Murderer’s Creek wild horse gather plan out
The Bureau of Land Management Prineville District Office announced that it has opened the public comment period on the Murderer’s Creek Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather Plan Environmental Assessment.
The public is asked to provide input on the EA by submitting comments on the proposed actions. All comments must be received in writing by November 16, 2012. Prineville BLM will also be holding a public meeting in John Day, Oregon on October 30th at 6 p.m. at the Grant County Regional Airport to take comments and answer questions about the proposed gather.
The EA analyzes the impacts associated with gathering excess wild horses above the Appropriate Management Level for the Murderer’s Creek HMA using bait trapping or other methods, removing horses to a public adoption facility, and applying fertility control to mares released back to the herd. Alternatives range from a “no action” alternative to a phased-in gather that would remove up to 260 horses over a five year period.
The proposed gather is needed to maintain healthy wild horse populations and prevent deterioration of range conditions and habitat. Currently, the Murderer’s Creek wild horse population is 113 animals in excess of the objective herd size and expected to double in size every four years. The EA is available online under “Documents Currently under Review” at:
http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/prineville/plans/index.php
Paper copies are also available from the Prineville District Office by emailing the office at BLM_OR_PR_Mail@blm.gov with the words “Wild Horse EA” in the subject line. For more information, please call the project lead, Justin Rodgers, at (541) 416-6700.
Our legal disclaimer for comments:
Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment-including your personal identifying information-may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
