Rock Springs Field Office
| Contacts: | Serena Baker | |||
| 307-212-0197 |
Public Scoping Opens on Proposed Wild Horse and Burro Gather
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Rock Springs Field Office (RSFO) is launching a 30-day public scoping period prior to preparing an environmental analysis on a proposed wild horse and burro gather in the Divide Basin Herd Management Area (HMA).
Census flights in spring 2010 estimate there are slightly more than 1,000 wild horses and burros living in the Divide Basin HMA. The Divide Basin Appropriate Management Level (AML) is between 415-600 wild horses. The AML for the Divide Basin was established through an agreement with private land owners and wild horse advocacy groups, and confirmed in the Green River Resource Management Plan. The proposed gather would start after July 1, 2011 to remove nearly 600 excess wild horses, may include using fertility control, and adjusting sex ratios. More information is available on the web at: http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/rsfodocs/divide_basin.html.
Public comments are most helpful if they cite specific actions or impacts, and offer informed analysis. Comments are requested by January 21, 2011, and can be mailed, hand-delivered during regular business hours (7:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m.), or emailed only to the following address:
Jay D’Ewart, Wild Horse & Burro Specialist
Divide Basin Scoping Comments
BLM Rock Springs Field Office
280 Highway 191 North
Rock Springs, WY 82901
DivideBasin_HMA_WY@blm.gov
Please list “Divide Basin Scoping Comments” in the subject line. For more information contact Jay D’Ewart, 307-352-0331.
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.
Rock Springs Field Office 280 Highway 191 North Rock Springs, WY 82901