Carson City District Office
| Contacts: | Heather Emmons-Jasinski | , 775-861-6594 | , hlemmons@blm.gov |
Prison-Trained Wild Horse Adoption a Success in Carson City
Carson City, Nev. - The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Nevada Department of Agriculture and the Nevada Department of Corrections on Saturday, February 23, hosted the first of three annual saddle-trained horse adoption events at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center (NNCC) in Carson City.
Fifteen wild horses, gathered from herd management areas within administered public lands in Nevada, Idaho, California and Oregon, were saddle-trained for four months by inmate trainers in the NNCC program, and offered during a spirited competitive bid adoption. Successful bidders from the crowd of more than 150 people paid a total of $11,500 for the animals.
Thirteen of the 15 offered horses were adopted after starting bids of $150. The event’s top bid of $3,200 went for a five-year-old sorrel gelding named “Red Bull.” The average bidding price for each horse was $885. Click here for the adoption results.
The successful bidders officially adopted their new horse, and they must show diligent care of each animal for a year before they can apply to the BLM to receive a title of ownership. Since 1973, the BLM has placed more than 230,000 horses and burros into private ownership through the adoption program.
The next saddle-trained horse adoption and competitive auction event will be held at the NNCC in Carson City on Saturday, May 18, 2013.
More information about these special adoption events is available at: www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field/blm_programs/wild_horse_and_burro.html.
Editors: Higher-resolution pictures available. Photo captions for attached press release: (left) Inmate trainer Fred and his horse “Little Joe” wave the red, white and blue during the National Anthem. (right) Inmate trainer Jose showcases the tame temperament of his horse “Sonny” that doesn’t even flinch with Jose atop his back, swinging a lasso.
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.
Carson City District Office 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City NV 89701