H.R. 4356 — Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2025

This section states congressional findings on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) wild horse and burro program, which manages populations of federally protected wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands. The findings cover (1) the dangers of helicopter roundups, which have cost over $69.5 million since FY2012 (including $36.7 million from FY2020–2024 and over $6 million to contractors in FY2022); (2) limited public observation of operations; (3) limited fertility control use (fewer than 800 treatments annually on average since FY2012, historically less than 1% of the program's budget); and (4) the availability of more humane, cost-effective alternatives such as fertility controls and non-helicopter gathering methods.

This section revises the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to use helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, or motor vehicles in administering the Wild Free-roaming Horses and Burros Act (i.e., designating the existing provisions as subsection (a); limiting aircraft use to compliance with new subsections (b) and (c); and removing prior general authorization for helicopters). It further (1) requires phasing out helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, or contracts for their use, for rounding up or gathering wild free-roaming horses and burros during the two-year period after enactment of the Wild Horse and Burro Protection Act of 2025, with an effective reduction in reliance each year until fully terminated; and (2) mandates that any helicopter or aircraft used for such roundups or gathers be equipped with cameras to record operations, with footage included in the corresponding agency report. (As background, the Act protects and manages wild free-roaming horses and burros on public lands, primarily by the Bureau of Land Management.)

This section directs the Comptroller General to submit to the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, not later than one year after enactment of this Act, a report describing (1) humane alternatives to the use of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in managing wild free-roaming horse and burro populations, (2) job creation opportunities presented by such alternatives, and (3) the effects of aircraft, including unmanned aircraft systems, on those populations.