BLM begins emergency water trap gather of wild horses on Cedar Mountain HMA
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SALT LAKE CITY— The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Salt Lake Field Office will begin an emergency wild horse gather in the Cedar Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA), located in Tooele County, Utah approximately 50 miles west of Tooele. The BLM plans to remove approximately 250 wild horses from the HMA near the Cochran, Cedar, and Brown Springs, due to reduced spring flow and a lack of available water.
The BLM will use water traps, consisting of corral panels enclosing the water sources, during the gather; no helicopters will be used. Because wild horses are reluctant to approach water traps when there is too much human activity, only essential gather personnel will be allowed at the gather sites during operations, and the public is asked not to recreate or travel near these areas until trapping operations are completed.
The HMA has an estimated population of 670 horses and encompasses approximately 197,275 acres of public land. The current estimated HMA population is based on a March 2018 population survey and does not include 2018 foals. The appropriate management level for the HMA has been established at 190-390 wild horses.
“We are very concerned about the health and welfare of these horses,” said Field Manager Matt Preston. “Two of the primary springs in the HMA are producing less water than they have for years. With approximately 100 wild horses attempting to get water from these springs daily, conditions are becoming unsustainable. This emergency gather will ensure that the horses remaining on the range will be able to survive.”
Horses removed from the range will be transported to the Delta Wild Horse Facility in Delta, Utah, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and prepared for adoption. The facility will be closed to the public throughJuly 31 to allow staff members at the facility to assist with gather operations.
Gather updates and information will be posted at: https://go.usa.gov/xUbNE. To learn more about the Wild Horse and Burro Program, visit the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website at www.blm.gov/whb or call (866) 468-7826.
For more information, contact Wild Horse and Burro Specialist Tami Howell at (801) 977-4300. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for the above individual. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
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.