BLM NEWS RELEASE
Ten members of the public were present yesterday to observe the BLM contractor gather 17 wild horses from the Rock Creek Herd Management Area (HMA) at 9:15 a.m. without incident – 7 studs, 8 mares and 2 foals. The Tuscarora gather area encompasses the Owyhee, Rock Creek, and Little Humboldt HMAs.
Morning temperatures were cool and heat was not an issue. The contractor ended gather operations at 9:45.
The observers watched the horses being sorted and loaded into trucks to be hauled to the temporary holding corrals – again without incident. The observers relocated to the temporary corrals, where they observed the wild horses being sorted and put into separate pens.
On Sunday, the BLM will apply fertility control and adjust of the sex ratios, and re-release 24 mares and 23 studs back into the Little Humboldt HMA. During the next two to three days, the BLM also anticipates removing approximately 425 excess wild horses that have moved outside the Rock Creek HMA, which are causing considerable impacts to rangeland resources on public and adjacent private lands, as well as impacts to habitat for the Lahontan cutthroat trout.
The contractor shipped 46 horses to the Palomino Valley Center near Sparks, Nev. Upon arrival at the facility, the animals will be closely monitored, provided good feed, water and veterinarian care as needed.
During the next several months the animals will be wormed, vaccinated, and freeze marked, and all 12 month and older studs will be gelded. Once the wild horses have fully recovered, they will be made available for adoption to qualified applicants through the BLM’s Adopt-A-Wild Horse or Burro Program. The public may visit the BLM’s website at www.blm.gov for more information about adopting a wild horse or burro.
As more information becomes available it will be posted at the website: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/elko_field_office.html. For further comments and questions, the public may call 1-866-468-7826.
The BLM manages more land – more than 245 million acres – than any other Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
