The Bureau of Land Management to hold public hearing on use of motorized vehicles and aircraft to manage wild horses and burros
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MEEKER, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) proposes to use helicopter, fixed wing aircraft and other motorized vehicles to track, inventory, gather, and transport wild horse and burro herds throughout Colorado in the coming year. The actual number of areas where gathers will be conducted or inventoried will depend on a variety of factors including funding.
The BLM will conduct a public hearing, offering an opportunity for members of the public to provide information to the BLM and comment on the proposed use of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft to track and inventory wild horse or burro populations; use of helicopters to gather and remove excess animals; and use of motorized vehicles to transport gathered wild horses or burros and conduct field monitoring activities.
“We are committed to managing healthy wild horse and burro populations on healthy rangelands,” said Benjamin Gruber, Acting Deputy State Director of Resources. “Use of motorized vehicles and aircraft helps us to efficiently monitor and manage wild horse populations. The more efficiently we can do our job, the more effective we can be at protecting and preserving these iconic animals.”
The hearing is scheduled Thursday, November 19, 2020, from 6-7 p.m. at the BLM White River Field Office, 220 E. Market St., in Meeker, Colorado. The use of COVID-19 prevention protocols will be utilized at this meeting including wearing facemasks, washing hands, and maintaining social distancing. In addition, due to these guidelines, only 10 people will be allowed in the office at a time. If necessary, once people have provided comment, they will be asked to exit so that others may enter the building to provide comment. For more information, contact Maribeth Pecotte, 970-724-3027.
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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.