Wyoming
2012 North Lander Complex Gather
Progress as of November 16, 2012
The 2012 North Lander Complex gather began on November 4 and operations were completed on November 16.
 |
| | | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Quick Look at the North Lander Complex GatherWhat? The BLM will gather horses in the North Lander Complex in fall 2012. Where? The BLM Lander Field Office manages the North Lander Complex, which consists of the Conant Creek, Dishpan Butte, Muskrat Basin and Rock Creek herd management areas (HMAs), and is located southeast of Riverton in Fremont County, south of Wyoming Highway 136 (the Gas Hills Road) and north of Wyoming Highway 789/287. The complex encompasses about 375,000 acres of land, of which about 90% are BLM-administered public lands. When? The gather is anticipated to begin the first weekend of November and continue for two to three weeks. The duration of the gather is largely dependent on weather conditions and may be longer or shorter than originally anticipated. Why? Each HMA has what is called an appropriate management level (AML). That is the number of horses that can thrive in a particular area in balance with other resources and uses. When a herd exceeds its AML, it becomes necessary to remove some of the horses to ensure the health of the rangeland, wildlife and the horses themselves. In addition, the gather provides the opportunity to treat mares with fertility control to decrease reproduction rates. What happens to the horses that are removed? Horses removed from the North Lander Complex will be available for adoption through the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program. Most of the horses will be available for adoption at the Rock Springs Wild Horse Holding Facility, the Mantle Wild Horse Training Facility, the Wyoming Honor Farm and through BLM's Internet adoptions. Those that are not adopted will be cared for in long-term pastures, where they retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
