MYTH: The BLM removes wild horses and burros to keep the number of animals at a level the range can support.

False. Wild horse and burro populations are being severely reduced, but not to protect the range. Ranchers demand that wild horses be removed to protect forage historically allocated for livestock use.

The law requires that the BLM measure the impact of the animal population on the habitat to determine if there are too many animals in a given area. But, according to a 1990 investigation by the General Accounting Office (GAO), BLM decisions on how many horses to remove from public lands have not been based on any evidence that wild horse populations exceed what the range can support. Moreover, the GAO found that wild horse removals often have not been accompanied by reductions in livestock grazing. In some cases, the BLM has increased authorized livestock grazing levels after removing wild horses. As a result, range conditions have not improved.

The law authorizes the BLM to remove wild horses and burros "when they pose a threat to themselves, their habitat, or other rangeland values." However, only the number needed to restore the natural ecological balance between wild horses, other wildlife, and their habitat may be removed. Thus, the law prohibits the BLM from maintaining a predetermined number of animals. This interpretation of the law has been confirmed by a federal court decision and rulings of the Interior Board of Land Appeals, as well as the GAO findings.

MYTH: Wild horses compete with cows for forage.

False. Wild horses do not compete with cattle for the same available forage. Cows graze within a mile of water, while wild horses are highly mobile, grazing from five to ten miles from water, at higher elevations, on steeper slopes, and in more rugged terrain. A congressionally mandated study by the National Academy of Science found that wild horses and burros are not responsible for overgrazing on public lands. The study also revealed that, in one year, livestock consumed 70% of grazing resources on public lands, while wild horses and burros consumed less than 5%. Cattle outnumber wild horses on public lands by approximately 1,000 to 1.