Washington Office of Public Affairs
| Contacts: | Tom Gorey | , 202-912-7420 | ||
| Debbie Collins | , 405-790-1056 |
BLM Announces Media Tour of Two Long-Term Wild Horse Holding Pastures in Midwest
The Bureau of Land Management announced today that it is hosting an all-day tour for credentialed media of two long-term holding pastures in the Midwest. The tour will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 9, at wild horse holding ranches in Pawhuska and Foraker, Oklahoma, both located within two hours of Tulsa.
The BLM estimates that approximately 38,400 wild horses and burros are roaming on BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states, based on the latest data available. Wild horses and burros have virtually no natural predators and their herd sizes can double about every four years. As a result, the agency must remove thousands of animals from the range each year to control herd sizes.
Off the range, there are 37,800 other wild horses and burros that are fed and cared for at 19 short-term corrals and 16 long-term pastures. (As of October 2010, there are approximately 11,400 in corrals and 26,400 in Midwestern pastures.) All wild horses and burros in holding, like those roaming the public rangelands, are protected by the BLM under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
BLM staff will meet credentialed media at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9, in the lobby of the Hilton Garden Inn Tulsa Airport, 7728 E. Virgin Court, Tulsa, Oklahoma (phone number: 918-838-1444). It will take about an hour and a half to drive from the hotel to the first of two long-term pastures. BLM staff will escort media representatives to the ranches; ranch owners have declined to be interviewed.
To RSVP, please e-mail Debbie Collins at Debbie_Collins@blm.gov or call her at 405-790-1056. Responses by Friday, Nov. 5, would be appreciated.
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.
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