Wild horses roaming across our public lands, a symbol of the American West, would no longer be doomed to certain slaughter under legislation introduced today by U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV). Rahall is the Ranking Democrat on the House Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over wild horse policy on federal lands.
"Very few icons of the West remain, and wild horses are certainly a symbol of the frontier era and our nation’s spirit. To allow them to be slaughtered without exhausting all other options, such as adoption, is an affront to our history," declared Rahall.
Rahall’s legislation addresses a provision inserted in a must-pass appropriations bill last year that allows the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service to essentially turn a blind eye to individuals or corporations who buy these animals with the clear intention of cruelly slaughtering them for profit. The Rahall legislation would restore the prohibition on the commercial sale and slaughter of wild free-roaming horses and burros.
"It has been illegal for the past 33 years to sell or transfer wild horses and burros for processing into commercial products because many Americans abhor the thought. They would be aghast to know that these animals now can and will be slaughtered so their meat can be offered on menus in France, Belgium and Japan," stated Rahall.
The current slaughter policy does not acknowledge the fact that humane alternatives exist and federal agencies have the authority to carry out such actions as adoption, sterilization, relocation, and placement with qualified individuals and organizations.
"To suggest that an acceptable solution to a federal agency’s management dilemma is commercial slaughter is an irresponsible approach to our public lands and the wildlife that roam them," said Rahall.
The federal government has a mediocre record in enforcing wild horse and burro protection laws. But instead of addressing these long-term and widespread management problems, the recent change is simply a quick and dirty fix. Under the guise of "managing" these living symbols of the American West, the agency is now permitted to allow the slaughter of animals that they had been previously charged with their protection.
"A public outcry has again begun across the United States over the change in law that now allows this disgraceful deed. We need to act before it is too late for thousands of these animals," concluded Rahall.
Click here to read Rahall's statement upon introducing the legislation and click here for background information.
![[New for the Democrats - Committee on Resources - U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall, Ranking Democrat - 1329 Longworth HOB - Washington, DC 20015]](news_banner.gif)
