BLM Releases Draft Environmental Assessment for Wild Horse Gather

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo.– The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has released its draft environmental assessment for a proposed wild horse gather in southwest Wyoming and is seeking public input. The proposed gather aims to reduce wild horse populations in the Salt Wells Creek, Adobe Town, and Great Divide BasinHerd Management Areas(HMAs) to their low Appropriate Management Levels (AMLs) to maintain healthy wild horses on productive rangelands.

A copy of the project map and additional details can be found here.

Currently,public landsare home to 73,000 wild horses and burros across the west, nearly triple the 26,715 population target established by the Wild-Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. This overpopulation often leads to starvation and death from lack of water.

In the three HMAs affected by the proposed gather, the current population of 2,836 wild horses exceeds the cumulative AML of 1,560 animals by about 80 percent. The proposed gather would remove 513 of the 1,123 wild horses in the Adobe Town HMA, 725 of the 976 in the Salt Wells Creek HMA, and 322 of the 737 in the Great Divide Basin HMA. This action would also allow theBLMto comply with the 2013 Consent Decree of Rock Springs Grazing Association v. Salazar.

The release of the draft environmental assessment initiates a 30-day public review of the proposed action. Public input is valuable early in the process and will enable theBLMto develop a well-informed analysis.

Written comments should be received byAugust 10, 2017. All comments submitted via email should be sent toblm_wy_adobetown_saltwells_hma@blm.govwith “2017 AML Gather EA” in the subject line. Alternatively, comments may be hand-delivered or mailed to:

BLMRock Springs Field Office2017 AML Gather

280 Highway 191 NorthRock Springs, WY 82901

Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other identifying information in your comment, be aware that your entire comment – including your identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you may request to withhold your identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

For more information, please contact theBLMat307-352-0256.

Originally posted by Sweet Water Now