BLM will offer horses for adoption in Grass Valley; incentive payments available
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Wild horses and burros from California’s public rangelands will be available for adoption, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 17 and 18, at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Way, Grass Valley. The Bureau of Land Management will offer ten mares and geldings aged two- to four-years-old and 10 yearling fillies and colts under two years old. The adoption offering includes 10 burros of all ages.
Anyone interested can preview the animals from 2 to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16. Adoptions get underway with an hour-long silent auction at 9 a.m. Saturday. Animals remaining after bidding will be available for the BLM’s $25 adoption fee until 3 p.m. Sunday.
“These horses and burros are certified healthy and ready to train for pleasure riding, competition or work,” said Alan Bittner, manager of the BLM’s Northern California District. “They have been vaccinated against all common equine diseases including West Nile virus. We provide complete health care records.”
Adopters will be eligible to receive the BLM’s adoption incentive payments totaling $1,000 per animal. Under this program adopters can receive a $500 payment at the time of adoption and an additional $500 when they receive title to their animals a year later.
To qualify, adopters must be at least 18 years old and have no convictions for animal abuse. They must provide corral space, shelter and care that meet BLM requirements. These requirements can be found at https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/adoption-and-sales.
Horses coming to Grass Valley are from the Devil’s Garden Herd Territory (Modoc National Forest) in northeast California. Burros are from the BLM Twin Peaks Herd Management area northeast of Susanville, Calif. They were removed from the range to keep wild populations at sustainable levels.
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.