BLM Begins Roundup of Wild Horses Near U.S. Hwy 93 in Nevada

December 20, 2016

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District is scheduled to begin gathering and removing approximately 100 excess wild horses from public and private lands adjacent to U.S. Highway 93 and State Route 322 in and outside the Eagle and Silver King Herd Management Areas (HMAs) in eastern Nevada. The helicopter gather is necessary to provide for public and animal safety.

Wild Horse Removal Details

The District will remove up to 50 wild horses from between Pioche and Eagle Valley that have moved outside the Eagle HMA in search of forage. The Appropriate Management Level (AML) for the Eagle HMA is 100-210 wild horses, while the current population is 1,322 wild horses.

Additionally, up to 50 wild horses will be removed from the Bennet Springs area southwest of Panaca, which have moved outside the Silver King HMA in search of forage. The AML for the Silver King HMA is 60-128 wild horses, with the current population at 912 wild horses.

Gather Operations

The gather is expected to take four days to complete. A veterinarian will be on call during gather operations, which will be conducted by a contractor. The gathered animals will be transported to the BLM's Indian Lakes off-range corrals located in Fallon, Nevada, where they will be offered for adoption to qualified individuals. Un-adopted horses will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanely cared for and treated, retaining their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The BLM does not sell or send any horses to slaughter.

Further Information

The Eagle and Silver King Emergency Wild Horse Gather and impacts are described and analyzed in the Ely District Public Safety and Nuisance Gather Environmental Assessment available at http://1.usa.gov/23ws5je.

For public viewing opportunities, please call the Eagle and Silver King Emergency Gather hotline at: 775-861-6700 option #1. Gather reports will be posted on the BLM website at http://bit.ly/2hBRVSE.

For more information, contact Chris Hanefeld, BLM Ely District public affairs specialist, at (775) 289-1842 or [email protected].