Deer Run Wild Horses Sold at Auction: BLM Addresses Community Concerns
CARSON CITY, Nev. (KRNV & Mynews4.com) - The memories of the herd of wild horses removed from an area on the outskirts of Carson City still weigh heavily on the community and advocates who fought hard to have them returned to their land. They are further discouraged by a statement made by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) indicating a compromise was made.
"All excuses for taking the herd are bogus," said Annie Jantzen, Coordinator of the Deer Run Wild Horses Protection Group. Jantzen and members of the group believe the BLM went behind the backs of the community and removed seven horses from the Deer Run Road area on the outskirts of Carson City.
Despite their efforts, the horses went to auction. They were sold to advocates who were able to relocate the horses to a ranch in northern California. "They are happy and sassy," said Jantzen, who was there when the horses arrived at the ranch.
Prior to the auction, the BLM released a statement saying this auction was a way to compromise with advocates. According to Leon Thomas, BLM Field Manager, the auction was a way to allow anyone who wanted to purchase the horses the chance to do so. This was not the compromise advocates were looking for. "We want them to come to the table with us," said Jantzen. "We don't feel like they are willing to work with us," she said.
Thomas says the BLM had received complaints about the horses for years and that the horses were damaging property and became a threat to public safety. "We have complaints going back to 2010," said Thomas. But when asked about documentation, Thomas said they did not have all complaints documented and that is something they are working on. "As far as actually being documented, we could have done a better job," said Thomas.
According to Thomas, this became a people problem rather than a horse problem. "People were feeding them and they were found frequently in the park and in the Pinion Hills neighborhood," he said. Thomas says the horses became conditioned and they had to be removed. He says the public needs to remember not to feed the horses.
Originally Posted By KRNV, Reno