BLM to Remove Over 800 Wild Horses in Southern Wyoming

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is set to remove between 800 and 900 wild horses from the checkerboard lands in the Great Divide Basin and the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creekherd management areasin south-central Wyoming. This action is in response to requests from private landowners in the checkerboard area, which follows the path of the transcontinental railroad in southern Wyoming.

In 1862, Congress granted every other section of land within 20 miles of the railroad to Union Pacific, resulting in a complex mix of unfenced public and private grazing lands where wild horses roam freely.

The Rock Springs Grazing Association sued for the removal of horses from private checkerboard lands in a 2013 case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. The court ruled in favor of private landowners, allowing the removal of horses from these lands.

The grazing association controls more than 731,700 acres in the checkerboard region of southern Wyoming. Association representatives declined to comment for this story.

At a recent news conference, Gov. Matt Mead stated that Wyoming is considering legal action to compel theBLMto manage populations in theherd management areas. He expressed concerns about the high wild horse populations affecting livestock and sage grouse in the area.

Private landowners have voiced concerns to theBLMabout the increasing number of wild horses on private lands, which they claim is degrading the range’s ability to sustainlivestock.

Wild horse advocates argue that the move disregards theBLM’s responsibility to protect the horses from grazing pressures.

The roundup is scheduled to begin on August 20. After gathering, the horses will enter the wild horse and burro adoption program. Horses not immediately suitable for adoption will be transported to holding facilities across the U.S. for long-term care.

The horses are examined by a veterinarian and vaccinated before entering the program. The process can take up to three months, with adoption following up to 120 days after the horses enter the program.

Jay D’Ewart, a wild horse and burro specialist for theBLM, noted that this gather is not the typical herd management action. Instead of administering birth control drugs or adjusting populations, theBLMis gathering the horses for removal from the area.

Originally Posted By Star-Tribune