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Ban Cyanide Bombs From America’s Public Lands

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Sponsor: The Animal Rescue Site

Cyanide traps can kill pets and wildlife without warning, and they do not belong on public lands.

Close-up of a cyanide poison device partially buried in soil, with the baited top exposed above the ground.

Federal agencies have opened the door for M-44 sodium cyanide ejector devices, often called cyanide bombs, to be considered again on Bureau of Land Management lands.1 These spring-loaded poison traps are used by USDA Wildlife Services to kill coyotes and other predators, but their danger does not stop with target animals.

Pets Wildlife And People Are At Risk

M-44s are baited devices that release sodium cyanide when triggered. They can endanger wildlife, pets, and people who come across them on land that belongs to the public.2 The devices drew national outrage after a 2017 incident in Idaho killed a family dog and sent a teenager to the hospital.1

A 2023 policy barred Wildlife Services from using M-44s on BLM land. A new April 2026 memorandum between BLM and USDA Wildlife Services no longer includes that prohibition and allows such devices to be considered under existing review processes.3

Public Lands Should Be Safe

Public lands should not hide poison traps capable of killing animals without warning. Families hike these lands. People walk dogs there. Wildlife depends on them for habitat. Predator conflicts must be addressed with humane, targeted, and transparent methods that do not put innocent lives at risk.

Federal Leaders Must Act Now

Lawmakers and federal agencies have the power to stop this threat before more animals are harmed. A clear ban on cyanide traps across public lands would protect pets, wildlife, and people while pushing federal wildlife management toward safer alternatives.

Sign the petition urging federal leaders to ban cyanide bombs from America’s public lands.

More on this issue:

  1. Jimmy Tobias, Public Domain (6 May 2026), "Trump Admin Opens Door to Resumed ‘Cyanide Bomb’ Use on BLM Land."
  2. Mike Johnson, Hoodline (7 May 2026), "Trump Move Could Allow Cyanide M-44 Use on BLM Lands."
  3. Jennifer Yachnin, E&E News by POLITICO (8 May 2026), "BLM, USDA agree to renew use of ‘cyanide bombs’."
  4. The New York Times, The New York Times (4 May 2026), "Home on the Range No More: Trump Wants Bison Gone."

The Petition

To the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, and members of Congress:

I am writing to urge you to ban the use of M-44 sodium cyanide ejector devices, commonly known as cyanide bombs, on all federal public lands.

These devices are baited, spring-loaded poison traps used to kill coyotes and other predators. When triggered, they release sodium cyanide, which can quickly become lethal. They do not make careful distinctions between a targeted predator, a protected wild animal, a family dog, or a curious person who happens upon one.

Public lands should be safe for the people and animals who use them. Families hike, camp, hunt, and walk their dogs on these lands. Wildlife depends on them for habitat. No one should have to wonder whether a hidden poison device sits near a trail, grazing allotment, or open landscape managed in the public trust.

A prior policy barred the use of M-44s on Bureau of Land Management land. Recent reporting indicates that new federal guidance no longer includes that clear prohibition and allows these devices to be considered under existing review processes. That is not enough protection. Case-by-case review still leaves the door open to preventable harm.

Predator conflicts are real, but cyanide traps are not a humane or acceptable answer. Federal wildlife management should prioritize targeted, nonlethal, transparent, and science-based approaches that reduce conflict without putting pets, wildlife, and people in danger.

I urge you to take immediate action to prohibit the preparation, placement, deployment, or use of M-44 sodium cyanide ejector devices on all federal public lands. I also urge you to require safer alternatives for predator conflict management and ensure that public agencies protect animal welfare, public safety, and ecological balance.

Humanity and compassion must guide how we manage shared lands and the animals who live there. A permanent ban on cyanide bombs will prevent needless suffering, protect families and pets, and ensure a better future for all.

Sincerely,

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