In the Spotlight
- Northwest Extreme Mustang Makeover
Albany, OR - March 19-21, 2009 (Photo Gallery) - Gatorland Extreme Mustang Makeover
Ocala, FL - April 3-5, 2009 (Photo Gallery) - "Curlies" Available for the Internet Adoption
March 11-25, 2009 (Curlie Photo Gallery)
Advisory Board Information - News Release - National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board to Meet in Reno in March; BLM Announces Three Appointments to the Board
- Federal Register Notice - Meeting, March 2, 2009, Reno, NV
- Nominations Open for BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board
- Federal Register Notice for Advisory Board Nominations
- Advisory Board Recommendations - November 17, 2008
- Monthly Review of the National Wild Horse and Burro Program
- Statement on GAO Wild Horse Management Report
- America's Salute to the American Mustang
- Extreme Mustang Makeovers - Upcoming and Past Highlights
- How Can I Help
- Fact Sheet on Wild Horse and Burro Management Challenges
- Public Input on Wild Horse and Burro Management
- New Edition - Winter 2009 Newsletter
- Internet Adoption **
** Internet Adoption Program (If you are having trouble viewing the internet adoption site, and use Internet Explorer, your browser may need to be updated. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options. On the Advanced tab, under Security, make sure that the following check boxes are selected - Use SSL 2.0, Use SSL 3.0, Use TLS 1.0. Click Apply. Click OK.)
Please sign-up to receive e-mail updates on exciting events in the wild horse and burro program.
![Chad Kelly and "High Mileage Mike" took 11th place at the Mustang Magic competition and adoption.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090305030716im_/http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/wo/Planning_and_Renewable_Resources/wild_horses_and_burros/mustang_magic.Par.50628.Image.175.202.1.gif) |
Chad Kelly and "High Mileage Mike" took 11th place at the Mustang Magic competition and adoption. ©CE Brooks/2009 |
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) protects, manages, and controls wild horses and burros under the authority of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (Act) to ensure that healthy herds thrive on healthy rangelands. The BLM manages these living symbols of the Western spirit as part of its multiple-use mission under the 1976 Federal Land Policy and Management Act .
One of the BLM’s key responsibilities under the Act is to determine the "appropriate management level" (AML) of wild horses and burros on the public rangelands. These animals have virtually no natural predators and their herd size can double about every four years. As a result, an estimated 33,000 wild horses and burros roam BLM-managed lands in 10 Western states, a population that exceeds by some 5,700 the number that can exist in balance with other public rangeland resources and uses.
To help restore the balance, the BLM gathers thousands of wild horses and burros from public rangelands each year and offers them for adoption or sale to those individuals and groups willing and able to provide humane, long-term care. Droughts and wildfires are also determining factors in the number of wild horses and burros that must be gathered yearly.
For more information about the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Program, please call (866) 4MUSTANGS.