Controversy surrounds Bureau of Land Management's adoption program

The overabundance of wild horses foraging for food on Nevada's range lands has left some herds starving.

The Bureau of Land Management's Wild Horse and Burro adoption program tries to find homes for 8,000 horses a year, but some say the program is not enough.

Dave Tattum, a member of the National Wild Horse Association, says something needs to be done to preserve wild horses.

"We (humans) put these horses on the range. We've introduced them, now we have to manage them," Tattum said. "We should take the responsibility."

The solutions, which vary among ranchers, animal-rights groups and horse organizations, are controversial. Maxine Shane, BLM spokeswoman said some groups think the horses should be left alone, others say they should be slaughtered, and others advocate euthanasia for sick or starving horses.

"It's not a simple matter," she said. "This has been going on for years."

The BLM collects horses, ages 9 and under, which leaves a lot of geriatric horses on the range, Tattum said.

Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., who attended a BLM hearing in Reno this week on the issue, said the bureau has spent a quarter of a billion dollars and is still unable to manage the herds.

"We may have to take legislative action to change the way they (BLM officials) manage these herds or remove their authority," Gibbons said.

The BLM says it would change its methods if Congress would provide guidelines for the change.

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