Bureau of Land Management concludes the Triple B Complex wild horse gather
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ELY, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management concluded a wild horse gather on February 23 within the overpopulated Triple B Complex in Eastern Nevada. The BLM removed 1,294 wild horses. Twenty-eight mares were treated with PZP and released, along with 28 studs, back to the range. Additionally, 3 mares and foals were released, for a total of 62.
The helicopter-conducted gather took place within the Triple B Complex which is located in both the BLM Ely and Elko Districts and consists of the Triple B HMA (Ely), Maverick Medicine HMA (Elko), Antelope Valley HMA west of U.S. Highway 93 (Elko), and Cherry Springs Wild Horse Territory (Elko). In addition, wild horses were removed from areas outside of those HMAs where they had moved in search of food and water and created a public safety hazard by traveling regularly across Jiggs Road.
The purpose of the operation was to prevent 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 (WFRHBA). The BLM strives to be a good neighbor in the communities we serve, ensuring public safety is not at risk due to the overpopulation of wild horses and providing opportunities for economic growth with space for traditional uses.
The majority of the horses identified for removal were transported to the Palomino Valley Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Center in Reno, Nevada where they were checked by a veterinarian and are being readied for the BLM’s wild horse and burro adoption program. In addition, approximately 324 wild horses were transported to the Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corrals, located in Susanville, California. For information on how to adopt a wild horse, visit www.blm.gov/whb.
The BLM’s priority is to conduct safe, efficient, and successful wild horse gather operations while ensuring humane care and treatment of all animals gathered. The BLM and its contractors used the best available science and handling practices for wild horses while meeting the overall gather goals and objectives in accordance with current BLM policy, standard operating procedures, and contract requirements.
The gather was conducted under the DOI-BLM-NV-E030-2017-0010-EA Antelope and Triple B Complexes Gather Plan Environmental Assessment decision signed on December 21, 2017. The decision record and determination of National Environmental Policy Act adequacy can be accessed at the national NEPA register at www.goo.gl/HQJ73h.
Gather reports and additional information are posted on BLM’s website at https://go.usa.gov/xnp7V. Photos of the gather are posted on the BLM Nevada Flickr page at https://www.flickr.com/photos/blmnevada.
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.