Congress still has the power as the last budget debates are happening to include language in the Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spending bill.

We must base the Wild Horse and Burro Program on a foundation of science and morality, now.

Please propose the following:
Protection from slaughter: The Burns Amendment of 2004 created sale without limits (slaughter) of wild horses and burros and the loss of protection against sales to slaughter after title transfer. The Amendment MUST be addressed immediately to restore the protections the 1971 Wild Horse and Burros Act provided. Please propose this amendment: SECTION 1. SALE OF WILD FREE-ROAMING HORSES AND BURROS.
(a) IN GENERAL – Section 3(d)(5) of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1333(d)(5)) is amended –
(1) by striking the period and inserting the following: “Provided, That no wild free-roaming horse or burro or its remains may be sold or transferred for consideration for processing into commercial products.”; and
(2) by striking subsection (e).
(b) CRIMINAL PROVISIONS.—Section (8)(a)(4) of Public Law 92-195 (16 U.S.C. 1338(a)(4)) is amended by striking “except as provided in section 3(e),”

Protection on range: An Independent Review of the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program must be conducted by the National Academy of Sciences prior to additional funding being released for removals. BLM has been operating for 11 years without any review while budgets and removals increased to historic levels. The review must be completed before any policy changes can be made. Ideally, roundups would be suspended until the review completes. To continue without one is fiscally and morally flawed. Please designate 2 million dollars in the budget for an NAS review of current practices as outlined in the 2020 BLM Wild Horse and Burro "plan."It is irresponsible to continue to increase funding without an independent review as required:(PL 92-195), section §1333. subpart (a), (b)(3). It is irresponsible to continue to increase funding without an independent review as required:(PL 92-195), section §1333. subpart (a), (b)(3).

Protection from abuse: Funding must be designated to finalize an enforceable welfare policy. The current welfare program is not enforceable and BLM needs to complete the Rulemaking process to provide enforceability. Please designate 1 million to complete the Rulemaking process to provide an enforceable welfare policy.

As a taxpaying citizen it is vitally important to me that you do not delay and take these simple steps today to protect our wild horses from politically motivated removals and death.

Thank you,