Read our response below and then contact Secretary Burgum using the info here:

https://www.doi.gov/contact-us#no-back

Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington DC 20240

Call: (202) 208-3100

March 3, 2025

Re: Project 2025 policy initiatives that call for the disposal of wild horses

Dear Sec. of the Interior Doug Burgum,

Abuse and mismanagement have long plagued the management of America’s wild horse and burros, which largely rests with U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM), an agency under the department under the U.S. Department of the Interior. However, there has always been some level of checks on the agency through the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, a law that Congress unanimously passed in 1971 to protect wild horses and burros “as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands” as well as annual appropriations language prohibiting BLM from using federal funds to slaughter wild horses or burros. However, the current protections for wild horses and burros are at risk by policy initiatives in Project 2025 and the Trump administration.

Project 2025 includes fear mongering myths about wild horses and a direct call for Congress to enact laws allowing BLM to “dispose” of them. For those familiar with the author of Project 2025’s section on the Department of Interior, William Perry Pendley, this may not come as a surprise. Pendley has declared wild horses the biggest threats to public lands and called for massive sell offs of public lands. Trump nominated Pendley as the director of the BLM in his first administration. Although Pendley was never confirmed given his extreme views, he continued to unlawfully serve as acting director for over a year.

What is alarming now, is the rate at which the second Trump administrations is tearing down protections for public lands and the environment and implementing Project 2025 initiatives.

While Trump may have disavowed Project 2025 on the campaign trail, the sweeping actions being implemented in the first month of his administration closely align with Project 2025. One key architect of Project 2025, Russel Vought, has already been confirmed to a prominent Cabinet position, as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Alarmingly, Trump has just nominated Kathleen Sgamma to head the BLM. Sgamma is a long-time oil and gas advocate and co-author of project 2025. She has consistently argued for oil and gas production above all else on public lands, at the cost of wildlife, the environment, and all other uses of public lands.

Thus, now more than ever, wild horses have a target on their back, and we will not stand for any actions or legislative proposals that would undermine wild horse protections or authorize the slaughter and “disposal” of wild horses. We will also be taking steps to ensure that Congress maintains language to prohibit the killing of wild horses and burros.

Americans overwhelmingly support wild horses and burros and would be outraged by any efforts to chip away the few protections that they have. The truth is that destructive industries, who are obtaining increasing representation and power in our federal government, try to scapegoat wild horses for the severe damage that they do to our federal lands.

Of the 245 million acres of public land managed by the BLM alone, 155 million is open to livestock grazing. By contrast, BLM restricts wild horses to less than 27 million acres. In all, roughly 2 million cattle graze public lands, not to mention sheep, and the government has authorized thousands of oil, gas and mineral extraction projects on these areas as well. BLM largely ignores the harm caused by livestock and other industries.  However, these activities, not wild horses, are damaging the environment, fragmenting wildlife habitat, and contributing to climate change. In contrast, studies show that wild equids are key to healthy ecosystems, and play an important role by increasing ecosystem resiliency and buffering against negative impacts of climate change.

Reject the policies of Project 2025 to secure the future of America’s beloved wild horses and burros.

Sincerely,

Priscilla Feral

President

Friends of Animals