Summary#
This bill would change the Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act to limit how the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses aircraft when rounding up wild horses and burros. Over a 2-year period after the bill becomes law, the BLM must phase out use of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for gathering these animals. Any helicopter or aircraft still used for roundups must have one or more cameras and the footage must be included in the agency's roundup report. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report within 1 year on humane alternatives to aircraft, job opportunities from those alternatives, and the effects of aircraft (including drones) on horse and burro populations.
What it means for you#
- If the bill becomes law, the BLM must reduce and then stop using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft for roundups over two years.
- Any aircraft used during the transition must record operations and make the footage available with the agency report.
- The GAO will study alternatives and report findings to Congressional committees within 1 year.
- The bill notes existing use of fertility controls is low and points to those methods as alternatives.
Expenses#
- The bill text lists past spending figures: since fiscal year 2012, the bill states over $69.5 million has funded roundup operations, and $36.7 million was spent on roundups from 2020–2024. It also states over $6 million was paid to helicopter roundup contractors in fiscal year 2022.
- The text says the BLM has applied fewer than 800 fertility-control treatments per year on average since 2012 and has spent less than 1% of its wild horse and burro program budget on fertility controls.
- No publicly available information on the bill's estimated costs to implement the phase-out, camera requirements, or on projected savings from the change.
Proponents' View#
The bill's findings say helicopter chases can be dangerous and stressful for animals and may lead to deadly situations out of public view. It says public observation of roundups is usually limited. The bill states that more humane and cost-effective alternatives, such as fertility controls, exist and that reducing aircraft use would be more humane and could save taxpayer dollars.
Opponents' View#
No publicly available information.