Pahrump Field Office releases Nevada Wild Horse Range Herd Management Area Wild Horses treated with fertility control
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LAS VEGAS — The Pahrump Field Office released 133 mares treated with population suppression control vaccine GonaCon Equine on February 4 and 5, 2022. The treated and released mares were gathered during the FY2022 Nevada Wild Horse Range Herd Management Area Wild Horse and Burro Gather inside the Nevada Test and Training Range near Tonopah, Nev. The gather concluded January 3, 2022.
The wild horse staff and contractors gathered 638 wild horses and removed 432 excess wild horses from public lands. In addition, 62 stallions were released back to the range. The staff also gathered and removed 91 excess wild burros.
“The agency’s top research priority remains the development of safe, practical, effective and long-lasting fertility control methods for wild horses and burros,” said Nicholas Pay, Pahrump Field Manager. “Based on the latest research, we decided to use GonaCon for its long-term efficacy.”
The purpose of the gather was to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses and burros, 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. By balancing herd size with what the land can support, the Pahrump Field Office aims to address resource issues related to drought and extremely limited water sources and protect habitat for other wildlife species. Removing excess animals will enable significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health.
Gather reports and additional information for the FY2022 Nevada Wild Horse Range Wild Horse and Burro Gather are posted at https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/herd-management/gathers-and-removals/nevada-southern-nevada-do/FY2022-NWHR.
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.