BLM approves Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Gather Management Plan

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Bureau of Land Management announced a new management plan for the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range today. The plan provides guidance for the Grand Junction Field Office to bring the size of the wild horse herd to within the appropriate management level of 90-150 horses and then regulate that population.

“We have to get the size of the herd to within the appropriate management level by removing horses,” said Stacey Colón, Grand Junction Field Office manager. “Only at a smaller herd size will fertility control be successful to manage the growth, health and genetic diversity of the herd.”

The field office will begin efforts to reduce the herd with a gather planned for mid-September.

The bureau reviewed more than 400 public comments. Comment responses, the decision record and other associated documents are available for the public to view on the ePlanning website.

“We made the decision to approve this plan after careful review of the best scientific information available to us and extensive public input,” said Colón. “This management plan will help us implement solutions to preserve wild horses and their habitat, other wildlife, and natural resources that inhabit public lands.”

This action is in accordance with The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 and follows existing decisions in the March 2015 Grand Junction Resource Management Plan.

For information about the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program, visit https://www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro.

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.