The Bureau of Land Management NEWS
News Menu (Graphics) News Menu (Text) Home Page

Last updated: 04/04/03

Contact:  Mary Knapp, (202)452-5176
For immediate release -- July 6, 1998

BLM's Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board to meet July 9-11 in St. Louis, Missouri

The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet July 9-11, 1998 in St. Louis, Missouri to discuss issues concerning the management and protection of the wild, free-roaming horses and burros on the Nation's public lands.

"The Board's third meeting is another step forward in our goal to improve the way we protect and manage these living legends of the Old West," said BLM Director Shea.

The meeting, which will be held at the DoubleTree Club Hotel Riverport, will include discussions on the care and training of animals, the gather schedule for fiscal year 1998, gelding and immunocontraception. Each subcommittee will present recommendations to the advisory board as a whole, which will decide whether to make a formal recommendation to Director Shea.

On July 11, the board will go on a field trip to the Flickerwood Arena in Jackson, Missouri, 120 miles southeast of St. Louis, to observe a competitive bid adoption of wild horses and burros. 

At the second advisory board meeting, April 24, 1998, members reached consensus on several changes the BLM should make to the program. The Board recommended that BLM should:

• uniformly implement its policy on the humane destruction of wild horses and burros, after making a change in language;

• oversee a professionally-conducted marketing study to identify ways to increase wild horses and burros adoption;

• contract with private training facilities to train animals before placing them in the adoption program; and

• appoint a senior level team or person (reporting to the Director), which would be devoted full-time over the next two years to establishing consistency, uniformity and accountability within BLM for the Wild Horse and Burro Program. As an alternative, BLM could restructure its existing organization to achieve the same goal.

Members of the public who wish to address the board, will be given the opportunity to speak starting at 3:30 pm. Those who would like to testify should register the BLM by noon July 10, 1998. Depending on the number of speakers, the advisory board may limit the length of each presentation. Speakers should address specific wild horse and burro issues related to the meeting's agenda. All speakers must submit a written copy of their statement to the BLM at the time of the meeting. Individuals who would like to comment but are unable to attend the meeting should submit a written statement to:

Director (610), Bureau of Land Management
LS-Room 406
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240.

Members of the public who wish to participate in the field trip must provide their own transportation and check with the BLM for maps on July 9th or 10th at the meeting site. The Board will attend the adoption from 7:30 am to 1:00 pm.

Under the 1971 Wild and Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act, the BLM manages 42,000 wild horses and burros that roam public lands in the West. The law mandates the protection, management, and control of wild horses and burros in a manner that ensures a healthy, viable population of free-roaming herds within the limits of available public land resources.

This page was created by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Office of Public Affairs 1849 C Street, Room 406-LS Washington, DC 20240 Phone: (202) 452-5125 Fax: (202) 452-5124

Please contact us with any questions relating to accessibility of documents. Download Adobe Acrobat Reader

This is a U.S. Government Computer System. Before continuing, please read this disclaimer and privacy statement. Accessibility