Wild horses vs livestock on U.S. public lands
An Meat and Dairy Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM The Fund for Horses
July 2021

Texas has only 3 million acres of federal land left, and has sold 41 million acres, or 98 percent, of the state land set aside for the public.... Without a congressional decision, the federal government has full authority to retain public lands, for all people.

From American Wild Horse Campaign:

Wild horses and burros are authorized to roam on just 27 million acres of public land designated as their habitat, that they must share with livestock. There are approximately 700,000 to 1 million cow/calf pairs authorized by the BLM to graze public lands today. BLM estimates there are 88,000 wild horses and burros.

• Ranchers are permitted to graze a total of 155,000 acres of public land at a fraction of the going rate, subsidized with tax dollars, for their private livestock.
• Wild horses and burros are authorized to roam on just 27 million acres of public land designated as their habitat, that they must share with livestock.
• There are approximately 700,000 to 1 million cow/calf pairs authorized by the BLM to graze public lands today. BLM estimates there are 88,000 wild horses and burros.
• The BLM sets a population cap for wild horses and burros on public lands at no more than 16,000 to 27,000 total.

Wild horses lovers are not the only ones upset with the sell off and usage of public lands. Hunters and fishers are just as much in an uproar.

This Land Was Your Land

“Texas has only 3 million acres of federal land left, and has sold 41 million acres, or 98 percent, of the state land set aside for the public.” - from Field and Stream

The future of hunting and fishing is under attack. States are trying to wrench control of public lands from the federal government in order to drill, mine, sell off, and—ultimately—steal our national sporting heritage.

Kicked Out

Why shouldn’t states take control of federal public lands? This chart shows how states already boot sportsmen off areas they manage. No one knows the terms of future transfers, but if the past is a guide, public hunting and fishing access will be lost.

Percent of public-trust lands that states have sold: 70% reports Mikey Burton.

Law of the Land

Transfer proponents have claimed that the federal government lacks the constitutional authority to own public lands. Professor Mark Squillace, the director of the University of Colorado Natural Resources Law Center, makes clear, however, that the Constitution’s Property Clause affords Congress full authority to do just that. He also notes that, upon entering the Union, Western territories agreed to acts relinquishing their right to claim public lands not set aside for them at statehood. “The notion that the states should have the authority to essentially have those lands revert to them is not anywhere in these enabling acts,” he says.

“Without a congressional decision, the federal government has full authority to retain public lands, for all people.” —J.P. 

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