BLM Begins Winter Ridge Herd Area Wild Horse Gather and Removal

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT NEWS RELEASE
Utah State Office

Release Date: 09/01/11

Contacts:		Lisa Reid, (435) 979-2838
		Gus Warr, (801) 824-1632

BLM Begins Winter Ridge Herd Area Wild Horse Gather and Removal

Vernal, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Vernal Field Office will hold the Winter Ridge Herd Area (HA) Wild Horse Gather on September 9 through September 11, 2011.

The BLM is planning on gathering and removing approximately 150 excess wild horses from the Winter Ridge Herd Area vicinity beginning on September 9 through September 11, 2011. As outlined in the 2008 Vernal Resource Management Plan, all wild horses gathered in this area will be permanently removed from the HA.

Members of the public are welcome to view the gather operations daily once they begin, so long as the safety of the animals, staff, and observers is not jeopardized, and operations are not disrupted. During the gather, interested public may participate in an escorted tour by meeting at 5:30 a.m. at the Pelican Café in Ouray, Utah. Weather conditions and available resources may affect the projected schedule. Participants must provide their own transportation, water and lunches. The BLM recommends that the public dress for harsh field conditions. Binoculars as well as four wheel drive vehicles are strongly recommended.

Updates and information will be available at: http://www.blm.gov/ut on a regular basis throughout the course of the gather.

The EA and Decision Record are available on line at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/vernal/planning/nepa_.html

To learn more about the program or to obtain an adoption application, visit the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website at:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html

For information on participating in public observation days, please contact Lisa Reid, Public Affairs Specialist, at (435) 979-2838.

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.

--BLM--

Utah State Office 440 West 200 South, Suite 500 SLC, UT 84104

Last updated: 09-08-2011