The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced updates to its fall-winter schedule for gathering wild horses and burros from overpopulated herds on drought-stricken Western public rangelands. These changes reflect a re-prioritization based on drought conditions and animal welfare, aiming to balance herd sizes with available rangeland resources as mandated by Federal law.
The BLM is nearing full capacity at its short-term holding corrals and long-term pastures, limiting its ability to remove enough animals to achieve appropriate management levels in Herd Management Areas. Consequently, the BLM encourages the public to consider adopting a wild horse or burro. For adoption information, visit the BLM adoption schedule, email wildhorse@blm.gov, or call 866-4MUSTANGS (866-468-7826).
Schedule Updates
Updates to the tentative gather schedule, available here, include:
- The bait-trapping gather of the Jarita Mesa Wild Horse Territory in New Mexico is canceled as the animals are not in immediate declining condition.
- The number of horses to be removed from the Murderers Creek Herd Management Area in Oregon has increased from 105 to 160 due to legal issues related to an endangered fish species.
- The gather of Maverick-Medicine Herd Management Areas in Nevada is canceled as the animals are not in immediate declining condition.
- The gather of Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area in Utah is canceled for similar reasons.
- The number of horses removed from the Wassuk Herd Management Area in Nevada increased from 250 to 450 due to poor animal condition from lack of forage.
- The Challis Herd Management Area removal increased from 137 to 174 due to a court order.
- A bait-trapping gather of the Chloride Herd Management Area in Utah was added to remove 50 horses that had moved onto private land.
- The Little Owyhee Herd Management Area removal increased from 544 to 800 due to limited water sources.
- The Snowstorm Mountains Herd Management Area gather in Nevada is canceled as the animals are not in immediate declining condition.
- The Owyhee Herd Management Area gather in Nevada will remove 50 horses instead of 11 due to limited water sources.
- The Rock Creek Herd Management Area in Wyoming reduced its removal numbers from 580 to 400 to focus on areas with diminishing forage and water. PZP-22 fertility-control treatment of mares increased from 115 to 150.
- The Jicarilla Wild Horse Territory removal in New Mexico was reduced from 91 to 43 due to limited holding space.
The BLM manages over 245 million acres of public land, primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. In Fiscal Year 2011, activities on BLM-managed land contributed over $130 billion to the U.S. economy, supporting more than 600,000 jobs. The BLM's mission is to sustain the health and productivity of public lands for present and future generations through activities like recreation, grazing, mineral development, and conservation.
Originally posted by The Deming Headlight.