Photo by Rachel Reeves

Wyoming is a state that promotes tourism by touting its wild horses as part of what makes the state unique. Yet, if the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and its rancher allies have their way, the state will lose 40% of its wild horses and 2.5 million acres of wild horse habitat will be permanently taken away. The plan includes eradication of every single horse in the area of the Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop, a 23-mile byway that draws thousands of visitors to the city of Rock Springs annually and is described by the Sweetwater County Tourism board as follows:

“Listen for the sound of hooves pounding. Look for manes flying in the wind. Feel the rush of awe at the sight of these creatures. The Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop Tour is something you and your family will never forget because Sweetwater County's cherished wild horses are living examples of a wide-open landscape and untamed frontier spirit.”

Wyoming's tourism slogan might be, "Don't Fence me In" yet these symbols of Wyoming's wide-open spirit and spaces will soon be eradicated and fenced in forever - if we don't act.

Tell Wyoming to stand up for its wild horses or you won't visit and spend your ecotourism dollars there. Write to the local and state tourism boards and ask them to join the fight against the BLM's planned destruction of the Wyoming Checkerboard wild horses. #StopWYWipeout. #KeepWYWild