Ochoco National Forest Revamps Wild Horse Management Plan

The Ochoco National Forest is embarking on a significant update of its 40-year-old management plan for the Big Summit wild horse herd near Prineville. This revision aims to incorporate public input and address modern challenges faced by the herd.

“We are basically going to redo the plan,” said Tory Kurtz, a rangeland management specialist for the national forest.

Established in 1975, the Big Summit herd management area spans 27,300 acres within the Ochoco National Forest. This area was designated following the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which protects wild horses in designated areas. The management plan for the Big Summit herd, also known as the Ochoco Mustangs, has remained unchanged since its inception.

While the revision of the plan is not connected to the planned roundup of wild horses in south-central Oregon, it highlights the unique management of the Big Summit herd by the U.S. Forest Service, distinct from the Bureau of Land Management's oversight of most other herds in Oregon.

Each June, volunteers join the national forest staff to count the wild horses, traversing the rugged terrain on foot or horseback. The most recent count estimated about 150 horses in the herd. Although past management included capturing or adopting horses, such actions have not occurred since 2010 due to the outdated plan. The revised plan is expected to outline procedures for future captures and adoptions.

In 2013, a tragic incident occurred when six horses were found shot near Big Summit Prairie, with five dead and one euthanized due to severe injuries. The case remains open.

To develop recommendations for the new plan, national forest officials are inviting public participation through a stakeholder group organized by the Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council. This group will meet monthly for at least two years, with the entire overhaul expected to take up to three years.

Gayle Hunt, president of the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition, expressed support for the update, noting the plan's overdue nature. The nonprofit, established in 2002, collaborates with the Ochoco National Forest to manage the Big Summit herd.

The revised plan will likely address issues such as wild horse birth control and adoption programs, essential for maintaining a balanced herd size. The current plan lacks a target number for the herd, leaving future directions open to stakeholder input.

“We don’t really have anything set in stone,” Kurtz said.

Originally posted by The Bulletin