American Wild Horse Conservation Condemns Inyo Wild Horse Roundup As Operation Continues Despite Tribal Opposition
A controversial helicopter roundup of wild horses is underway in California’s Mono Basin, where the U.S. Forest Service has moved forward with the operation despite the Utu Utu Gwaitu Benton Paiute Tribe’s efforts to stop the roundup.
In a statement provided to World Animal News, American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to protecting America’s wild horses and burros, strongly condemned the decision, saying the roundup is proceeding despite widespread public opposition, concerns raised by tribal leaders, and the availability of proven, humane management alternatives.
“This roundup represents a failure of collaboration, conservation, and common sense,” said Patricia Miller, Executive Director of American Wild Horse Conservation. “The tragedy is not simply that helicopters are being used to remove wild horses; it is that this outcome was entirely avoidable.”
According to AWHC, wild horses are an enduring part of California’s natural and cultural heritage, and for the Benton Paiute people, the Mono Basin herd holds profound cultural significance that cannot be captured solely by administrative planning documents or population targets.
AWHC also expressed its support for the Utu Utu Gwaitu Benton Paiute Tribe, whose leadership has consistently called for a collaborative approach that respects the cultural, historical, and spiritual significance of the Mono Basin herd while protecting the long-term health of the landscape.
The tribe had sought a temporary restraining order to stop the roundup, but the request was denied.
“The court’s order is disappointing, but we have strong grounds to appeal,” said Stephanie Sherman, the California attorney who represents the tribe. “Tribal consultation rights are written into the laws of this country, and I don’t believe the court gave them the weight they’re due.”
According to AWHC, the Forest Service incorrectly characterized the roundup as the only viable management option. Together with the Utu Utu Gwaitu Benton Paiute Tribe and local stakeholders, the organization proposed a comprehensive alternative that would have paused helicopter removals while collaborative planning occurred, established a Tribal Wild Horse Management Council, expanded humane fertility control to stabilize population growth, reassessed outdated population objectives using current science, and developed a tribally operated training and adoption program creating jobs and cultural stewardship opportunities.
According to AWHC, these recommendations reflect management approaches that have demonstrated success elsewhere in the West, reducing reliance on costly helicopter roundups and long-term holding facilities.
For years, AWHC said it has worked alongside local advocates, scientists, and tribal leaders to develop practical, long-term management strategies for the Mono Basin herd, including conducting field assessments and documenting conditions on the range, promoting humane, on-range fertility control as an effective management tool, and advocating for collaborative management that incorporates tribal knowledge, local expertise, and modern wildlife science.
According to AWHC, healthy wild horse populations should be managed on the range whenever possible, not removed from it.
Although the roundup has begun, AWHC said the fight is far from over. The organization said it will continue working alongside the Utu Utu Gwaitu Benton Paiute Tribe, local advocates, scientists, policymakers, and federal agencies to advance a more humane, science-based approach to wild horse management—one that ends unnecessary helicopter roundups, expands on-range fertility control, and strengthens transparency and accountability in federal wild horse management.
“The future of wild horse management should be built on collaboration, science, and respect,” said Tracy Wilson, Director at AWHC. “Instead, we witnessed a management decision that ignored years of work to create a humane alternative.”
