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Nevada Organizations Sue BLM For Mismanagement Of Wild Horses

Two Nevada organizations have sued the federal government, accusing mismanagement of wild horses has led to excessive damage to rangelands and to the animals themselves.

The Nevada Farm Bureau Federation and the Nevada Association of Counties named Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management as defendants in the lawsuit filed Dec. 30 in U.S. District court.

The Elko Daily Free Press reports the groups argue the BLM should "destroy" horses that are deemed un-adoptable. The BLM has opposed the sale of horses for slaughter.

The agency has removed nearly 100,000 horses from the western range over the last decade, citing federal law that requires the protection of the natural ecological balance on public lands, and the removal of "excess" horses.