BLM to host wild horse and burro event in Okeechobee, Florida
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FLOWOOD, Ms.— The Bureau of Land Management will host a wild horse and burro placement event Feb. 25-26, 2022, offering approximately 70 excess animals gathered from western rangelands at Okeechobee County AGRI-Civic Center in Okeechobee, Florida.
“The BLM has placed more than 240,000 wild horses and burros into private care since 1971,” said Southeastern States District Manager, Robert Swithers. “It is a chance to care for, and then own, a part of America’s heritage.”
Adoptions and sales will be held from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET on Friday, February 25 and from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 26. Adopters and buyers must be at least 18 years old and able to verify the animal’s access to food, water, and adequate shelter. Animals that are adopted or purchased must be transported from the event site in an approved trailer. Trained animals will not be offered at this event.
The BLM’s Adoption Incentive Program was designed to help improve rangeland health in overpopulated herd management areas in the western states and to save taxpayer costs for animals held at off-range holding facilities. Through this program, qualified adopters are eligible to receive $1000 after one year of issuance of the certificate of title for an untrained wild horse or burro. The incentive is available for all untrained animals eligible for adoption with an adoption fee of $125 per animal.
Animals that are over 10 years old or younger animals who were unsuccessfully adopted out to new homes three times may be sold. BLM staff will be available to identify these animals to interested, qualified buyers. Purchasers will receive immediate ownership of the animals. To learn more about BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro program, visit https://www.blm.gov/whb.
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.