BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Wild Horse Gathers in Central and Southern Utah
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Fillmore, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fillmore and Cedar City Field Offices are seeking public comment on an Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing proposed wild horse removal and research projects that would be conducted on horse behavior and ecology in the Conger and Frisco Herd Management Areas (HMA). The research would look into behavioral effects of gelding, population dynamics, fertility, reproductive rates, recruitment rates, age-specific survival and mortality, habitat selection, movements and habitat range among other things. This would be done at the scale of both the individual and population levels and in coordination with the United States Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center and Colorado State University.
The Conger Mountain HMA is approximately 151,506 acres. The HMA is located in Millard County, about 20 miles northeast of Garrison, Utah. The Frisco HMA comprises about 60,367 acres. The HMA is located in Beaver County, about 15 miles northwest of Milford, Utah.
The EA analyzes a proposal to gather and remove excess wild horses and conduct research for a period of five years. The EA, including maps, is available on line at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html or on the ePlanning website at: https://goo.gl/pNIggw ; search for project name “Population Control Research Wild Horse for the Conger and Frisco Herd Management Areas.”
Written comments will be accepted by letter or email until May 17, 2016. Please note that the most useful comments are those that contain new technical or scientific information relevant to the proposed action. Comments should be as specific as possible. Comments which contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response but may be considered in the BLM decision-making process. Please reference “Population Control Research Wild Horse for the Conger and Frisco Herd Management Areas” when submitting comments.
Written comments may be mailed or emailed using the following:
BLM Fillmore Field Office
Attn: Fillmore Field Office Manager
95 East 500 North
Fillmore, UT 84631
Before including an address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in any comments, be aware that the entire comment—including personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. Requests to withhold personal identifying information from public review can be submitted, but the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. The BLM will not consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.
For additional project-specific information, please contact the Fillmore Field Office at (435)743-3100. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question. The FIRS 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.