BLM seeks public input on multi-year wild horse gather proposal in southern Wyoming
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ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. – The Bureau of Land Management Rock Springs and Rawlins Field Offices are launching a 30-day public scoping period prior to preparing an environmental assessment regarding a multi-year gather plan for the Adobe Town, Great Divide Basin, Salt Wells Creek, Little Colorado and White Mountain Herd Management Areas (HMAs). The environmental assessment will analyze the potential impacts associated with the gather and removal of excess wild horses in these HMAs, as well as the potential impacts of using population growth suppression measures, including fertility control. The BLM is committed to sustaining healthy wild horses on healthy, productive rangelands.
Recent aerial surveys show that wild horse populations now exceed the established Appropriate Management Levels (AML) in all of the HMAs. The BLM is considering removing the excess wild horses from these HMAs in the summer or fall of 2020, and to use population growth suppression measures to slow the rate of reproduction in these herds. The multi-year gather plan would also provide for action when the BLM determines there are excess wild horses in future years. A more detailed scoping notice regarding this proposal is available at https://go.usa.gov/xpaEN.
Public input submitted early in the process is valuable to the BLM in developing a well-informed environmental assessment. Written comments may be submitted through the website provided above, or to the following email address: blm_wy_rsfo_wildhorse_hmas@blm.gov. Written comments should be received by Dec. 20, 2019.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you may ask us in your comment to withhold your identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
For more information on this project, please contact Jay D’Ewart, BLM Wild Horse Specialist at 307-352-0331.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.