A trio of lawmakers has introduced a bipartisan bill aimed at enforcing more humane treatment for some of the American West's most "iconic" animals.
In July, U.S. Representatives Dina Titus, Juan Ciscomani, and Steve Cohen brought forward H.R. 4356, also known as the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act. If passed and signed into law, the legislation would ban the use of helicopters and other "fixed-wing" aircraft for use in rounding up wild, free-roaming horses and burros.
Over the course of the proposed two-year phase-out period, the bill would also mandate camera usage on aircraft used for roundups and would require the footage to be included in agency reports.
The lawmakers have also called for a report on the effects of aircraft on horse and burro populations, more humane alternatives to helicopter-facilitated roundups, and the job creation that could come from implementing these alternatives.
In a press release announcing the introduction of the bipartisan legislation, Ciscomani described the negative impact that aircraft chases can have on wild animals. "For too long, wild horses and burros have been subjected to dangerous, cruel and costly roundups that often result in the death of the animal," he said.
Due to its potential to cause injury, the use of helicopters to round up wild animals has been controversial for years. The practice has mainly been used by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to manage wild horse and burro populations on public lands.
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Helicopters have been used in roundups to more effectively spot wild animals and then herd them over long distances toward a designated trap site. However, critics argue that the aircraft flying at low altitudes may cause unnecessary panic and stress in animals, leading to avoidable injuries and even deaths.
Together with the potential to reduce negative effects on wildlife and thereby ecosystems, there's also the possibility that the use of more humane methods could provide the additional benefit of shrinking the carbon footprint of the roundups, should the alternatives involve a shift away from gas-powered aircraft.
Joanna Grossman, the equine program director at the Animal Welfare Institute, provided a pointed critique in the release from Ciscomani's office. "The Bureau of Land Management is charged with humanely managing our nation's federally protected wild horses, yet every year we see horrific fatalities during helicopter roundups — from wild mustangs running for their lives on broken legs to foals dying from exhaustion," Grossman said.
"Taxpayer dollars should not be funding this abject cruelty."
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The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
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