Thursday, June 20, 2013

30 US reps seek reforms for BLM's horse budget

Thirty U.S. representatives are urging new U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to quickly reform the government's wild horse management program. The lawmakers say the program and its spiraling budget have created an "untenable situation" for both the mustangs and taxpayers. Arizona Democrat Raul Grijalva (gree-HAHL'-vuh) wrote the letter appealing to Jewell "as a conservationist and outdoor enthusiast." A recent scientific review recommended that the government invest in widespread fertility control of the mustangs and let nature cull any excess herds instead of spending millions to house them in overflowing holding pens. There are an estimated 37,000 free-roaming wild horses and burros on federal land in the West. A spokeswoman for Jewell was not immediately available for comment.

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