High Desert District
| Contacts: | Serena Baker, | |||
| 307-212-0197 |
Rock Springs Wild Horse Adoption Huge Success - 24 Mustangs Find New Homes!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District’s first wild horse adoption of 2012, held Saturday, Jan. 28 in Rock Springs, Wyo. was a huge success with 24 mustangs adopted to good homes.
Roughly 100 people from California, South Dakota and Colorado and throughout Wyoming came to the adoption, which featured curly horses. The event marks the reopening of the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility (RSWHHF) after being temporarily closed during the fall gather season.
Five curly horses from the White Mountain herd management area were offered for silent bid. All remaining mustangs were offered for the standard adoption fee of $125. All wild horses have been evaluated by a veterinarian, dewormed, Coggins tested, and given their booster shots.
The adoption also featured a wild horse drawing contest, elementary school field trips, and preview day. More than 300 fourth grade students from Rock Springs, Green River, Eden, and Farson, Wyo. toured the RSWHHF learning about veterinary care given to wild horses, freeze branding, different breeds of horses, history of wild horses, and why the BLM gathers wild horses.
The public is invited to vote for their favorite wild horse drawing from the more than 85 sketches which are on display in the BLM office lobby. The contest also coincides with the Wyoming history curriculum the Sweetwater County fourth graders are learning. Some of the drawings refer to the “Gift of the Sacred Dog,” which is the Native American term for wild horses. You may cast one ballot per visit to the BLM High Desert District Office at 280 Hwy 191 N., Rock Springs, during normal business hours until Friday, Feb. 10. Those pictures receiving the highest number of votes will be awarded first, second, and third prize, respectively. First prize is a $100 Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce gift certificate, which is accepted at most businesses in Sweetwater County. Second prize is a $75 Chamber gift certificate, and third prize is a $50 Chamber gift certificate. All prizes have been donated to BLM.
A complete listing of 2012 BLM Wyoming wild horse adoptions can be found at: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses/schedule.html. For more information contact Kathi Fine, 307-352-0292 or 1-866-4MUSTANGS.
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.
High Desert District 280 Hwy 191 N. Rock Springs, WY 82901