Why It Matters
Federal land managers are moving forward with plans to remove the vast majority of free-roaming horses from Wyoming’s Red Desert, affecting five herds that currently roam across more than 750,000 acres of public land. The roundups could see between 1,576 and 1,820 horses removed and relocated to long-term holding facilities.
The proposal highlights ongoing tensions between wild horse preservation and rangeland management in the American West, with implications for livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and public land health throughout the Mountain West region.
What Happened
The Bureau of Land Management announced plans to round up excess horses from the Green Mountain, Stewart Creek, Antelope Hills, Crooks Mountain, and Lost Creek herds north of Interstate 80. These five herds, collectively known as the Red Desert complex, currently number approximately 1,970 animals and are projected to grow to 2,300 by fall 2026.
Federal officials seek to reduce populations to an appropriate management level of between 480 and 724 total animals, a target established in the early 1990s. The agency is currently in the early scoping phase and accepting public comment through May 4.
According to BLM documents, the free-roaming horses have negatively impacted the Red Desert’s ecological health. Monitoring data indicated that excessive horse populations contributed to historical riparian degradation in the region.
By the Numbers
1,970: Current estimated population of horses in the five Red Desert complex herds
2,300: Projected population by fall 2026 if no action is taken
480 to 724: Target population range for appropriate management level
753,000: Acres occupied by the five herds in the Red Desert complex
20%: Annual growth rate for wild horse herds, enabling populations to double approximately every five years
Zoom Out
Wild horse management remains a contentious issue across Western public lands. Free-roaming horses face little natural predation and maintain high survival rates, allowing herds to expand rapidly without intervention.
Research from the University of Wyoming found that overpopulated horses in three of the affected herds correlate with declining juvenile sage grouse survival rates. The nonnative animals compete with native wildlife and domestic livestock for forage and water resources.
This fiscal year, BLM is planning to gather more than 15,000 wild horses nationwide. Rounded-up animals cannot be intentionally killed under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. While some horses find new homes through adoption programs, most mustangs spend their remaining years at private and government-run pastures and holding facilities.
The Red Desert complex roundups are separate from BLM’s plan to entirely remove three other herds from the checkerboard portion of the Red Desert, which remains tied up in litigation until at least October.
What’s Next
The agency will review public comments submitted through May 4 before finalizing its management plan. Herd plan updates will address appropriate management levels, rangeland health, population suppression methods, genetic diversity, and sage grouse habitat.
If approved, roundups could begin later this year. The gathered horses would be transported to long-term holding facilities where they would remain unless adopted.
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