Ely District Office
| Contacts: | Chris Hanefeld | , 775-289-1842 | , chris_hanefeld@blm.gov |
BLM to Begin Gathering Wild Horses from Moriah Herd Area in Nevada
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Ely District, Schell Field Office will begin to gather 72 wild horses from in and around the Moriah Herd Area near Ely, Nevada, starting Friday, Aug. 27, 2010. The gather is expected to take up to four days to complete.
The BLM Ely District is implementing the Ely Resource Management Plan that was signed in August 2008. Through the planning process, a decision was made to change Moriah’s management classification from Herd Management Area (HMA) to Herd Area (HA), due to insufficient habitat resources necessary to sustain healthy wild horse populations.
“Our goal is to manage for healthy public lands and healthy wild horses,” Schell Field Manager Mary D’Aversa said. “The Moriah Herd Area lacks the resources necessary to sustain healthy wild horse populations, year-round. As a result, the horses are moving outside the Herd Area boundary.”
The gathered animals will be transported to the Salt Lake Wild Horse and Burro Facility, in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they will be offered for adoption to qualified individuals. Un-adopted horses will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanely cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The BLM does not sell or send any horses to slaughter.
The BLM will regularly post gather information on its Website. Also, an observation day for the public and media is scheduled Saturday, Aug. 28. For more information or to sign up, call Chelsey Falge, BLM Ely District administrative clerk, at (775) 289-1800.
“The top priority for this gather is safety – that of the animals, our employees, and members of the public,” D’Aversa said.
Note to Editors/Reporters: A public and media day is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 28. Any media interested in observing the gather must contact and coordinate with Chelsey Falge at (775) 289-1800. Media/public attending the gather must drive their own four-wheel drive, high-clearance vehicle. Also, individuals covering the gather should dress in accordance with weather conditions and bring plenty of food and water. Drive time to the gather from the meeting place in Baker, Nev. at the Border Inn is approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours.
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.
Ely District Office 702 North Industrial Way Ely, NV 89301