January 28, 2019

Today Representative Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District urged House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raúl Grijalva to prioritize the protection of wild horses, which has recently been undermined by the Trump Administration. Nevada is home to the nation’s largest concentration of wild horses and burros. The letter is attached and the full text is below: 

January 28, 2019

The Honorable Raúl Grijalva
Chairman
House Natural Resources Committee
1329 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Grijalva,

I want to start by congratulating you on your unanimous selection to lead the House Natural Resources Committee in the 116th Congress. As we’ve discussed before, nearly 85% of the State of Nevada is public lands, making the work of your committee essential to our economy, to conserving our natural resources, and to serving as the voice for nineteen federally-recognized tribes represented in the State. I know with all the serious and significant issues that your committee has under its jurisdiction, and the numerous scandals and failures of the Trump Administration, you have no shortage of work ahead of you to bring about the level of transparency, accountability, and stewardship that the American people expect from the Department of Interior and its agencies. 

There is one issue of significant concern to me and many of my constituents that begs your attention this Congress: the federal management of our wild horse and burro populations. 
Nevada is home to the nation’s largest concentration of wild horses and burros. These symbols of the American West are a source of pride for our residents, visitors, and tribal communities. In fact, wild horses were featured in the design for the Nevada State Quarter. Yet, under the Trump Administration, federal land managers, in particular the Bureau of Land Management, have taken significant steps to remove protections for these animals, shifting resources away from scientifically-sound birth control programs and wasting limited resources on costly and dangerous roundups and holdings which only exacerbate population growth. 

I am troubled by the new policy published by BLM on July 3, 2018, (Instruction Memorandum (IM) No. 2018-066) which I believe has created loopholes for the sale of wild horses and burros to kill-buyers, or their transportation across our borders for sale for human consumption in foreign nations. In September of last year, I wrote to Secretary Zinke asking specific questions about these policy changes; months later, I have yet to receive a response. 

This failure to respond to inquiries by Members of Congress follows two other letters I wrote to the Secretary last year concerning proposed round ups in Nevada. In both cases, no one from the Department of Interior or the BLM responded to my letters. I am deeply troubled by this Administration’s changes in policies, questionable budgetary decisions, and failure to respond to the inquiries of Members of Congress. I am hopeful the House Natural Resources Committee, under your direction, can shine a light on this total failure of leadership. 

I thank you for your attention to these important issues and stand ready to support your efforts moving forward.  

Sincerely,

Dina Titus
Member of Congress
   
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