ACTION ALERT: PRYOR WILD HORSES ROUNDUP PLANS - USFS Draft Decision Objection Period Now Open
ACTION ALERT:
PRYOR WILD HORSES ROUNDUP PLANS
USFS Draft Decision Objection Period Now Open
Cloud's look-alike daughter, Encore, is in great health (could she possibly be expecting??) as winter begins to release its hold on the Pryor Mountains. © TCF March 2025
Hi, Folks!
The objection period for the USFS' Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range Joint Herd Management Area Plan and Wild Horse Roundup (Gather) Plan is NOW OPEN. This is our only opportunity to provide objections to USFS' proposed actions that will affect the management of this iconic herd for the next TEN YEARS!
The Cloud Foundation appreciates efforts to address range health, but we have serious concerns about parts of the plan that will severely impact the genetic integrity and long-term survival of this historic herd.
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have proposed significant changes to the management of the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range. These changes aim to update the Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP) and implement a 10-year roundup plan. Key proposed changes as described in USFS documents include:
1. Adjusting the Appropriate Management Level (AML):
The agencies propose reducing the wild horse population to the lower range of the AML, which will be RAISED to approximately 108 horses. This reduction would be achieved through initial roundups and removals, followed by allowing the population to grow naturally to the upper AML limit over a 4 to 5-year period without interim roundups.
2. Implementing Fertility Control Measures:
The plan includes the use of fertility control methods, such as GonaCon, to manage population growth. GonaCon is a contraceptive vaccine that can cause permanent sterility in mares after just TWO doses.
3. Conducting Regular Horse Gatherings:
To maintain the population at the desired AML, the BLM/USFS plans to implement regular horse roundups over the next decade. These roundups aim to ensure the health of the herd and the land.
4. Enhancing Genetic Diversity:
The proposed amendment “aims to enhance management strategies that protect the health and genetic diversity of the wild horse population. To prevent possible risks from inbreeding depression, the amendment would allow the BLM to maximize the number of fertile, breeding-age horses within the herd, adjust the gender ratio in favor of males (sex-ratio skewing), and/or introduce horses from other areas.
5. Updating Habitat Management Practices:
The plan includes strategies to manage rangelands, vegetation, and waterways to maintain a healthy balance between the wild horse population and the land's capacity. This includes ensuring that the number of horses does not exceed the land's ability to support them without causing degradation.
These proposed changes are currently open for public objection. If you previously submitted comments during the public input period, you are eligible to file a formal objection. Objections should reference your original comments and explain why the U.S. Forest Service’s proposed decision is flawed.
(TCF) Key objections include:
Low Population Targets Threaten Pryor Herd's Genetic Viability: The plan proposes maintaining the herd at dangerously low Appropriate Management Levels (AMLs), well below what is needed to ensure a healthy, genetically viable population.
The Pryor horses already divide their use of the range between two primary areas:
💠DRYHEAD (lower elevation, includes Big Horn Canyon Natl. Rec Area):
Approximately 1/4 of the herd lives in this area
💠BURNT TIMBER/SYKES RIDGE (mid and upper elevations)
Approximately 3/4 of the herd utilizes this area.
Limited interaction between these groups further reduces effective breeding numbers, making the risk of inbreeding even greater if the population is forced down to an artificially low number.
The USFS is basing its proposed management actions on outdated, inconsistent, irrelevant, and incomplete BLM range data — yet these flawed assessments are being used to justify drastic changes to the Pryor herd’s population.
The Cloud Foundation strongly opposes mass roundups of the Pryor Mountain wild horses in the absence of a rigorous, independent scientific study assessing the range’s true condition and capacity to support a healthy, genetically viable herd.
Use of Permanent Sterilization Drugs: The plan introduces the use of "other BLM approved vaccines" for use in fertility control. This would include GonaCon, a drug known to cause permanent sterilization in mares after only two injections. Use of GonaCon would dangerously shrink the reproductive pool and permanently alter the natural social structure of the herd.
The Cloud Foundation opposes the use of any fertility control drugs that have not undergone rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific study, as well as any methods—such as sterilization—that permanently alter or destroy the natural behaviors essential to a healthy wild herd.
📆 The objection period is open until May 27, 2025, at midnight, giving a critical window to formally oppose aspects of the USFS plan that threaten the horses' future.
How to Object:
NOTE: Objections will only be accepted from those who have previously submitted written comments on this project during scoping or other designated public comment opportunities. Issues raised in objections must be based on issues raised in the previously submitted specific written comments unless the issues are based on new information arising after designated comment opportunities (§218.5).
Click HERE to access all USFS documents related to the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range HMAP, 10-Yr Gather Plan, and Proposed Plan Amendment.
Click the BUTTON below for more information and to submit your objection to the USFS website.
Or you may mail your comments to:
Reviewing Officer
Northern Regional Office
Attn: Pryor Mountain Joint Herd Management Area and Wild Horse Gather Plan
26 Fort Missoula Road
Missoula, MT 59804
(Must be postmarked by May 27 & received 5 days after close of comments)
~ The Cloud Team
During the current U.S. Forest Service (USFS) objection period for the Pryor Mountain Joint Herd Management Area and Wild Horse Gather Plan, objections must specifically address the USFS's portion of the decision. This pertains to activities and management actions on lands administered by the USFS within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range.
Key topics under the USFS's jurisdiction include:
Management of wild horses on USFS lands: This encompasses decisions related to herd size, structure, and genetic diversity within USFS-managed areas.
Implementation of fertility control measures: The use of fertility control drugs, such as GonaCon, on USFS lands falls under their purview.
Habitat management and preservation: Actions affecting the quality and availability of forage, water sources, and overall habitat conditions on USFS lands.
Infrastructure developments: Construction or maintenance of fences, water developments, and other structures on USFS lands that may impact wild horse movement and habitat use.
Compliance with environmental regulations: Ensuring that management actions on USFS lands adhere to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and other relevant environmental laws.
It's important to note that while the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is the lead agency for the overall management plan, the USFS's decisions are limited to their jurisdictional lands. Therefore, objections should focus on how the USFS's proposed actions within their managed areas may impact the wild horse herd and their habitat.
The first decision, released March 14, 2025, included the response to a protest process for the RMP amendment only—and only protests regarding that aspect of the environmental assessment were considered in this decision. There is no further public comment period planned for this project, however, each of the Implementation Draft Decisions will include the opportunity to submit an objection or appeal.
Photo - Pryor Stallion, Tom Horn
"The Pryor Mountain wild horses are a living legacy — a direct link to the Spanish mustangs of the past as well as our National Heritage. This plan, if implemented as proposed, could irreparably damage one of America’s most iconic wild horse populations."
~ Kerry Ferguson,
Executive Director, The Cloud Foundation