The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before. The Bureau of Land Management plans to permanently remove at least 19,000 horses and burros this year, about 70% more than the previous high a year ago.
The plan is drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail the annual roundups.
Critics say it’s a continuation of a decades-old policy that kowtows to ranchers who don’t want horses competing with their livestock for limited forage on public land.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says the roundups are an important part of the process of bringing the horse herds into balance with the range.