BLM to conduct wild burro gather in central Nevada
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TONOPAH, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management expects to begin a bait and water trap gather on or about July 10. Corrals will be placed in areas within the Bullfrog herd management area (HMA) located in central Nevada. The BLM plans to gather and remove approximately 300 wild burros.
The BLM Battle Mountain District, Tonopah Field Office is conducting the gather operation, which is expected to last approximately one month. The Bullfrog HMA is located approximately 90 miles southeast of Tonopah on public lands and surrounds the town of Beatty, Nevada, located within Nye County. The wild burros in the Bullfrog HMA have been determined to be excess, impacting private lands and creating public health and safety issues as burros travel near roadways. The high number of burros has also resulted in degradation of the landscape and negative impacts to other plant and wildlife species that share the habitat.
The area consists of 157,180 acres and measures approximately 16 miles long by 18 miles wide. It is bisected by U.S. Highway 95 and bounded on the east by the Nevada Training and Test Range (NTTR). State Highway 374 also intersects U.S. Highway 95 in the southwestern corner of the HMA. The western border is the same as the TFO area boundary, which separates the HMA from Death Valley National Park. The town of Beatty lies in the center of the HMA.
The current population estimate for the Bullfrog HMA, as of March 1, 2018, is approximately 672 wild burros. The appropriate management level (AML) is 55-91 wild burros. AML is the level at which wild horse populations are consistent with the land’s capacity to support them and other mandated uses of those lands, including protecting ecological processes and habitat for wildlife and livestock.
The BLM will conduct this operation by using temporary water and bait traps consisting of a series of corral panels stocked with water and hay; no helicopters will be used. Because of the nature of the bait and water trap method, wild burros are reluctant to approach the trap site when there is too much activity; therefore, only essential gather operation personnel will be allowed at the trap site during operations.
The wild burros removed from the range during this gather will be transported to Axtell Contract Off-Range Wild Horse and Burro Facility, located in Axtell, Utah where they will be seen by a veterinarian, vaccinated, dewormed and treated as necessary. Once the burros have their vaccination boosters they will be available for adoption to qualified applications. If you would like more information on how to adopt one of these incredible wild burros please visit our page on How to Adopt.
The BLM is conducting the gather under the Bullfrog Herd Management Area Wild Burro Gather Plan and Environmental Assessment DOI-BLM-NV-B020-2011-0102 decision signed on January 25, 2012. Access to the Decision Record and determination of National Environmental Policy Act adequacy at ePlanning: 2018 Bullfrog HMA Burro Gather.
Once the gather operation is underway, the BLM will provide periodic updates on number of burros gathered each day, weather conditions, and additional information on its website at 2018 Bullfrog Wild Burro Gather. For more information about the Bullfrog wild burro gather contact Kyle Hendrix, BLM Battle Mountain District public affairs specialist, at 775-635-4054 or khendrix@blm.gov.
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.