New Management Plan Protects Wild Horses and Restores the Range They Depend on in Nevada, Utah
Nevada
Utah
Media Contact
BLM Office:
ELY, Nev. – To protect the long-term health and safety of wild horses in the Eagle Complex, the Bureau of Land Management has approved a management plan that addresses overpopulation and the declining range conditions that directly affect the herd’s welfare. This plan focuses on managing the herd and habitat they need to live healthy lives on the range.
The Eagle Complex is made up of three Herd Management Areas: the Eagle Herd Management Area in Nevada and the Mount Elinor and Choke Cherry Herd Management Areas in Utah.
Without active management, wild horse and burro herds increase rapidly, often doubling every four to five years. In March 2026, the BLM estimated more than 2,000 wild horses within and around the Eagle Complex, approximately 10 times the number the landscape can support. This level of overpopulation places increasing pressure on limited forage, water and habitat, contributing to declining rangeland conditions and increasing risks of wild horse malnutrition, dehydration and long-distance travel in search of food and water.
The herd management area plan authorizes management actions designed to protect the long-term health of the herd and the range that supports them. This includes targeted gathers and removal of animals above the sustainable herd size of 145-265 wild horses, along with the use of fertility control to slow herd growth. Together, these tools help ensure horses have access to the food, water, and space they need to thrive year-round.
Planning documents, including the environmental assessment, decision record, and finding of no significant impact can be viewed on the BLM National NEPA Register.
The Wild Free‑Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 charges the BLM with managing wild horses and burros on public lands. Federal law prohibits the commercial slaughter of these animals, and the BLM does not sell or send wild horses or burros to slaughter. The agency enforces adoption and sale requirements, strengthened the bill of sale language, and works closely with law enforcement whenever credible information suggests a violation may have occurred.
This commitment to humane care is central to the BLM’s mission and guides every action we take to ensure wild horses and burros remain responsibly managed for generations to come. Learn more about the Wild Horse and Burro Program and how qualified adopters can bring home an American living legend.
The BLM manages about 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.