BLM Pauses Emergency Water Trap Gather of Wild Horses near Boone Spring
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ELKO, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Elko District, Wells Field Office is temporarily halting the emergency wild horse gather that started May 8 in order to evaluate whether or not to continue.
“We’re going to take a one to two week break and observe the area to see if any horses appear to replace those we have gathered,” said Ben Noyes, acting Wild Horse and Burro program lead for BLM Nevada.
The gather was being conducted on private land near Boone Springs approximately 40 miles southwest of Wendover. So far, 71 horses have been gathered and 70 have been shipped to the Indian Lakes Facility in Fallon, Nevada. One horse, a 13 year-old bay mare, was found dead at the trap site from a broken neck.
The Appropriate Management Level (AML) for the area is 155-259 adult wild horses. As of March 1, 2017, the BLM estimated the population at 1,320 wild horses (not including foals born this year). The BLM Wells Field Office determined that even though there has been above average amounts of precipitation this winter and spring, there are still no known water sources in the area for wild horses to obtain water later this spring and summer.
Information on the gather is posted on BLM’s website at https://on.doi.gov/2pHdhix
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.