Bureau of Land Management Looking for Volunteers to Work Off-Range with Wild Horses and Burros
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WASHINGTON—The Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) is recruiting volunteers to help manage the Wild Horse and Burro Program (WHBP) in 31 Eastern states. Beginning December 2019, BLM-ES will launch a one-year pilot Volunteer Service Program (VSP) that is intended to recruit qualified volunteers to fill specific positions at off-range corrals, and during events where qualified members of the public may adopt or buy a wild horse or burro. A review and assessment at the end of the year will determine whether to expand the VSP bureau-wide.
Volunteer job announcements are available at Volunteer.gov, where all applications will be submitted.
Available positions include: promoting adoption/sales events; providing educational outreach to the public, and teaching others how to gentle a wild horse; help transport animals; and ensure all adopters are in compliance with the terms of the adoption agreement. Volunteers will have the opportunity to acquire new skills while working with BLM specialists to manage wild horses and burros. Young adults between ages 18-25 of all experience levels, are welcome to apply.
Wild horses are known for their keen intelligence and sure-footedness, and have been trained for many uses. They have become champions in dressage, jumping, and endurance riding; and they excel in difficult scenarios, such as performing search and rescue missions in hazardous terrain. Burros are particularly adept at packing, guarding, riding, and serving as companion animals.
The BLM is committed to the safety and health of these animals both on and off the range. Adoption/sales events are one way the BLM can manage for healthy herds on healthy rangelands, as directed by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The goal of the VSP is to raise the level of volunteers in the WHBP by 20 percent; those who are already active will need to reapply through this program. The many thousands of hours that volunteers consistently donate for wild horses and burros each year make it possible for the BLM to complete its mission to manage for multiple use, which includes cattle grazing, energy production, and recreation, in addition to managing for wild horses and burros.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.