Winnemucca, Nev.—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will conduct a public hearing on the use of motorized vehicles including aircraft in the monitoring and management of wild horses and burros on public lands in Nevada. The hearing will be held on Wednesday, June 18, at 6 p.m. at the Bureau of Land Management Winnemucca District Office, 5100 East Winnemucca Blvd. Winnemucca, Nev..
The purpose of the hearing is to receive information and public comments on the use of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to inventory wild horse and burro populations and the use of helicopters to gather and remove excess animals. The hearing will also consider the use of motorized vehicles to transport gathered wild horses or burros as well as to conduct field monitoring activities.
Before motorized vehicles can be used, an annual public hearing is required in order to comply with Section 404 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The BLM proposes to use helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and other motorized vehicles to conduct population surveys on herd management areas (HMAs) and obtain seasonal distribution information for wild horse and burro herds throughout Nevada. Also proposed is using a helicopter to assist in gathering excess wild horses and burros on HMAs and complexes throughout the state during the coming year. The actual number of areas where gathers or population surveys will be conducted will depend on a number of factors including funding.
For further information concerning the hearing, contact Mandy DeForest at (775) 623-1579 or Kaitlin Godbey at (775) 861-6471. If you cannot attend the hearing, written comments must be mailed to the BLM Winnemucca District Office, Attention: Mandy Deforest, 5100 East Winnemucca Blvd, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445 and be received by June 27, 2014 to be considered.
