New law allows wild horse management agreements

Wild horse advocates are celebrating a newfound ability to help manage wild horses in the Silver State.

Advocates gathered Monday with Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval during a signing ceremony for AB264.

The new law allows agreements between the state and advocacy groups to humanely manage wild animals on state lands — namely, the wild horses in the Virginia Range outside Reno.

The state cannot make decisions about herds on federal land.

The bill also imposes a gross misdemeanor penalty on people who feed or take feral or stray livestock. Wildlife experts say feeding the animals can attract them to unsafe situations such as near major roads.

Nevada law previously prohibited such feeding but there was no penalty.

Sandoval officially signed the wild horse management bill June 2.