By the end of 2015, FRER had filed appeals with the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) on behalf of the Kiger and Riddle Mountain herds (OR) and West Douglas Creek herd (CO).
The BLM filed to have our appeals dismissed; our attorneys filed replies to the BLM’s opposition.
Just recently, the IBLA failed to follow long standing precedent with regard to “standing” and ruled that Front Range could not pursue its claim against the BLM with regard to the Oregon herds.
On January 27, FRER sued the BLM and the IBLA in federal court. We are pursuing our case because the BLM is in violation of the 1971 Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act with respect to the Kiger and Riddle Mountain herds.
The BLM is artificially manipulating the genetic make-up of these herds to produce a “specialty” breed of horses it can sell for a profit. Our argument states the BLM is in direct violation of the Congressional mandate to let wild horses remain in their natural state, and to never create a zoo-like atmosphere on the range.