BLM NEWS RELEASE
ELY — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District is seeking public comment on the Silver King Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather Preliminary Environmental Assessment, which addresses the need to remove approximately 445 excess wild horses from in and around the Silver King Herd Management Area (HMA), to bring the number of wild horses in the HMA to the appropriate management level of about 60 animals. The HMA is located approximately 70 miles south of Ely. The proposed gather is scheduled to begin in September 2010. The BLM will accept comments until July 16, 2010.
Appropriate management level for the Silver King HMA is 60-128 wild horses, but there are currently more than 500 wild horses within the HMA. The proposed gather is needed to remove excess wild horses to help prevent further deterioration of the range, achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and achieve and maintain healthy, viable wild horse populations. If more than 445 wild horses are gathered, selective removal criteria would be used to return horses to the range. Of the horses remaining on the range, BLM would conduct fertility control measures on mares and/or adjust the sex ratios of the gathered animals to be returned to the HMA to 60 percent male/40 percent female ratios.
Please address written comments to the BLM Ely District Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301 attn: Mary D’Aversa, Schell Field Manager. Comments may be submitted electronically to [email protected]. Comments need to be post marked (if mailed), faxed, or emailed to [email protected] no later than 7-16-2010. The only email comments that will be considered are emails sent to [email protected]. Email comments sent to any other email address WILL NOT be considered.
For more information, contact Ben Noyes, BLM Ely District wild horse and burro specialist, at (775) 289-1800.
