FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 26, 2005
Contact: Kirsten Cannon (702) 515-5057 or Maxine Shane (775) 861-6586

Wild Horses/Burros Affected by Wildfires Focus of Oct. 5 Open House

The Las Vegas Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is sponsoring an open house on Wed., Oct. 5 to discuss management of wild horses and burros affected by summer wildfires. The open house is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the BLM’s office at 4701 Torrey Pines Drive.
Three wildfires this past summer destroyed habitat in the Gold Butte and Red Rock Herd Management Areas. Gold Butte has a wild burro herd, while both horses and burros are found in the Red Rock area.

The open house is to share information and gain public comments on how to best manage the two areas to assure viable, healthy herds. An environmental assessment to be prepared later in the year will present specific alternatives on wild horse and burro management in these two herd areas.

The environmental assessment follows recommendations of a Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation Plan prepared by interdisciplinary specialists who visited and studied the area after the fires were out. As a result of that Plan, some funding has already been set aside for emergency stabilization work to begin in fiscal year 2006 which begins October 1, 2005.
For further information on the open house, call Jerrie Bertola, BLM wild horse and burro specialist, at 702 515-5024.

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