Bureau of Land Management to begin the FY2024 Clan Alpine Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather
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CARSON CITY, Nev. – On or about November 7, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management plans to begin a wild horse gather on and around the Clan Alpine Herd Management Area located approximately 60 miles east of Fallon in Churchill County NV. The BLM will use the helicopter-assisted method.
The Clan Alpine Herd Management Areas which encompasses 304,763 acres of public and private lands and has an Appropriate Management Level of 612-979 wild horses. Based on a helicopter survey conducted in February 2023, resulting in a population estimate of 1,661 wild horses within and directly outside the management area that did not include the foals counted, the current population is estimated to be 1,993 horses. The population estimate is over two-times above the high end of the established management level.
The BLM plans to gather approximately 1,594 wild horses, remove approximately 1,381 excess wild horses, and treat up to 81 mares with GonaCon Equine, a population suppression fertility control vaccine, before being released back to the range along with up to 121 Studs.
The purpose of the gather is to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses and to restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship on public lands, consistent with the provisions of Section 1333(b) of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The action is also necessary to reduce overpopulation of wild horses within and outside the area and to prevent further degradation of public lands by balancing herd size.
“We conduct gathers like this to bring the current population of wild horses within the appropriate management level,” said Kim Dow, Carson City District Manager. “Consistent applications of fertility control such as GonaCon is one tool used to obtain this goal of a healthy population.”
By balancing herd size with what the land can support, the BLM aims to protect habitat for other wildlife species such as sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, mule deer and elk. Removing excess wild horses supports significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health identified by the Sierra Front-Northern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council.
The BLM’s priority is to conduct safe, efficient, and successful wild horse gather operations while ensuring humane care and treatment of all animals gathered. The BLM and its contractors are committed to using the best available science and handling practices for wild horses and burros while meeting overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.
All animals identified for removal will be transported to the Palamino Valley Off-Range Corrals, located in Reno, Nev. Upon arrival to the facility, all animals will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sales Program.
Members of the public are welcome to view the gather operations, provided that doing so does not jeopardize the safety of the animals, staff and observers, or disrupt gather operations. The BLM will escort the public to gather observation sites located on public lands. Once gather operations have begun, those wanting to view gather operations must call the Clan Alpine Wild Horse Gather information hotline nightly no later than 5:00 p.m. at (775) 885-6101 to RSVP. The meeting time and location will be available by calling the hotline. If no RSVPs are received by 5:00 p.m., no public viewing will be available the following day.
The BLM is conducting the gather under the DOI-BLM- NV-C010-2023-0004-EA Clan Alpine Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather Plan Environmental Assessment decision signed on September 8, 2023. Access the Decision Record and determination of National Environmental Policy Act adequacy at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2022686/510.
Gather reports and additional information will be posted on the BLM website at https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/herd-management/gathers-and-removals/carson-city-do/2023-clan-alpine For technical information, contact John Axtell, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist at jaxtell@blm.gov.
For information on how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
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.