The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
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The Bureau of Land Management NEWS |
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Last updated: 04/04/03
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The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a final rule today that authorizes BLM managers to charge higher adoption fees for wild horses and burros through competitive bidding. The BLM currently charges a base fee of $125 for horses and $75 for burros.
"This new rule reflects the public's growing appreciation of how wonderful these animals can be," said Interim BLM Director Sylvia Baca. "It will help ensure that wild horses and burros are placed in good homes with people who value them for their many fine qualities."
Wild horses, once gentled, have become champions in such events as endurance riding and dressage and are known for their loyalty, sure-footedness and endurance. Wild burros have become popular as pets or as guards for sheep in the West.
"Today, people are willing to make more of a financial investment in their wild horses or burros," Baca said. "This rule will help bring the price of many of these animals closer to what they're really worth while helping to ensure that the animals receive humane care." Baca noted that adoption fees for wild horses and burros have not changed since 1982, despite the higher costs incurred by the BLM in feeding, caring for, and transporting the animals.
While the rule authorizes the BLM to conduct competitive sales, it does not require the agency to do so. The BLM will test the competitive bidding process at selected adoptions over the next several months. When not using competitive bidding, the BLM will typically charge a uniform, minimum fee of $125 per animal. All adopters must meet the requirements of the Wild Horse and Burro regulations before they can adopt an animal.
The BLM manages about 42,000 wild horses and burros that roam public lands managed in the West under the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971. That law mandates the protection, management, and control of wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands at population levels that ensure a thriving ecological balance.
The Bureau seeks to ensure a healthy, viable population of wild horses and burros within the limits of available public land resources. The BLM does this by counting as accurately as possible the number of animals, determining the appropriate wild horse and burro populations, and adjusting populations to the appropriate size by placing excess animals in the care of private individuals through adoption.
Animals that are removed from the public lands are offered for adoption to qualified people who agree to provide humane care through the BLM's Adopt-A-Horse-or-Burro program. The fees help defray the costs of medical treatment, transportation and adoptions. After one year of providing humane care, an adopter may receive title to the animal. Adoptions take place across the United States.
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