BLM's first ecosanctuary is up and running
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The horses have arrived! About 200 wild horses are now living at the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) first ecosanctuary, 30 miles west of Laramie, Wyo.In response to the BLM's Request for Applications, the Deerwood Ranch in Centennial Valley, Wyo., was selected in February 2012 as the site for the BLM's first wild horse ecosanctuary. Rich and Jana Wilson own the 4,000-acre ranch and will provide long-term, humane care for up to 300 excess wild horses gathered from Western public rangelands.BLM authorized the ecosanctuary in August after an extensive NEPA process. Under the proposal, the BLM will sponsor the ecosanctuary at a funding level comparable to what the Bureau pays for the care of excess wild horses on long-term pastures in the Midwest. The partnership agreement contains an ecotourism component which will defray costs for operating the sanctuary and save taxpayer dollars through fundraising. Following the approval, the Wilsons spent time building new fences, modifying existing fences and replacing all of the cattle guards with electric gates. In October, the first group of horses arrived from other BLM horse holding facilities.“All of the horses coming to the Deerwood Ranch were originally gathered in Wyoming," said June Wendlandt, BLM Wyoming's Wild Horse and Burro Program Lead. “We are really happy to partner with the Wilsons on this first ecosanctuary. They have an outstanding facility to provide a good home for these horses."BLM and the Deerwood Ranch are still developing plans to host tours at the new ecosanctuary and will be hosting a grand opening next spring or early summer.For more information on the ecosanctuary and to see photos of the horses, visit our website at: www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/Wild_Horses/deerwood-eco.html.
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.