2018 Ben Avery Range Emergency Gather

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is conducting and emergency gather of wild burros, beginning December 27, to respond to increasing public safety concerns at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility.

Purpose of the Gather:

Response to increasing public safety concerns at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility located approximately 30 miles northwest of Phoenix.

Details of Gather:

The BLM will gather approximately 20 wild burros, and transport the burros to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro facility in Florence, AZ, where they will be prepared for possible adoption.

Public Observation:

None established for this gather. 

Background:

Location: The Lake Pleasant Herd Management Area (HMA) is located about 30 miles northwest of Phoenix, Arizona. The Ben Avery Shooting Facility is approximately 7.5 miles east of the Lake Pleasant Herd Management Area (HMA), Maricopa County, Arizona.

Size: 

The Lake Pleasant HMA consists of 61,031 acres of BLM land and 42,441 of mixed Bureau of Reclamation, private, and state lands.  

Topography/Vegetation:

Wild burros freely roam throughout the entire Lake Pleasant HMA and surrounding lands which are characterized by rugged mountains, numerous small canyons and open rolling hills. The vegetation is very typical of the upper Sonoran Desert, where Palo Verde and mixed cacti are common. Temperatures range from freezing at night during the winter to over 100 degrees in the summer. 

Wildlife:

Wild burros share this habitat with the typical charismatic mega fauna of the Sonoran Desert including javelina, mule deer, coyotes, and others. Other animals in the area include small mammals, several species of rattlesnake, lizards, and several bird species.

AML: 166-208