In major decision, 10th Circuit rules Wyoming can't force BLM to remove wild horses

A federal appeals court ruling Tuesday bolstered the Bureau of Land Management’s discretion in dealing with wild horse populations by dismissing a case brought by the state of Wyoming against the agency.

The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s 2015 ruling that the state could not compel the BLM to remove wild horses from federal land unless the agency itself determined such action was necessary.

By reaffirming the BLM’s discretion under the Wild Horses and Burros Act of 1971, the ruling heads off similar attempts to force the agency to remove allegedly excess horses from public land across the west. Similar lawsuits originating in Utah and Nevada are currently awaiting court decisions.

Bill Eubanks, an attorney representing wild horse advocates who filed a brief supporting the BLM, said Tuesday’s ruling set a precedent that will be hard to shake.

Read more: http://trib.com/lifestyles/recreation/in-major-decision-th-circuit-rules-wyoming-can-t-force/article_0a3c5700-e59e-520e-aa91-c053b3c0f7d5.html