The Bureau of Land Management’s Lander and Rawlins Field Offices have completed a preliminary environmental assessment (EA) for the Red Desert wild horse gather. With the EA finished, a public review and comment period is now open.
Three alternatives are being discussed in the EA:
Alternative 1– Catch, Treat & Release Mares and Remove Horses Outside the Herd Management Areas (HMAs): Capture approximately 1,240 wild horses in order to apply PZP-22 fertility control vaccine to approximately 200 released mares. Up to 390 of the gathered horses inside the HMA’s would be removed to meet the midpoint AML and to assure individual animal welfare and herd health. An additional 450 wild horses within the project area, but outside the HMAs would be removed.
Alternative 2– No Action: No capture to apply fertility control vaccine to mares would occur at this time. A removal gather would not occur at this time, however, it would take place when wild horse populations in the HMAs reach the upper limit of AMLs utilizing a 4 year maintenance cycle.
Alternative 3– Catch, Treat & Release Mares, plus Geld and Remove Horses Outside the HMAs: Capture approximately 1,240 wild horses, castrate/geld 60 studs and fertility treat 200 mares. An additional 450 wild horses within the project area, but outside the HMAs would be removed.
CLICK HERE for more information and to read the full EA. The comment period on the EA opened on June 28 and closed on July 27. Comments may be emailed to RedDesertComplex_HMA_WY@blm.gov (please put “Red Desert Complex Comments” in the subject line). Comments may also be mailed, faxed or hand-delivered to:
Melanie Mirati, Wild Horse & Burro Specialist
BLM Rawlins Field Office
P.O. Box 2407
Rawlins, Wyoming 82301
Fax: (307) 328-4224
Scott Fluer, Wild Horse & Burro Specialist
BLM Lander Field Office
1335 Main Street
Lander, Wyoming 82520
Fax: (307) 332-8444
© Northern Ag Network 2011
Haylie Shipp
