For Immediate Release: July 23, 2004
Contact:  Vaughn Whatley   BLM 303-239-3766

Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board Meeting Scheduled

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet to discuss the management and protection of wild, free-roaming horses and burros on the nation's public lands, according to a notice in the July 23, 2004 Federal Register. The meeting will be held Monday, August 9, 2004 from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm local time, and on Tuesday, August 10, 2004 from 8:00 am to noon local time.  The Advisory Board will meet at the Best Western – Airport Plaza, 1981 Terminal Way, Reno, NV  89502.

The BLM re-established the Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board in 1998 to provide input and guidance for the management of wild horse and burro herds on the Western rangeland. Under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the BLM manages nearly 38,000 wild horses and burros, which roam public lands in the West. The law mandates the protection, management, and control of these wild horses and burros in a way that ensures a healthy, viable free-roaming herd population within the limits of available public land resources. The BLM gathers excess animals and places them in good homes.  After one year, qualified adopters may acquire a title for the animals.

The public may address the Advisory Board on August 9, 2004 at approximately 4:00 pm. Individuals making a statement should register with the BLM on August 9, by noon, at the meeting location. Depending on the number of speakers, the Advisory Board may limit the length of presentations.

Speakers should address the specific wild horse and burro-related topics listed on the agenda.  Speakers must submit a written copy of their statement to the BLM at the meeting.  Individuals who are unable to attend the meeting but would like to comment may submit a written statement by August 3, 2004, to: Bureau of Land Management, National Wild Horse and Burro Program, WO-260, Attention: Janet Neal, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada, 89502-7147.  For additional information regarding the meeting, please contact Janet Neal, Wild Horse and Burro Public Outreach Specialist, (775) 861-6583.  Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may reach Ms. Neal at any time by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

The BLM, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior, manages more land -- 261 million surface acres -- than any other Federal agency.  Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States, including Alaska. The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.9 billion and a workforce of some 10,000 full-time, permanent employees, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. 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 the public lands.

- BLM -