Ely District Office
| Contacts: | Chris Hanefeld | , 775-289-1842 | , chanefel@blm.gov |
BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Pancake Complex Wild Horse Gather
Ely, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Battle Mountain District, Tonopah Field Office and BLM Ely District, Egan Field Office are soliciting public comment on the Pancake Complex Wild Horse Gather Preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA), which analyzes several management alternatives including the Proposed Action which is a pilot management alternative. The newly proposed method calls for a phased-in approach to reach the appropriate management level over a six to 10 year period by reducing removals, implementing fertility control, adjusting sex ratios and managing a non-breeding population of geldings. The BLM will accept comments until Friday, Oct. 28, 2011.
The proposed gather area is located in south-central Nevada approximately 30 miles west of Ely and 80 miles northeast of Tonopah, Nev. The proposed gather is tentatively scheduled to begin in January 2012.
The proposed gather is needed to remove excess wild horses to help prevent further deterioration of the range, reduce population growth rates, achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and maintain healthy wild horse populations.
The Pancake Complex consists of the Sand Springs West and Pancake Herd Management Areas (HMAs), Jakes Wash Herd Area (HA) and Monte Cristo Wild Horse Territory (WHT). The BLM Battle Mountain District, Tonopah Field Office administers the Sand Springs West HMA. The BLM Ely District Office administers the Pancake HMA and Jakes Wash HA. The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Ely Ranger District administers the Monte Cristo WHT.
Written comments may be submitted to the BLM Ely District Office, HC 33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301, attn: Gary W. Medlyn, Egan Field Manager, or by email to PancakeComplex@blm.gov. Email comments sent to any other email address will not be considered.
The Pancake Complex Wild Horse Gather Preliminary Environmental Assessment is available online at www.blm.gov/nv. Click on the Ely District map and then click on the EA listed “In the Spotlight.” Printed copies are available at the BLM Tonopah Field Office, 1553 South Main Street, in Tonopah; and the BLM Ely District Office, 702 North Industrial Way, in Ely.
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 N. Industrial Way Ely, NV 89315