The Colorado General Assembly has recently enacted a landmark law designed to safeguard the rights of mustangs and burros in their natural habitats. This legislation is an answer to last year’s catastrophe when 145 horses perished in a facility after violating 13 regulations. The bill, which enjoyed widespread bipartisan support, underscores the significance of wild horses and public lands to many Americans.
This new law prioritizes the maintenance of healthy wild horse herds in four Herd Management Areas (HMAs) spread across the state. It also earmarks resources for fertility control measures to manage population growth without resorting to roundups or expensive storage of captured animals. To finance this program, $1.5 million has been allocated from state funding, with private donations covering any additional costs required for its success. Governor Polis is expected to sign it into law soon after it received an overwhelming majority vote in both chambers last week.
The US Congress passed the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act unanimously to protect America’s wild equids. However, some protections were eliminated in 2004 when Senator Conrad Burns (R-Montana) added a rider to the colossal 3,000-page Omnibus Appropriations bill. Advocates are optimistic that this new Colorado legislation will inspire other states to adopt similar strategies for more humane and cost-effective management of wild horse populations on public lands.
Wild horse advocates have long sought improved methods for managing our nation’s wild equid populations. Colorado has now taken steps towards setting an example by creating a model program that other states can reference when seeking more efficient alternatives than traditional roundups and removals for managing their own herds on public lands.
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