BLM Proposes Second Wyoming Wild Horse Sanctuary
A 529-acre swath of the Double D ranch south of Lander could become home to more than 250 legends of the American West. The Bureau of Land Management’s proposal would make the 900-acre ranch, located 7 miles north of Lander, home to 250 wild horses gathered from Wyoming public rangelands. The proposed ecosanctuary would provide opportunities for ecotourism and education while moving the horses from short-term holding centers like the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility.
Eco-sanctuaries are one tool the BLM can use to lower populations in temporary holding facilities. The facilities are often small, 24 acres in the case of Rock Springs, and are meant to be a rest stop on the way to adoption, according to BLM spokeswoman Sarah Beckwith.
“On the ranch, we’ll have them in open pastures for grazing instead of a feedlot situation,” said Double D Ranch Owner Dwayne Oldham. “We’re not on a total open range, but it’s a better environment for the horse. It’s a little bit more natural than a total confinement situation, and it gives them more room to go through their social patterns, to compete for feed and their status in the herd.”
Lander wouldn’t be the first wild horse ecosanctuary in the state. The Deerwood Ranch Wild Horse Ecosanctuary west of Laramie manages approximately 300 horses. The ranch provides tours and offers overnight stays in its guest cabin for tourists interested in wild horses.
The Double D Ranch site would provide a visitors center and educational programs to tourists in the state, according to Beckwith. The ecosanctuaries must be sited on private land that gives the horses the ability to roam freely with a consistent water supply.
Ecotourism and education is an important component in the development of the BLM’s ecosanctuaries.
The public’s understanding of what makes wild horses different than their domestic cousins is essential to managing the species in Wyoming, according to Warren Murphy, president of the Cody-based advocacy group Friends of a Legacy.
“A lot of people will say they’re just horses that got let loose and they’re not really wild,” Murphy said. “But if you spend time around those horses, you can tell they’re a different kind of horse. They live on their own, they manage on their own and have their own social networks.”
Murphy said domestic horses left to fend for themselves among wild horses don’t often fare well.
“They can’t compete with the wild horses,” Murphy said. “They just won’t make it.”
The Double D ranch ecosanctuary would provide an environment that more closely simulates the wild, a key point for mustang advocates like Murphy.
Ranch owner Dwayne Oldham said the ranch is focused on providing that environment.
“It’s just a matter of working hard to manage the land so that the horses have adequate feed and adequate space and making sure we’re taking care of them well,” Oldham said. “We’re giving them a more natural setting compared to the feedlot setting.”
The BLM recently completed its environmental assessment of the sanctuary and is gathering comment in the final public comment period on the site. Those wishing to submit comments can do so via email at BLM_WY_Lander_Ecosanctuary_EA@blm.gov by July 7.
Originally Posted By The Prarie Star