BLM to Host Public Hearing about Wild Horses and Burros

Contact:  Chad Hunter (435)865-3088, Lisa Reid (435) 743-3128

Salt Lake City, Utah—April 24, 2008—The Utah BLM will host a public hearing at the Cedar City field office to discuss the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles to manage wild horses and burros on Utah’s public lands. The hearing will be held, May 7 at 6 p.m. at 176 D.L. Sargent Drive, Cedar City, Utah. An annual public hearing for comments on this issue is required by federal regulation, the Cedar City hearing will be the only one held this year.

“Using helicopters and other advanced equipment is crucial in maintaining safety and quality in wild horse management,” said Chad Hunter, Cedar City Wild Horse and Burro Specialist. “We have found the use of helicopters is the most humane method in gathering horses from the open range and remote mountain areas where they live.”

Utah’s current wild horse population is about 2,900, and ongoing drought conditions cause limited forage and water availability, which reduces the number of animals that can be supported on the land. Utah BLM gathers an average of 300 horses annually from public lands to help control horse populations, which can increase 15 to 20 percent every year.

BLM and contract specialists plan to start gathering excess wild horses from various herd areas across the state in July.  Gather locations may change due to available funding, wildfires, or because of available water and forage conditions. Herd management areas slated for horse removal include:  Mt. Elinor (Iron County), Sulphur (Iron & Beaver Counties), Sinbad and Muddy Creek (Emery County), and Confusion (Millard County).

To date the BLM has removed more than 10,600 wild horses and 225 burros from Utah’s rangelands since government round-ups began in 1975.  Most of these animals have been since adopted locally, over 6,300, and the remainder of the animals are shipped to the eastern states for adoption.  Utah’s 2008 satellite adoptions started in April and continue monthly throughout the state.  Adoption locations are tentatively set for South Jordan, Panguitch, Castledale, Ogden and Rigby, Idaho.  Daily adoptions are ongoing at the Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility and the Salt Lake Wild Horse and Burro Center near Herriman. Monthly adoptions are held on the first Tuesday of each month May 6 through Sept. 2 at the Central Utah Correctional Facility in Gunnison.

For additional information about the upcoming public hearing or future wild horse and burro adoptions, visit http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en.html , or contact the Delta Wild Horse and Burro Facility 435-864-4068,  600 N. 350 W., Delta, Utah, or the Salt Lake Wild Horse and Burro Center 877-224-3956, 8605 W. 12600 S., Herriman, Utah.