The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) use of off-range holding facilities in wild horse management is inefficient, noncompliant with some federal regulations, and lacks strategic planning, an Oct. 17 advisory from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) says.

The BLM manages an estimated 67,027 wild horses and burros roaming rangelands in 10 Western states and another 45,661 animals in long- and short-term corrals.

In a 2010 report, the OIG recognized the agency’s need for off-range holding facilities. But, based on continuing increases in herd populations and holding facility costs, the OIG said in its recent advisory “the current path is not sustainable for the animals, the environment, or the taxpayer.”

The OIG advisory says that as wild herd populations increase, off-range holding areas, due to increases in feed, hay, and pasture costs, do not represent the best value for the facilities. In addition, the advisory notes that daily expenses for short-term holding corrals are higher than those for long-term pastures