Posted By: EAStevens @ 07/14/2008 5:46:54 PM

Thumbs up to Governor Freudenthal for recognizing that wild horses are magnificent and for noting that Wyoming is proud of its wild herds, but thumbs down for his repetition of BLM rhetoric. Yes, wild horses herds can increase by 20% per year -- in optimal conditions -- but what is their actual rate of reproduction success on the range? Humans can live up to 120 years -- in optimal conditions -- but we know that this rarely happens in actuality. The ???20% increase per year??? and ???doubling every five years??? quotes are unrealistic figures used to make it seem as if wild horses are hell-bent on gobbling up everything in sight. Thumbs down, also, for parroting the BLM's stance on how many horses the land can support. Critics have long doubted the holy "AML" figures -- "appropriate management level" -- and Congress has ordered an investigation of the BLM's wild horse management. If the Bureau respects Congress's request to hold off on taking action until the GAO report comes out in September, we may all see that horses can easily survive on the range with no reduction in numbers.