Please Oppose BLM's Devastating Plan for Wyoming's Red Desert Horses

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Public Comment Deadline: December 7, 2012

For the second time in less than three years, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proposing a devastating roundup in Wyoming's Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Areas (HMAs). The plan calls for the elimination of all wild horses on "private land or checkerboard land within the Rock Springs Office portion of the HMA." Since the majority of the Salt Wells HMA is "checkerboard" (alternating public and private land parcels), and since the wild horses living there cannot tell the difference between public and private land, this raises the alarming possiblity that the entire HMA will be zeroed out! 

The BLM is conducting this roundup for the Rock Springs Grazing Association, a group of ranchers that last year -- at the urging of the Interior Department --  filed a lawsuit against the BLM seeking removal of all wild horses from a 2 million acre swath of land known as the "Wyoming Checkerboard." AWHPC, the Cloud Foundation and the International Society for the Protection of Mustangs and Burros have intervened in the case to defend Wyoming's mustangs, yet the BLM is moving forward with the elimination of horses from these lands before the court has even issued a single ruling! 

In addition, AWHPC has just learned that BLM intends to lease parcels of public land in this area for oil and gas exploration, yet has failed to disclose that some of the lands that will be leased are in Herd Management Areas -- including Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek -- and has failed entirely to analyze the effect of that action on wild horses who live in the area! 

Please submit your comments today during this scoping period for the development of an EA on this unnecessary, cynical and egregious wild horse roundup and removal plan.

This action is no longer active. To view the current list of our active campaigns click here

If you prefer, you can submit your comments no later than December 7, 2012 via email, fax or U.S. postal mail to:
Jay D’Ewart, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist
BLM Rock Springs Field Office
280 Highway 191 North
Rock Springs, Wyoming 82901
Fax: (307) 352-0329
Electronic comments must be sent to the following email address to be considered:
(Please include “ATSW Scoping Comment” in the subject line.)

Background Information

Adobe Town HMA

The Adobe Town HMA is located in south-central Wyoming between Interstate 80 and the Colorado/Wyoming border. It encompasses 472,812 acres of which 444,744 are BLM-administered public lands. The topography of the area is varied with everything from colorful eroded desert badlands to wooded buttes and escarpments. In between are extensive rolling to rough uplands interspersed with some desert playa and vegetated dune areas. Limited, sensitive desert riparian areas are important features of the landscape. Winters are long and severe. Annual precipitation ranges from less than seven inches in the desert basins to more than twelve inches at some of the higher elevations. Elevation ranges from 6600 ft to 7800 ft along Kinney Rim, which forms the western boundary of the HMA. Some of the HMA is in the Adobe Town Wilderness Study Area. Other features in the area include the Cherokee Trail, the Haystacks, and Powder Rim. The Allowable Management Level for wild horses in this HMA is 610-800, with BLM managing for a target population of 700. The current estimated wild horse population in the Adobe Town HMA is BELOW the low end of the AML at 433 horses.

Salt Wells Creek HMA

The Salt Wells HMA encompasses 1,193,283 acres, of which 724,704 acres are BLM-administered public lands. The majority of the herd management area consists primarily of checkerboard land ownership area created by the Union Pacific Railroad grant in the Northern portion. Consolidated public lands with state school sections and small parcels of private land making up the majority of lands in the southern section of the HMA. Topography within the herd area is generally gently rolling hills. There are several small streams passing through the area, and some high ridges. Elevations range roughly from 6,300 to 7,900 feet. Precipitation ranges 7-10 inches in lower elevations and 15-17 inches at higher elevations, predominately in the form of snow. The area is unfenced other than portions of boundary fence and right-of-way boundaries along I-80.

The AML for this HMA is 251-365 horses. The current population is estimated to be 572 wild horses. A full range of colors is present. This herd has a high number of palominos and sorrels with flaxen manes and tails. Other horses' colors are bay, brown, black, paint, buckskin, or gray. 

Livestock Grazing in the Complex

22 livestock grazing allotments lie partially or wholly within the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Areas.

The BLM allocates a total of 177,829 Animal Unit Months (AUMs) for livestock grazing in these 22 allotments. This is the annual equivalent of 14,819 cow/calf pairs or 74,095 sheep. Meanwhile the agency allows a MAXIMUM of 1,165 wild horses in these two HMAs.

More information:

2012 Scoping Notice

Photographer Carol Walker's Blog, "Wild Horses: Only the Complete Destruction of the Red Desert Herds Will Do"

The Atlantic, "On Wyoming's Range, Water is Scarce, but Welfare is Plenty"

2010 Adobe Town/Salt Wells Creek Roundup Environmental Assessment

2010 BLM Adobe Town/Salt Wells Creek Gather Reports