Bureau of Land Management to begin the FY2024 Roberts Mountain Complex Wild Horse Gather
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On or about October 22, 2023, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to begin a wild horse gather on and around the Roberts Mountain Complex located in Eureka County, approximately 20 miles northwest of Eureka, Nev., west of State Highway 278 and north of U.S. Highway 50. The gather operation will be conducted using the helicopter-assisted method.
The Roberts Mountain Complex encompasses approximately 556,500 acres of public and private lands and has an Appropriate Management Level of 110-184 wild horses. The complex includes the Roberts Mountain, Whistler Mountain, the northern portion of the Fish Creek Herd Management Areas and the Kobeh Valley Herd Area. Based on the March 2023 population stats, which does not include foals born this year, BLM documented 1,161 wild horses within and outside the management areas of Roberts Mountain and Whistler Mountain HMAs – over 6-times above the high end of the established appropriate management level.
The BLM plans to gather approximately 1,106 wild horses, remove approximately 1,068 excess wild horses, treat up to 19 mares with GonaCon Equine, a population suppression fertility control vaccine, before being released back to the range along with up to 19 stallions.
The purpose of the gather is to prevent undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses and burros and to restore a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship on public lands, consistent with the provisions of Section 1333(b) of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
“We conduct gathers like this to achieve and maintain the AML within the Complex,” said Jon Sherve, Mount Lewis Field Manager. “BLM is committed to prevent further degradation of rangeland and riparian resources and promote continued improvement in the quality of the habitat for wild horses, wildlife and other uses, in balance, that relies on our public lands for the long term.”
By balancing herd size with what the land can support, the BLM aims to protect habitat for other wildlife species such as sage grouse, pronghorn antelope, and mule deer. Removing excess wild horses and burros supports significant progress toward achieving the Standards for Rangeland Health identified by the Northeastern Great Basin Resource Advisory Council. The removal of excess wild horses is also needed to remedy public safety and private land nuisance issues that have been ongoing for several years.
The BLM’s priority is to conduct safe, efficient, and successful wild horse and burro gather operations while ensuring humane care and treatment of all animals gathered. The BLM and its contractors are committed to using the best available science and handling practices for wild horses and burros while meeting overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with the Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program.
All animals identified for removal will be transported to the Axtell Off-Range Corrals, located in Axtell, Utah. Upon arrival to the facility, all animals will be checked by a veterinarian and readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sales Program.
The BLM is conducting the gather under the DOI-BLM-NV-B010-2022-0019-EA Roberts Mountain Complex Wild Horse Gather Plan Environmental Assessment decision signed on April 7, 2023. Access the Decision Record and determination of National Environmental Policy Act adequacy at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2020326/570.
Gather reports and additional information will be posted on the BLM website at https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro/herd-management/gathers-and-removals/nevada. For technical information, contact Shawna Richardson, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist at (775) 635-4181 or s1richar@blm.gov.
For information on how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
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.