Coalition demands federal officials halt fiscally irresponsible removals and pursue cost-effective, humane, science-based alternatives
RENO, Nev., July 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), the country’s leading wild horse advocacy organization, along with other animal welfare advocates, and public lands supporters, are raising urgent concerns over the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) planned Nevada wild horse roundup which began today.
The Callaghan Complex roundup is expected to become the largest wild horse removal effort in Nevada history, with 2,000 horses to be removed from their home range this month. This is the first of 5,000 total horses that have been targeted for removal per the Callaghan Complex Gather Plan which could last for seven weeks.
“Nevada’s wild horses are iconic symbols of the American West,” said Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV) who recently introduced H.R. 4356 which calls for protections of wild horses and burros and for the prohibition of helicopter roundups. Titus was joined by colleagues Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) who are co-sponsors of the bill and also co-chairs of the congressional Wild Horse Caucus. “The public deserves a management strategy rooted in humane treatment, transparency, and long-term ecological balance – not endless helicopter roundups,” Titus said.
The Callaghan round up begins as the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Program faces increasing national scrutiny. In recent years, the BLM has removed tens of thousands of wild horses and burros from public lands while the number of animals kept in government holding facilities has continued to climb at a significant cost to taxpayers.
Horses held in long-term holding facilities are also at risk of being sold into slaughter programs that exist in Mexico and Canada.
Free-ranging mustangs will now live for decades in captivity, with taxpayers funding a holding program that currently exceeds $100 million annually. The estimated cost to treat one mare with fertility control treatment over a lifetime on the range is $3,700 vs. $50,000 to round up and keep one horse in a government holding facility for its lifetime.
Advocates are calling on the Department of the Interior, Congress, and the BLM to:
- Expand humane fertility control programs.
- Increase transparency and independent oversight during roundups.
- Protect critical habitat and water sources on public lands.
- Prioritize on-range management over costly off-range holding.
- Conduct a full public review of cumulative impacts on Nevada herd management areas.
Disparate groups, including many livestock rangers, also argue that grazing pressures, drought management decisions, and industrial land uses must be fully considered as part of any credible assessment of range conditions.
“This isn’t about population control, this is about money being made behind the scenes. I encourage the public to get curious about why your tax dollars fund these programs year after year,” said Arielle Kebbel, who stars in Yellowstone spinoff Marshals and has adopted a wild mustang. “There is a cheaper, more effective and certainly more humane way of accomplishing the same goal.”
The Callaghan Complex round up will set a consequential precedent for the future of America’s wild horse families and landscapes. With the next series of round up operations underway, there is an urgent call to members of Congress and federal officials to halt the round ups and adopt effective management strategies grounded in science, transparency and humane stewardship.
“This is not sustainable management, it is simply mass removal with no public benefit or long term solution,” said Patricia Miller, Executive Director at AWHC. “Americans from all sides of the political aisle overwhelmingly support protecting wild horses on the range, yet the federal government continues pursuing aggressive roundup policies that remove these iconic animals from public lands at an alarming rate.”
About American Wild Horse Conservation
American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC) is the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to honoring and protecting wild horses and burros on public lands through advocacy, science, policy, and awe. Through innovative conservation programs, public education, and strategic partnerships, AWHC works to ensure that wild horses and burros remain protected, free, and thriving in the wild. Learn more at www.americanwildhorse.org.
SOURCE American Wild Horse Conservation