The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is accepting public comments on an Environmental Assessment (EA) of a plan to manage wild horses and livestock during drought. The EA analyzes a range of management alternatives that may be implemented to mitigate the effects of drought and to address emergency situations. Management alternatives under consideration range from temporary hauling of water to removal of horses to reductions in authorized livestock grazing.
The BLM Elko District manages 7.1 million acres of public land that includes 238 livestock grazing allotments and eight wild horse Herd Management Areas. The BLM Elko District authorizes 42 times more forage to privately owned livestock than to federally-protected wild horses in this area. The agency allows a maximum of 1,388 wild horses vs. the annual equivalent of nearly 58,000 cow/calf pairs to live in the district.
Please take this opportunity to remind the BLM that the protection of wild horses is mandated by an act of Congress, whereas livestock grazing is authorized entirely at the discretion of the Secretary of the Interior. Take action below to tell the BLM that it must prioritize removal of livestock over wild horses in drought conditions, and that removals of wild horses must take place only in verifiable emergencies, and only after all measures to keep wild horses on the range have been implemented.
Comments Due March 16, 2013
If you prefer, you can also submit your comments by March 16, 2013 by regular mail, fax or email:
or email to: blm_nv_eldo_droughtea@blm.gov
Background documents are available here.
The BLM Elko District manages 7.1 million acres of public land in Elko, Eureka and Lander Counties in Nevada. Wildlife species in the district include 259 birds, 80 mammals, 20 reptiles, and 6 amphibians (Appendix B). Of these, seven species are listed as threatened, endangered, or candidate species by the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Among the wildlife living in the Elko District are mule deer, pronghorn antelope, big horn sheep, Rocky Mountain elk, and sage grouse.
LIVESTOCK GRAZING
There are currently 167 permittees that run livestock within the Elko District. These permittees are authorized to graze livestock across 7,275,109 acres of public land. The ED is divided into 238 grazing allotments, 141 administered by the TFO and 97 administered by the WFO. Livestock operators graze cattle, sheep, and domestic horses within these allotments. During the 2012 grazing season, the ED authorized approximately 692,506 Animal Unit Months (AUMs). Actual use of AUMs varies from year to year, but is typically far less than what is permitted by the ED. An AUM is the amount of forage necessary to feed one cow/calf pair, one horse, 2 burros or 5 sheep for one year. Thus the BLM annually authorizes the equivalent of nearly 58,000 cow/calf pairs to graze on public lands in the Elko District.
WILD HORSES
The Elko District administers 8 Herd Management Areas (HMAs) encompassing over 1.8 million acres of public and private lands. These HMAs are: Owyhee, Little Humboldt, Rock Creek, Diamond Hills North, Maverick-Medicine, Antelope Valley, Goshute and Spruce Pequop. The 2012 estimated population within the district is approximately 2,713 wild horses. The Allowable Management Level for the Elko District HMAs is 652-1,338.
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"Wild horses travel between water sources and foraging areas. They can usually travel several miles back and forth from water and forage. During drought years, forage productivity can be a fraction of normal. In areas where forage is limited and/or wild horses are overpopulated, animals have to move increasing distances from water to obtain adequate forage and go into less desirable areas that support lower quality forage.
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In general, wild horses are very resilient and adaptable animals with a metabolism that has evolved to allow them to survive and thrive in poor quality habitat (compared to their domestic counterparts). These wild animals are typically in top physical condition, have strong bones and hooves and rarely succumb to ailments that plague domestic horses. Wild horses typically do not begin to show signs of body condition decline until the habitat components are severely deficient. Once the decline begins, their health deteriorates rapidly. As the resources are consumed, and travel distances become longer the animals deteriorate in body condition."
MANAGEMENT ALTERNATIVES UNDER CONSIDERATION
FOR LIVESTOCK: Temporary changes to season of use, temporary reductions to livestock grazing, temporary changes to livestock management practices, temporary fencing of affected areas, targeted grazing in areas dominated by invasive plant species, temporary water hauls, temporary partial reduction in AUMs, temporary partial closure of allotments, temporary complete closure of allotments.
FOR WILD HORSES: Temporary water hauls, within HMA wild horse relocation, wild horse removal (only if insufficient water and forage to support the population). Temporary closure to livestock grazing for in HMAs pursuant to 43 CFR 4710.5. Livestock closure would be on a grazing season basis, to be reviewed annually. Bait and water trapping would be prioritized over helicopter roundups.