The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet on April 22-23 in Columbus, Ohio, to discuss issues relating to the management and protection of wild horses and burros on Western public rangelands.
The two-day meeting will take place on April 22, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and April 23, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., local time.
The advisory board provides input and advice to the BLM as it carries out its responsibilities under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law mandates the protection and management of these free-roaming animals in a manner that ensures healthy herds at levels consistent with the land’s capacity to support them. According to the BLM’s latest official estimate, approximately 49,200 wild horses and burros roam on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states.
The public can address the board on April 22, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Individuals who want to make a statement at Wednesday’s meeting should register in person with the BLM by 2 p.m. on that same day at the meeting site. Depending on the number of speakers, the board could limit the length of presentations, set at three minutes for previous meetings.