BLM NEWS RELEASE
ELY – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Elko District, Wells Field Office and BLM Ely District, Egan Field Office are seeking public comment on the Triple B, Maverick-Medicine and Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas (HMA) Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA), which addresses the need to remove approximately 1,726 excess wild horses from in and around the Triple B and Maverick-Medicine HMAs, the Antelope Valley HMA west of U.S. Highway 93, and the Cherry Springs Wild Horse Territory (WHT) to bring the number of wild horses to the appropriate management level (AML) of 472-889 wild horses. The proposed gather area is 30 miles northwest of Ely and 70 miles southeast of Elko, Nev. The gather is tentatively scheduled to begin in July 2011. The BLM will accept comments on the preliminary EA through February 7, 2011.
At the time of the proposed gather, it is estimated that the population will be more than 1,460 wild horses in the Triple B HMA where the AML is 250-518 wild horses; 636 wild horses in the Maverick-Medicine HMA where the AML is 166-276 wild horses; 28 wild horses in the portion of the Antelope Valley HMA west of U.S. Highway 93 where the AML is 16-27 wild horses; and 74 wild horses in the Cherry Springs WHT where the AML is 40-68 wild horses. The estimate includes the 2011 foal crop. Wild horse numbers fluctuate between the HMAs and WHT, based on seasonal movement.
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 1,726 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.
The BLM Ely District, Egan Field Office administers the Triple B HMA. The Elko District, Wells Field Office administers the Maverick-Medicine HMA and the portion of the Antelope Valley HMA west of U.S. Highway 93. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ruby Mountains Ranger District administers the Cherry Spring WHT.
Written comments may be submitted to the BLM Ely District Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301, attn: Gary W. Medlyn, Egan Field Manager, or by e-mail to [email protected]. Email comments sent to any other email address will not be considered.
The Triple B, Maverick-Medicine and portion of Antelope Valley Herd Management Areas Preliminary Environmental Assessment is available online at http://www.blm.gov/nv/. Click on the Ely District map and then click on the EA listed “In the Spotlight.” Printed copies are available at the BLM Elko District Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, in Elko, Nev.; and the BLM Ely District Office, 702 North Industrial Way, in Ely.
