A wild horse roundup currently underway in Northern Nevada is expected to gather about 2,875 horses to put up for adoption. The use of helicopters leads to injuries as the horses are gathered, and a 2023 lawsuit highlighted the death of a horse in eastern Nevada that was put to death after a helicopter chased the animal as it fled with a broken leg.
Conservation groups have also criticized the BLM, alleging that cattle grazing on public lands are also part of the problem — and yet the BLM continues to permit grazing while targeting the horses. Ranchers pay for the permits, which provide revenue for the government.
A lawsuit filed in September 2023 by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) claims that grazing permits are issued despite the land’s failure to meet federal standards due to damage caused by livestock. Large parts of Nevada haven’t even been reviewed for years, PEER said.