BLM Logo
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Billings Field Office
 
Release Date: 12/06/11
Contacts: Kristen Lenhardt 406-896-5228    

BLM Seeks Public Input on Preliminary Environmental Assessment for Proposed Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Gather


The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Billings Field Office today released the Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) for a proposed 2012 wild horse gather within the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range (PMWHR). A 30-day public comment period will begin on Dec. 8 through Jan. 6, 2012. The Preliminary EA analyzes the effects of a proposed non-helicopter gather and removal of excess horses within the PMWHR.

The Preliminary EA identifies a selection of alternatives, including Proposed Action and No Action alternatives. The Proposed Action recommends a combination of bait trapping, water trapping, and some herding. Since bait trapping can occur year-round, the gather would be anticipated to take place at any point during the 2012 calendar year.

The gather is designed to manage the appropriate number of wild horses so that rangelands and horses can be healthy and productive for years to come. The current wild horse population is approximately 150 horses with 17 foals, exceeding the established Appropriate Management Level (AML) of 90-120 horses, excluding the current year foals.

If anyone would like to comment on the Preliminary EA, please do so in writing submitted to: Jim Sparks, Field Manager, BLM Billings Field Office, 5001 Southgate Drive, Billings, MT 59101. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time.  While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.

The PMWHR is located in the Pryor Mountains south of Billings, along the Montana-Wyoming border and encompasses approximately 38,000 acres of BLM, U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service managed land.

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. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.
--BLM--

Billings Field Office   5001 Southgate Drive      Billings, MT 59101  

Last updated: 06-28-2012