Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-102
§1331 Congressional Findings and Declaration of Policy
Title 16 › CHAPTER 30 — WILD HORSES AND BURROS: PROTECTION, MANAGEMENT, AND CONTROL › § 1331
Summary
Wild free-roaming horses and burros must be protected from capture, marking, harassment, or death. Congress says they are symbols of the West, enrich Americans’ lives, add to national biodiversity, are disappearing, and must be treated as part of the public-lands natural system.
Full Legal Text
Title 16, §1331
Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene. It is the policy of Congress that wild free-roaming horses and burros shall be protected from capture, branding, harassment, or death; and to accomplish this they are to be considered in the area where presently found, as an integral part of the natural system of the public lands.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Short Title
Pub. L. 92–195, Dec. 15, 1971, 85 Stat. 649, which enacted this chapter, is popularly known as the “Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act”.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
16 U.S.C. § 1331
Title 16, Conservation
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102