North Hills HMA

Location: The North Hills HMA is managed in cooperation with the United States Forest Service (USFS) – Dixie National Forest, Pine Valley Ranger District’s North Hills Wild Horse Territory. Together, the combined area is referred to as the North Hills Wild Horse Management Plan Area (WHMPA). The WHMPA is located in Iron and Washington Counties, about 2 miles northwest from Enterprise, Utah.

Size: 60,646 acres

Topography/Vegetation: The WHMPA averages 5,500-6,000+ feet in elevation, and supports vegetation types of big sagebrush and pinyon and juniper trees. The pinyon and juniper trees dominate the WHMPA and is very dense with minimal under story forage. Open areas outside of the pinyon and juniper canopy are dominated by big sagebrush with Indian Ricegrass and needle-and-thread grass as the primary forage species. There are warm season grasses which supplement these cool season species. The WHMPA has one reliable summer water source (Nephi Spring), which is located on the south boundary of the USFS Wild Horse Territory (on FS property). The water is a spring source with abundant water flow. The water is located in a canyon with rocky outcrops along the north side and a vegetation jumble of pinyon/juniper, big sagebrush, and riparian vegetation such as cottonwood and willow. The riparian area is heavily trampled and over grazed with non-riparian vegetation encroaching. Animal distribution to other portions of the WHMPA is hampered by topography and vegetative cover types. Scattered ponds exist throughout the WHMPA occasionally providing water to the horses. These ponds rely on large thunder storms or heavy winter run-off in order to provide water and are not reliable from month to month.

Wildlife:

AML:  012-36