The Bureau of Land Management concluded the Meadow Valley Mountains-Delamar Mountains HA emergency wild horse gather
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ELY, Nev. – On Dec. 18, 2020, the Bureau of Land Management Ely District Office, Caliente Field Office concluded the 2020 Meadow Valley Mountains-Delamar Mountains Herd Areas (HAs) emergency wild horse gather. The BLM gathered and removed 455 wild horses from areas within and outside of the HAs located in Lincoln County, Nevada. The action was necessary due to a lack of forage and water and declining health of the wild horses associated with significant wildfires and herd overpopulation. Gather operations were conducted using the helicopter-assisted method.
The purpose of the gather was critical to prevent further deteriorating body condition of the wild horses in the area due to extremely limited water sources, undue or unnecessary degradation of the public lands associated with excess wild horses, 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.
“By conducting this gather, the BLM was able to reduce the risk of starvation and thirst for the wild horses in the area while making progress toward achieving a thriving natural ecological balance on public lands,” said Shirley Johnson, Acting Caliente Field Manager.
The BLM transported wild horses removed from the range to the Bruneau Off-Range Wild Horse Corrals, in Bruneau, Idaho, to be readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro Adoption and Sale Program. Wild horses not adopted or sold will be placed in off-range pastures where they will be humanely cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
Additional gather information is available on the BLM website at https://go.usa.gov/x7FcZ.
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.