BLM seeks input on proposed wild horse gather in northwest Wyoming
WORLAND, Wyo. – The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on the proposed gather and removal of wild horses from the Fifteenmile Herd Management Area in Wyoming’s Bighorn Basin.
The area includes nearly 81,000 acres of mostly public land with some intermingled state and private lands. Recent aerial surveys show wild horse populations exceed the established appropriate management level of 100 to 230 wild horses in the area. The BLM proposes to gather approximately 322 wild horses and remove approximately 222 of those from the range.
Chronic wild horse overpopulation in fragile ecosystems endangers overall land health, with the possibility of permanent, irrecoverable damage to important resources and impacts to other wildlife populations. Much of the gather area is composed of Greater Sage-grouse priority habitat and portions of the area are categorized as crucial winter/yearlong mule deer and pronghorn range.
Initially, most horses gathered will be removed to reduce populations to within the appropriate management level. Excess wild horses would be shipped to BLM holding facilities, or Off-Range Corrals (ORCs), in Rock Springs, Wyoming and/or any other BLM holding facility within an 8-hour transport distance of the HMA. Upon arrival to any facility, they will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the agency’s wild horse Adoption and Sales programs.
BLM staff and contractors will use the best available science and handling practices for wild horses while meeting overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program. The Fifteenmile herd is the national baseline HMA for sex ratio adjustment as a fertility control, and as such, the horses needed to maintain the desired sex ratio would be turned back to the HMA.
Additional information, including the determination of national environmental policy act adequacy, is available at the BLM National NEPA Register, where comments may be submitted through the ‘Participate Now’ option (preferred). Comments may also be delivered to: BLM Worland Field Office, Fifteenmile Wild Horse Gather, 101 South 23rd, Worland, WY 82401. The comment period will close June 13, 2025.
For more information, please contact the Worland Field Office at 307-347-5100.
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The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.