Wyoming could lose 43 percent of its wildness in the name of privatization
If you have not yet witnessed the incredible beauty of the wild horses in Wyoming’s Red Desert, you might want to make plans soon—or risk missing out forever. And I’m not exaggerating. Despite these wild horses being “protected” under federal law and living on western public lands that you and I own as taxpayers, private interests—specifically the livestock industry in the form of the Rock Springs Grazing Association(RSGA)—are attempting to ensure that mustangs are replaced by cows and sheep on this 3.5-million-acre landscape.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its rancher allies are pushing forward a plan that could lead to the largest-ever eradication of federally protected wild horses, eliminating 43% of their designated habitat in the state. The BLM’s decision approves a land use plan that would eliminate 2.1 million acres of wild horse habitat and slash the wild horse population in Wyoming by one-third.
Do cows bring in tourists? I ask Wyomingites, specifically in the town of Rock Springs. That is where I have been spending my hard-earned dollars for more than a decade. I come here several times a year for weeks at a time to visit the Wild Horse Tourism Loop and the incredible herds beyond. The tourism loop is supposed to bring in tax dollars. It has been stated that the number one question visitors ask the Sweetwater County Tourism Bureau is, “Where can I go see wild horses?” Will they change it to the cow viewing loop? They might have to, though you see plenty of those along I-80, so there’s probably no need for it.
They plan to remove every single wild horse from Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin Herd Management Areas and manage for a population of zero. Yes, you read that right—zero––as in no horses left. They also intend to slash the size of the Adobe Town HMA by approximately half and reduce the wild horse population well below the previously agency-determined “thriving” level of 1,338 wild horses.
We all have places that tend to call us back. For me, that it is Wyoming—a land that speaks to something raw, something profoundly real within my soul. This place, with its vast, untamed beauty, has an unbreakable hold on my heart. It is here that the wildest of the wild, the strongest of the strong, and the rarest of the rare roam free: the wild horses of Wyoming.
The saving grace for the horses could come in the form of a legal appeal in Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in which I am a plaintiff. Not only is this necessary to give these mustangs, the underdogs, a fighting chance, but it is important for our public lands as a whole. What the RSGA is attempting to coerce is a land grab. Despite being a private entity, it has been attempting to treat the public lands as if they are private and dictate what happens on those lands.
The Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA) complains that their checkerboard holdings are grazed by wild horses—but this problem could be solved if their lands were consolidated into one or several large private parcels. For instance, private interests could get consolidated lands around the Monell Unit and Continental Divide-Wamsutter Field that they could manage and develop more easily.
In exchange, the public could get lands that are wild horse habitat, sage grouse Priority Habitats, archaeological and geological wonders, the mule deer migration corridor, and proposed National Conservation Area and proposed wilderness lands, all more valuable for public recreation and enjoyment. It would be a win-win. Unfortunately, up until this point, the RSGA has refused to consider this proposal.
As I stand in the Great Divide Basin, watching the mustangs roam freely, I can’t help but think of my own beloved mustang, who came from this very land. The thought of these magnificent creatures being wiped out from their home is heartbreaking.
We must act now to ensure that future generations can witness the wild beauty of these horses, just as I have been fortunate enough to do. This fight is not just for the mustangs, but for the soul of our public lands. Let’s not let them disappear into the annals of history, replaced by the monotony of livestock. Let’s preserve the wild spirit of the West, embodied by these incredible horses.
Kimerlee Curyl is a renowned photographer and passionate advocate for America's wild horses. With a career spanning over two decades, Kimerlee has dedicated her life to capturing the raw beauty and untamed spirit of mustangs in their natural habitats. Her images have been featured in numerous galleries, publications, and exhibitions, earning her a reputation as one of the foremost equine photographers in the world. Kimerlee has documented several wild horse roundups in Wyoming and is a proud owner of a mustang from the state.