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PRICE, Utah — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Price Field Office will soon begin operations to manage wild horse populations by gathering them from within and around the Range Creek Herd Management Area in Carbon County. The gather will begin on July 1 and is expected to last approximately six days.

The BLM will gather approximately 125 horses from Federal, State and private lands. The appropriate management level for this HMA is 75-125 animals and the current population 184 horses, which is projected to reach 220 with the addition of the 2020 foals. Horses removed from the range will be transported to the Axtell Off-Range Contract Wild Horse Facility in Axtell, Utah.

Opportunities are available for the public to observe daily operations through BLM-escorted tours so long as conditions remain safe for both the horses and participants and ensuring that gather operations are not disrupted.  Observers must provide their own transportation, water, and food. No public restrooms will be available. The BLM recommends weather-appropriate footwear and neutral-colored clothing. Binoculars and four-wheel drive or other high-clearance vehicles are also strongly recommended. To protect the wild horses and the horse gather operations, no drones will be allowed to be flown in the vicinity of the gather sites. Details on the BLM-escorted tours will be updated each evening during the gather and announced daily on the BLM gather hotline at (801) 539-4050.

Gather operations will begin on July 1 on private land where public observation will not be available. For those interested in observing the gather, public opportunities begin on Friday, July 3 and individuals should meet at Millers Wellington Chevron convenience store located at 2195 East Main Street, Wellington, Utah where tours will depart at 6:00 a.m. MDT. Please note that COVID-19 guidelines for visiting parks and recreational facilities will be followed. These guidelines, along with the number of visitors present each day will determine the observation locations. 

The following COVID-19 guidelines will apply:

• Always stay at least six feet from others. Avoid gathering with others outside of your household.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Bring hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to use if soap and water are not available.
• Do not attend the gather if you are sick, recently exposed (within 14 days) to someone with COVID-19, or are not feeling well.

Public lands will remain open unless closures are deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Outdoor recreationists and visitors to the gather area should be aware that there will be low flying helicopters. The recreational use of drones is discouraged from Bruin Point to Nine Mile Canyon, and from Dry Canyon east to Rock Creek Canyon. Brief road closures may also be needed to allow movement of horses during gather operations.

Gather updates and information will be posted at: https://www.blm.gov/whb/utah/2020-Range-Creek. Anyone interested can get updates on Twitter by following @BLMUtah or searching #RangeCreekGather. To learn more about how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, visit the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website at www.blm.gov/whb or call (866) 468-7826.

For additional information, please contact Lisa Reid at (435) 743-3128. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for the above individual. The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.