The West Douglas Herd Area (HA) and Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area (HMA) share the same 190,000 acre region in northwest Colorado.
Currently, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) allows a maximum number of just over 230 wild horses to live in the Piceance HMA. Unfortunately, the BLM set an allowed population level of 0 for the West Douglas HA, using the excuse to wipe out this herd because of the terrain and lack of summer grazing range.
The BLM entered a contract with CD Warner Livestock to conduct a helicopter roundup to remove the remaining 68-120 West Douglas wild horses beginning around September 1.
While the BLM claimed that the land can’t support wild horses, it still provides grazing permits for thousands of privately owned cattle in two grazing allotments within the very same HA.
Public records show that:
- BLM permits 631 cows from June 5 to October 31 to graze on the West Douglas/Red Rock pasture in the Twin Butte allotment, an area 100% within the wild horses’ habitat;
- BLM permits 1,158 cows from November 1st to June 12 to graze on the Winter/Spring pasture in the Twin Butte allotment, an area 100% in the wild horses’ habitat; and
- BLM permits 774 cows from the beginning of June to Oct 31 to graze on the West Creek pasture in the Twin Butte allotment, an area 34% in the wild horses’ habitat.
Estimated cost to taxpayers for this roundup? At least $187,000 for removal. The likely lifetime cost could be from $3M to $5M to keep the horses in government holding facilities for the rest of their lives. The lifetime cost is calculated based upon the BLM’s estimation of up to $48,000 to care for one wild mustang or burro in a holding facility over its life.
*Lifetime cost estimate is based on the BLM’s own estimates of up to $48,000 to care for one wild mustang or burro in a holding facility over its lifetime.
Post roundup reports show:
The roundup concluded with 122 wild horses captured and 4 deaths.
Reasons for deaths:
The BLM euthanized a senior stallion for “lameness”; the BLM euthanized a stallion for an “infected abscess”; the BLM euthanized a wild stallion for “coming in with a broken leg”; the BLM euthanized a stallion who came in with “blindness or eye abnormality”.