Markets for Conservation: Reining in the Wild Horse Crisis

Did you know that there are three times more wild horses and burros on the public landscape than the range can sustain? Beautiful as they are, these animals are degrading the range and they compete for water and forage with other wildlife. The result of too many horses on too little range is that many horses are facing starvation.
To reduce the degradation, some wild horses and burros are taken off the range and put in federally run holding facilities. Housing the horses and burros cost taxpayers $50 million annually. This is not a sustainable solution.
In 2016, PERC researchers came up with the market-based idea of an incentive payment program. Based on this research, the BLM began paying $1,000 for horse or burro adoptions last March to help cover the expenses associated with caring for them.
The wild horse and burro program has already seen a 62% increase in adoptions and is saving taxpayers money. This is a great step to improve wild horse and burro management. It also reduces the taxpayer burden and provides more animals with good homes.
PERC's latest video in our Markets for Conservation series shares this story and demonstrates how getting the incentives right is key to finding lasting, sustainable solutions to our conservation challenges.

[@samuelstaley3299]

Great video and introduction to a market-oriented solution to an important issue in the West.

[@SurfahSistah]

The BLM should try another incentive, by buying some land already zoned for homes and horses then developing an affordable community where you could live and gentle your own a Mustang. A tiny home suburb or even apartment complex with accommodations for the owners or renters to keep a horse and maybe even a program to educate people on gentling their animal (like the one the have in prison), I am sure there are a lot of people who don’t have the money or land to own a horse, but would even put the $1000 back into the project AND PAY the BLM an affordable rent and board to be able to partner with one of these magnificent animals.

[@yzoldowl]

I call bullsh*t! For every wild horse on those ranges, there are 96 PRIVATELY OWNED cows. Leave the horses alone, and they won't cost the poor, hard-working taxpayer a cent.

[@randysimmons4892]

Sorry, there are not 96 cows for every horse on the lands where the horses are. Come out and look at the horses and their range.

[@eh3477]

And the cattle owners are only charged pennies per acre for using public lands.

[@terryhartle8025]

Take the cattle off the lands that congress told you to use for the wild horses , but no you don't do that because its a money thing for you. that land was set aside for the horses by congress and you your choice is to lease it for cattle sheep and other useage.You have states where there used to be horses that now have very small herds and you can see its your plan to keep moving them till they are gone. How many of these horses have gone to slaughter and i know yeah you dont do that but you know better!!! they go ther go to ANY auction and you see them, they haul them from auction to auction till they get a load to head south