Derek Dowsett is the Producer of the County Seat. Now entering his 11th season of the program, he has received what he considers a "Crash Course" in County Government.

We took the show to Beaver County this week to get an on the ground look at how wild horses impact the range. In Utah the population of wild horses is over the Appropriate Management Level (AML) by 1,300 animals. Nationally the problem of dealing with the number of wild horses increases to 14,000 beyond the AML. The management of wild horses costs the BLM tens of millions of dollars every year but despite the efforts to gather wild horses off the range; the numbers keep increasing.

Chad Booth talks to Beaver County Commissioner, Mark Whitney; Iron County Commissioner, David Miller; and local rancher Mark Winch about the impacts on ranchers and the ultimate impact it has on the economies of rural Utah.

1:09 Chad Booth takes a tour of the range land outside of Milford, Utah to learn where Wild Horses Come from and to see the impacts of too many horses on the range.

7:22 Beginning of Round Table Discussing in-depth the problems associated with the current management of wild horses.

10:18 What are the populations of Wild Horses in Utah and the Western United States?

14:14 What are the different options for management that are on the table?

15:02 What happens if we do nothing?

18:50 What happens if ranchers reduce their livestock numbers?

24:02 What are the solutions?

26:43 What can be done about reducing numbers of Wild Horses?

For more information about wild horses visit the BLM’s website: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/whbprogram.html