The Bureau of Land Management will commence with a controversial roundup of wild horses in eastern Nevada.

The roundup is expected to last up to 21 days and is meant to reduce the population of wild horses northwest of Caliente from more than 1,200 to less than 250.

The BLM says the reduction is needed to maintain wildlife and livestock habitat and reduce wildlife degradation of public lands.

But similar roundups have drawn opposition not only from wild horse advocates but federal delegation such as Representative Dina Titus, who say the federal government should be using other methods of population control.