Elko District Office
| Contacts: | Lesli Ellis | , 775-753-0386 | , lellis@blm.gov |
BLM releases scoping report on proposed Northeast Nevada Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary
ELKO, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Wells Field Office, has completed the Northeast Nevada Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary Resource Management Plan Amendment and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Scoping Summary Report. The scoping report summarizes all of the issues raised and comments received during the initial public scoping period for the proposed Northeast Nevada Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary.
Three scoping open houses were held during the scoping period which ended Sept. 19, 2012. The comments received will be used to develop a range of alternatives for analysis in the EIS. The Scoping Report is available for review on the Elko District’s website at www.blm.gov/rv5c, under the proposed Northeast Nevada Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary Project Page.
This scoping was the first opportunity for public involvement in the Resource Management Plan amendment/EIS process. The BLM will use the information collected to formulate alternatives and prepare the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS, which will be published in 2013. Release of the Draft RMP Amendment/EIS will be announced in a Notice of Availability in the Federal Register and in the local media, and additional public meetings will be held to solicit public comment on the draft document.
The Northeast Nevada Wild Horse Eco-Sanctuary proposal is to create a wild horse eco-sanctuary of a non-reproductive herd on most of the existing Spruce Grazing Allotment, including about 14,000 acres of private land and 508,000 acres of public land, approximately 25 miles southeast of Wells, Nev. The wild horse eco-sanctuary would be operated by Saving America’s Mustangs, a non-profit group, which has purchased the Spruce Ranch and acquired the associated grazing permit in the Spruce Allotment. The proponent also seeks to develop an eco-tourism operation in conjunction with the wild horse eco-sanctuary.
For more information, please contact Terri Dobis, project manager at (775) 753-0290 or Lesli Ellis, public affairs officer, at (775) 753-0386.
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.
Elko District Office 3900 E. Idaho St. Elko, NV 89801