Washoe County Supports Virginia Range Horse Management Partnerships

Washoe County Commissioners Vote to Support Virginia Range Horse Management Public-Private Partnerships

Reno, NV -- December 9, 2014 – Earlier today, the Washoe County Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution affirming the value of wild horses to the State of Nevada and supporting the implementation of public-private partnership agreements for thehumane managementof wild horses and burros in Nevada that are not protected by federal law. The resolution throws the weight of Washoe County behind a proposed cooperative agreement between wild horseadvocacyorganizations and the Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) for thehumane managementof the historic wild horses of the Virginia Range.

The Storey County Commission is expected to adopt a similar resolution in the near future, and the Storey County manager sent a letter of endorsement for the resolution passed today by the Washoe County Commission.

The American Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign), under Return to Freedom, is working to expand the existing public-private partnership with the State of Nevada to include thehumane managementof theVirginia Range horses. Currently, the group has an agreement that allows them to directly purchase from the NDAVirginia Range horsesthat have been captured and removed from the range. The second cooperative agreement, which will relate to management of horses on the range, has been under negotiations for more than one year and is expected to be finalized in January 2015. That agreement will allow the group, and local partner organizations, to work collaboratively with the NDA to humanely manage the Virginia Range wild horse population. Key components of the management plan include a humane fertility control program to reduce population numbers over time; fencing and diversionary feeding to improve public safety and address potential human/horse conflicts by keeping horses out of harm’s way; and ecotourism and educational programs.

Today Washoe County resolution titled "Wild Horse and Burro Protection in Northern Nevada" states the following:

--signed David Humke, Chairman, Washoe County Commission

Local partner organizations involved in thehumane managementcooperative agreement include the Hidden Valley Wild Horse Preservation Fund (Reno), Least Resistance Training Concepts (Stagecoach), Virginia Range Sanctuary (Reno), Virginia Range Wildlife Protection Association (Virginia City), Wild Horse Preservation League (Dayton), The Wild Spirit Horse, Inc (Silver Springs).

TheAmerican Wild Horse Conservation (formerly American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign), founded in 2004 by Return to Freedom, is a coalition of more than 70 horseadvocacy, public interest, and conservation organizations dedicated to preserving the American wild horse in viable, free-roaming herds for generations to come.

Return to Freedomis dedicated to preserving the freedom, diversity and habitat of America's wild horses through sanctuary, education and conservation. RTF provides refuge to 400 wild horses at its California-based American Wild Horse Sanctuary.

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