Contact: Bill Davenport (703) 440-1720

 SPECIAL EVENTS COMING TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA IN OCTOBER

Two special events will be held October 13-15, 2006 at the newest jewel in the DC Metropolitan area.   The Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management–Eastern States (BLM-ES) will hold a special wild horse and burro adoption at the Meadowood Special Recreation Area in Lorton, Virginia and formally open Meadowood West with several new hiking/equine trails, all within a few minutes of the DC beltway.

The events, the opening of the newest hiking/equine trails in the DC area and a wild horse adoption, will offer area residents the opportunity to adopt an “American Legend” and enjoy spectacular nature walks. The facility is located on Mason Neck, is easy to get to, and is open to the public with no admission charge.

The formal opening of the new hiking/equine trails on Meadowood West will take place at 10:30 am on 14 October, 2006, at the trailhead.  This will be followed by a guided trail walk. At the conclusion of the guided trail walk, a Control Line Model Airplane flying demonstration will be held at the model airplane field located at the Meadowood West facility.

The wild horse adoption will be from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. on Saturday, October 14, 2006.  Remaining animals will be available for adoption Sunday, October 15, 2006, from 8 A.M. until Noon.  Animals can be viewed by the public between 1 P.M. and 5 P.M. on Friday, October 13, 2006. 

“A special selection of animals will be available to good homes for an adoption fee starting at $125” said BLM-ES Director Mike Nedd.  There will be about 40 horses and a few burros at this adoption including, geldings, mares, and yearling horses. “This is your chance to get the special wild horse or burro you have always wanted,” he said.

Call 1-800-293-1781 for information and applications for the Lorton adoption.  Potential adopters are asked to call early to be pre-approved to avoid waiting in line. You can also visit http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/adoption or http://www.es.blm.gov/whb/ to get requirement information and download an application to become a qualified adopter.

While the adoption process is simple and straightforward, anyone considering adoption of a wild horse or burro should remember that the animals are wild and require gentling and training. Since the Adopt-A-Wild Horse & Burro Program began in 1973, over 208,000 animals have been adopted nationwide, with 1,842 adopted in Virginia, 593 in Maryland, 160 in Delaware and 3,053 in Pennsylvania.

 Directions for the wild horse and burro adoptions are: From Route 1, take Gunston Rd (east), go 2.4 miles, past the BLM Meadowood main entrance to right on Harley Rd.

Directions for the formal opening ceremony and trail hike are:  From Route 1, take Gunston Rd (east), go approximately 1 mile, turn right on Old Colchester Road and look for signs at the trailhead entrance on the right hand side of the road after approximately 1 mile.

The BLM manages more land – 262 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 $1.8 billion, 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, and cultural resources on the public lands.

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