A recent estimate reveals that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oversees approximately 85,466 wild horses and burros on public lands, a figure nearly unchanged from 2021 despite the removal of over 63,000 animals since then. The BLM continues to rely heavily on capture and removal methods, which have proven ineffective and costly, with nearly 63,000 animals currently held in overcrowded off-range facilities at an annual taxpayer cost exceeding $101 million. Advocacy group Return to Freedom (RTF) criticizes this approach, urging the BLM to adopt humane, on-the-range fertility control methods that can stabilize populations and reduce the need for removals.

RTF and other stakeholders emphasize that fertility control is a safe, proven, and minimally intrusive alternative that could phase out the traumatic and expensive practice of roundups. Despite congressional support and increased funding, the BLM has treated only about 5,500 wild mares with fertility control since 2021 and plans to remove 14,378 more animals this year while treating just 1,064 with fertility control. The U.S. Forest Service faces similar challenges. RTF calls on Congress to mandate a shift toward fertility control as the primary management tool to protect wild herds, reduce suffering, and curb escalating costs.