The following is a press release from the BLM:
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Billings Field Office seeks public input on a proposed 2012 wild horse gather within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range (PMWHR) during a 30-day scoping period, Aug. 1-30, 2011. The public scoping process is the initial stage in developing an Environmental Assessment (EA) that analyzes the effects of the proposed non-helicopter gather and removal of excess horses within the PMWHR.
Gathering methods could include bait trapping, water trapping, herding or a combination of these techniques. Since bait trapping can occur year-round, the gather is scheduled to take place at any point during the 2012 calendar year.
With a variety of competing uses on the land, the gather is designed to manage the appropriate number of wild horses so that rangelands and horses can be healthy and productive for years to come. The current wild horse population is approximately 150 horses with 17 foals, exceeding the established Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 90-120 horses, excluding the current year foals.
If anyone would like to provide input that would help the BLM in the development of a proposed action and alternatives (including type of capture techniques); further identify issues relating to potential environmental consequences, mitigation opportunities, and monitoring; or provide information, data, or analysis to be used in development of an EA, please do so in writing submitted to: Jim Sparks, Field Manager, BLM Billings Field Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101, or by fax at (406) 896-5281.
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
The PMWHR is located in the Pryor Mountains south of Billings, along the Montana-Wyoming border and encompasses approximately 38,000 acres of BLM, U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service managed land.
The BLM manages more land – over 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.
Source: BLM
Posted by Haylie Shipp
