National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah
The Bureau of Land Management’s National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board is set to meet in Salt Lake City, Utah, on March 27-28. This meeting will focus on the critical issue of managing wild horses and burros on public lands and the environmental impacts of their growing populations. The sessions will be live-streamed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain Time on Tuesday and from 8 a.m. to Noon Mountain Time on Wednesday at www.blm.gov/live.
“Healthy wild horses and burros are an important part of our public lands, but without effective management, overpopulation threatens the health of the animals and their habitat,” said Brian Steed, BLM Deputy Director for Programs and Policy. “We look forward to working with the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board to find effective solutions that will help us reach our goal of maintaining healthy wild horses and burros on thriving public rangelands.”
As of March 1, 2017, population estimates indicate about 73,000 wild horses and burros across 10 Western states, a record number since the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act was enacted. This figure is nearly three times the sustainable population level for the habitat, given other land uses. With few natural predators, these herds can double in size every 4 to 5 years if not properly managed.
The meeting's agenda is available in the March 13 Federal Register notice. It will take place at the Radisson Hotel Salt Lake Downtown, located at 215 West South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah 84101. For more information, the hotel can be contacted at 801-531-7500 or visited online at www.radisson.com/salt-lake-city-hotel-ut-84101/utsaltlk.
The public is invited to address the Advisory Board on Tuesday from 3 to 5 p.m. Mountain Time. Those wishing to speak should register in person with the BLM by 2:30 p.m. local time at the meeting site. Depending on the number of speakers, presentations may be limited to about three minutes, as in previous meetings.
Speakers are encouraged to submit a written copy of their statements to the BLM at the addresses below or bring a copy to the meeting. A webcam will be present throughout the meeting, and individual comments may be recorded. Those unable to attend can submit written statements by March 20 to: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management, National Wild Horse and Burro Program (WO-260), Attention: Advisory Board, 20 M Street, SE, Room 2134LM, Washington, D.C. 20003. Comments may also be emailed by March 20 to [email protected]; please include "Advisory Board Comment" in the subject line.
The Advisory Board provides guidance and recommendations to the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which mandates the protection and management of these animals to ensure healthy herds at sustainable levels alongside other land uses.
For more information about the meeting, contact Dorothea Boothe, Acting Wild Horse and Burro Outreach Specialist, at (202)-912-7654. Individuals using a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) can reach Ms. Boothe during normal business hours by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.