[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 29 (Thursday, February 12, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               RESTORING OUR AMERICAN MUSTANGS (ROAM) ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. NICK J. RAHALL, II

                            of west virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 12, 2009

  Mr. RAHALL. Madam Speaker, in the 19th Century, it is estimated that 
as many as 2 million wild horses and burros ranged freely across the 
American West. Some of them were of noble birth, with blood lines 
stretching back to the horses which carried Spanish explorers into the 
New World; all of them were part of the fabric of the romance and the 
history of the American West.
  As wild animals living on public land, management of these horses and 
burros fell to the Federal government, acting through the Bureau of 
Land Management, BLM. Unfortunately, many decades of underfunding and 
inhumane management practices combined to destroy these wild herds, 
leaving fewer than 25,000 wild horses and burros on public lands by the 
early 1970s.
  Starting in the 1950s, the American public became aware of the 
cruelty, disease and death suffered by these iconic animals, thanks in 
large part to the actions of one woman, Mrs. Velma Bronn Johnston--
better known by the nickname she earned--Wild Horse Annie. The crusade 
she started--which included a massive letter-writing campaign and 
eventually a beloved children's book--culminated in 1971 with enactment 
of the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. The Act stated clearly 
that:

       Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses 
     and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer 
     spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of 
     life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the 
     American people; and that these horses and burros are fast 
     disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of 
     Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be 
     protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and 
     to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area 
     where presently found, as an integral part of the natural 
     system of the public lands.

  While this landmark legislation resulted in significant improvements 
in the management of these herds, our experience since 1971 has 
demonstrated that the law was far from perfect. While the Act 
identified 53 million acres of public land on which these herds could 
roam freely, the BLM has removed horses and burros from nearly 19 
million of those acres for a variety of reasons. Since 1971, more than 
200,000 wild horses and burros have been removed from public land and 
either adopted or placed in long-term holding facilities. Six states 
have lost their entire population of wild horses and burros. Recently, 
the BLM announced that a combination of a lack of funding, facilities 
and options may require the killing of as many as 30,000 healthy wild 
horses and burros. Clearly, the laws and policies in place since 1971 
need updating.
  A recent investigation by the Government Accountability Office 
identified many of the problems plaguing the wild horse and burro 
program within BLM. This legislation amends the 1971 Act to implement 
the changes suggested by the GAO.
  This legislation would remove outdated limits on the areas where wild 
horses and burros can roam freely, allowing the BLM flexibility to find 
additional, suitable acreage. The bill would strengthen the BLM's 
adoption program, require consistency and accuracy in the management of 
these herds, allow more public involvement in management decisions, 
facilitate the creation of sanctuaries for wild horses and burros on 
public land and place significant new limitations on the authority to 
remove these animals from the wild. Finally, the legislation would 
prohibit the killing of healthy wild horses and burros.
  Madam Speaker, introduction of this legislation is the beginning, not 
the end, of this process. There are many stake-holders--here in 
Congress, in the agencies and among members of the public--who are 
invested in this issue. I look forward to working with all parties in 
an effort to craft a final bill that would make Wild Horse Annie proud.

                          ____________________