| Contacts: | Shannon Borders, 970-240-5399 or sborders@blm.gov |
BLM Schedules Observation Days to View Spring Creek Wild Horse Gather
NORWOOD, Colo.— The Bureau of Land Management’s Southwest District announced the Wild Horse Gather observation days starting Thursday, Sept. 15. The public and media are invited to view ongoing gather activities to remove wild horses in the Spring Creek Herd Management Area southwest of Norwood.
Gather operations begin on Thursday, Sept. 15, and the BLM staff will be onsite each day starting at 9 a.m. Observation days with continue throughout the gather which is anticipated to be completed by Friday, Sept. 16 or Saturday, Sept. 17.
To get to the HMA, go to Norwood and west on Colorado Highway 145 to Colorado Highway 184 on the right (not toward Mancos). Drive about 10 miles to U.S. Highway 491 and turn northwest (right) toward Dove Creek. About two miles northwest of Dove Creek, turn north (right) onto Colorado Highway 141. Drive about 35 miles and cross Disappointment Valley to Road 19Q on the east side of the valley. Then drive south to just past mile marker 5 to Road K20E on the left. Drive three miles to the herd area boundary. Observers should plan to wear appropriate clothing and bring plenty of water. A map to the HMA is at http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/co/field_offices/san_juan_public_lands/images0.Par.75055.File.dat .
BLM will gather approximately 60 wild horses in the Herd Management Area, which is a 21,932 acre area managed for a healthy wild horse herd that is in balance with other resources and uses. The current estimated population of wild horses in the HMA is about 90.
The appropriate management level identified for the population in this HMA is between 35 to 65 wild horses. Up to 10 of the captured adult horses will be released to maintain herd population within the established appropriate management level. The application of the contraceptive porcine zona pellucida will be administered to mares released back into the HMA.
About 25 of the wild horses gathered will be available for adoption through BLM’s wild horse and burro program. The adoption will be held at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds (30100 Hwy. 160) on Saturday, September 24 at 9 a.m. in Cortez. Individuals interested in adopting a horse must meet corral and shelter requirements. These standards are at https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/requirements.php. The wild horses not adopted will be placed in long-term pastures.
The observation dates are subject to change depending upon weather and gather operations. For more information, contact Shannon Borders, BLM Public Affairs Specialist at 970-240-5399 or sborders@blm.gov. Photos and updates on the status of the gather will be posted at http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/sjplc/wild_horses.html.
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.
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