Guidance for the Sale of Wild Horses and Burros
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20240
http://www.blm.gov
August 26, 2014
In Reply Refer To:
4700 (260) P
EMS TRANSMISSION 08/29/2014
Instruction Memorandum No. 2014-132
Expires: 09/30/2015
To: All Field Office Officials (except Alaska)
From: Assistant Director, Resources and Planning
Subject: Guidance for the Sale of Wild Horses and Burros
Program Area: Wild Horse and Burro Program
Purpose: This Instruction Memorandum (IM) outlines policies and procedures for the Wild Horse and Burro (WH&B) Sale Program. The intent of this IM is to provide guidance on selling animals to individuals and organizations that will provide good homes and humane care. This IM supersedes IM No. 2013-032, Direction for the Sale of Wild Horses and Burros – Interim Guidance.
Policy/Action: Effective immediately, all state, district, field offices, and facilities must comply with the policy of this IM. Below are key points from the Guidance for Selling Wild Horses and Burros (Attachment 1).
- Defines the criteria that makes an animal sale-eligible including animal age, definition of an adoption event, and the animal’s condition.
- Describes the preparation requirements for sale-eligible animals including freeze marking, vaccinations, and animal identification.
- Outlines the steps of the sales process and requirements for purchasers and the BLM.
- Explains the Wild Horse and Burro Program System data entry requirements and reports.
- Lists the project code and sales subactivity codes for sales.
- Provides guidance for selling animals to BLM employees or contractors.
The required sale paperwork includes the Application to Purchase Wild Horses and Burros (Attachment 2) and the Bill of Sale for Wild Horses and Burros (Attachment 3).
Timeframe: This policy is effective immediately.
Budget Impact: The budget impacts of this policy’s changes are unknown, but several provisions will likely have a negative effect on sale numbers while another will probably increase sales. The requirement for additional screening of purchasers and for them to provide their own transportation for purchased animals will likely have a negative effect on the number of animals sold and result in additional feed and care costs to the agency. However, changes to the definition of adoption events that qualify an animal as being offered for adoption will likely have a positive effect on sale numbers by making greater numbers of younger and trainable animals “sale-eligible”. These changes will, at least in part, counter the negative effects from increased screening and required transportation by the purchaser. The 2013 interim policy did not contain the changes to the definition of adoption events that qualify animals as offered for adoption.
Background: On December 8, 2004, the Department of the Interior’s Fiscal Year 2005 Omnibus Appropriation Act (PL 108-447, Division E, Title 1, Section 142) amended the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (Public Law 92-195) and directed the sale of wild horses and burros that meet specific criteria. The BLM issued initial sale policy in 2005 and interim policy in December 2012. In recent years the sales program has received a lot of public scrutiny. This policy was developed to provide additional assurances that animals will not be processed into commercial products.
Manual/Handbook Sections Affected: This IM supersedes previous guidance found in IM No. 2005-101, Direction for the Sale of Wild Horses and Burros and IM No. 2013-032, Direction for the Sale of Wild Horses and Burros – Interim Guidance.
Coordination: This policy was developed by a team composed of WH&B Specialists with diversified experience and a United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Veterinarian. The policy was reviewed by the Office of the Solicitor, Associate State Directors, State WH&B Program Leads, and the Office of Communications.
Contact: Any questions regarding this IM can be directed to Sally Spencer, Marketing Specialist, Wild Horse and Burro Program (WO-260), at 202-912-7265.
Signed by: Authenticated by:
Edwin L. Roberson Robert M. Williams
Assistant Director Division of IRM Governance,WO-860
Resources and Planning
3 Attachments
1 - Guidance for Selling Wild Horses and Burros (6 pp)
2 - Application to Purchase Wild Horses and Burros - Form 4710-23a (3 pp)