The Nevada Wildlife Commission’s endorsement Friday of a plan to remove 75% of wild horses and burros from the state’s public lands, along with its refusal to consider a ban on controversial coyote killing contests, are both out of step with the desires of residents and tourists and could hasten efforts to revamp the board, say critics.
Fertility control has not been used on a widespread basis for horses, animal advocate Fred Voltz told the commission. Voltz suggested “a reasonable path forward for BLM to find more money” would be to increase the cost of grazing to market rates, noting livestock “represent more than 10 times the number of wild horses and burros.”
The extent of damage to Nevada’s public lands from livestock and wildlife is largely a mystery because the BLM, which is charged with assessing and addressing the impacts, has reviewed less than half of the land allotted to ranchers in the state, according to data obtained through a public information request by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.