| Contacts: | Crystal Cowan | , Ofc. 405.790.1022 | ||
| Cell 405.826.3057 | , crystal_cowan@blm.gov |
Wild Horse & Burro Adoption Heading to Artesia, NM, June 10-12!
Moore, OK--The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will hold a wild horse and burro adoption in Artesia, NM, June 10-12, 2010. The three-day event will be held at the Artesia Horse Council Arena and will feature over 60 spectacular mustangs and 10 burros.
Adoption Schedule
Adoption begins at 2 p.m. on Thursday, June 10th and will be first-come-first-serve and end at 6 p.m. Adoption continues on Friday, June 11th, at 8 a.m. and end at 6 p.m. Gates open for adoption again on Saturday June 12th, from 8 a.m. - Noon.
Adoption Qualifications
Application approval is required and can be done on site. To qualify to adopt, one must be at least 18 years with no record of animal abuse. Adopters must have a minimum 400 square foot (20 X 20) per animal with access to shelter. A 6 foot corral is required for adult horses and a 5 foot tall corral for yearlings. All horses must be loaded in covered stock-type trailers with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors. BLM staff will be on hand to assist adopters through the short application process, to answer any questions, and load horses.
Adoption Fees
The adoption fee is $125. We accept cash, check, and all major credit cards.
$500 Adoption Incentive
Artesia will serve as a test site for a new adoption incentive program in which BLM pays a $500 care and feeding allowance to adopters of horses 4 years and older. Younger or trained horses are not eligible for this incentive. The allowance is paid in full after one year when adopters receive official ownership title for their horse(s). All standard adoption conditions and fees apply. A limited number of eligible horses will be available for this incentive in Artesia.
Wild horses – iconic symbols of America’s western heritage – are renowned for their strength, endurance, agility and intelligence, characteristics bred into them in the wild make them ideal for work or recreation. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 225,000 of these “living legends” in approved homes across the country. The BLM periodically removes excess horses from the range to maintain healthy herds and to protect other rangeland resources. The adoption program is essential for achieving these important management goals.
For more information, call toll-free 866-4-MUSTANGS (866.468.7826) or visit www.blm.gov.
Directions to the Artesia Horse Council Arena: From Artesia travel south on HWY 285 to Fairgrounds Road. Turn west and go 1 mile to 13th Street. Turn North on 13th Street and travel approximately 1/8 mile. The arena is on the left side.
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.