Yuma Field Office
| Contacts: | Lori Cook – 928-317-3200 |
BLM to Begin Gather of Wild Burros From Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area in Arizona
Yuma, Ariz. - The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Yuma Field Office plans to begin gathering 350 burros from the Cibola-Trigo Herd Management Area north of Yuma, Arizona, on Monday, June 4, 2012. BLM expects the gather to last approximately two weeks. The gather is part of ongoing management to maintain a healthy population of wild burros and horses on public lands in balance with their environment.
All gathered animals will be examined and, if needed, treated by a veterinarian. All animals will be transported to the BLM Ridgecrest facility and made available for adoption to citizens willing and prepared to provide good care.
Public viewing is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 4, 2012, through the remainder of the gather. All attendees must drive their own four-wheel drive or high-clearance vehicle. Also, individuals should dress in accordance with weather conditions and bring plenty of food and water.
This gather will cover an extensive area, so the gather operations will be mobile and fluid. The trapping and holding site locations will change as the gather progresses and the meeting locations for the public observation opportunities will also change. For details on the gather, public observation opportunities, and other important information, please visit BLM’s website at www.blm.gov/az.
The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Yuma Field Office had postponed the gather that was scheduled to begin on Monday, April 9, 2012. The postponement was due to the receipt of an Appeal and Petition for Stay that was forwarded to the Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA). The IBLA denied the Petition for Stay on April 30, 2012, so the gather has been rescheduled and will begin on June 4, 2012.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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.