This bill would prohibit the Bureau of Land Management from using helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to round up wild horses and burros on federal land, phasing out these methods entirely over a two-year period following the law's enactment. The legislation argues that helicopter roundups are inhumane, costly to taxpayers (over $36.7 million spent in just the past five years), and that more effective alternatives exist, such as fertility control treatments. The bill requires that any aircraft still permitted for limited purposes during the transition period must be equipped with cameras to record operations and make footage publicly available. Congress has directed the Government Accountability Office to report within one year on humane alternatives to aircraft-based roundups, potential job creation from these alternatives, and the effects of aircraft on wild horse and burro populations. The changes would apply to management operations conducted under the Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act, which governs how the federal government manages these protected animals on public lands.
Take Action
Your position
Add a comment
to comment on this bill.
Annotate the text
Highlight any passage on the Summary or Full Text tab to attach a note. Annotations appear on the Annotations tab.