Bureau of Land Management to conduct nuisance wild burro gather within the Johnnie Herd Management Area
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LAS VEGAS – The Bureau of Land Management will gather approximately 75 wild burros starting December 19 on private land in Pahrump due to public safety concerns. The gather operation, which could last several weeks, is being conducted by the BLM’s Southern Nevada District’s Pahrump Field Office.
The gather, which will take place on a portion of the Johnnie Herd Management Area, is being conducted in response to concerns of public safety. The burros are crossing Nevada State Route 160 and travelling into the northwest portion of the town of Pahrump, where they have entered private properties and caused damage to fencing, water lines, and vegetation. Several burros have also been hit by vehicles along the highway.
The Johnnie HMA can traditionally support up to 108 burros. The current estimated population is 311 burros, nearly three times the level that the available water and forage on the range can support along with other uses of the land, making this operation especially important. The BLM strives to be a good neighbor in the communities we serve, providing opportunities for economic growth with space for traditional uses such as ranching.
The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 75 burros using the water and bait method, consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with hay and water; no helicopters will be used. Because of the nature of the bait and water gather method, wild burros are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity. Therefore, only essential gather operation personnel will be allowed at the trap site during operations.
The contractor for this gather is Sampson Livestock out of Meadow, Utah. Excess wild burros removed from the range will be transported to the Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals in Ridgecrest, Calif., where they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program.
Gather reports and additional information will be posted on BLM’s website at https://go.usa.gov/xnQvV. For more information, contact Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Tabby Romero at (702) 515-5171 or tromero@blm.gov.
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.