Federal judge overturns E. Oregon wild horse roundup

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management violated environmental law by rounding up wild horses in Eastern Oregon without fully considering the impact of its actions.

The Capital Press reported Wednesday that U.S. District Judge Michael Simon’s ruling could mean that some of the horses will be returned to the Three Fingers Management Area in Malheur County.

The nonprofit group Friends of Animals sued after the BLM gathered up the horses following a 2016 wildfire that made water and forage scarce.

The agency had planned to gather up 50 horses before the blaze.

But the BLM decided to do an “emergency gather” of 150 horses instead because the fire had burned up so much available grassland.

Simon says the action went further than necessary.