in priority habitat areas and to avoid range deterioration. BLM plans to reduce population growth by increasing fertility control vaccine applications through partnerships, and implementing spay and neuter methods. BLM looks forward to continuing and developing new partnerships for the caring and training of wild horses and burros as well as expanding programs that increase private care placement through adoptions and sales.
The BLM currently manages approximately 86,000 wild horses and burros in 177 HMAs in 10 western states. Nationally, the appropriate management level (AML) is about 27,000 animals. Currently, BLM does not have adequate tools to make significant progress towards achieving AML and continues removing excess animals from the range to address drought and wildfire emergencies, public safety and health issues, court orders, private land encroachment and to reach AML in priority habitat areas and to avoid range deterioration. The BLM continues efforts to reduce population growth by increasing fertility control vaccine applications through partnerships, investing in new research, and implementing non-surgical, permanent sterilization methods. The BLM looks forward to continuing and developing new partnerships for the caring and training of wild horses and burros as well as expanding programs that increase private care placement through adoptions and sales.
Issued new awards for fertility control vaccine applications, public education, training and placement of wild horse and burros.
The program expects to continue with developing new partnerships for the caring and training of wild horses and burros, increase private care placement through adoptions and sales and fertility control vaccine applications.
Field darting, program promotion, equine events, adoptions, healthy rangelands.
Unknown at this time.
Single Audit Applies (2 CFR Part 200 Subpart F):
For additional information on single audit requirements for this program, review the current Compliance Supplement.
OMB is working with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) and agency offices of inspectors general to include links to relevant oversight reports. This section will be updated once this information is made available.
