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Human–Wildlife Interactions
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A Review of Contemporary U.S. Wild Horse and Burro Management Policies Relative to Desired Management Outcomes
Date of this Version
Spring 2018
Document Type
Article
Citation
Human–Wildlife Interactions (Spring 2018) 12(1): article 5
doi: 10.26077/p9b6-6375
Special topic: Wild horse and burro management
Abstract
Legally defined “wild” horse (Equus ferus caballus ) and burro (E. asinus ; WHB) populations in the United States exceed established population objectives. The context of WHB policy and management can be categorized into ecological, geographical, legal, social, and political perspectives. Ecologically, all WHB populations in the United States are considered feral animals, but certain populations are afforded protection and management by the federal Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA) of 1971. The current policy and management paradigms under which the WFRHBA is being implemented has contributed to rangeland degradation, poor WHB health, and impacts to native wildlife. This commentary reviews WHB management policies and expresses the need for policy changes to improve management outcomes and sustainability of WHBs, public rangelands, and native wildlife.