Construction set to begin on new adoption center at BLM Litchfield Corrals
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SUSANVILLE, Calif. – Construction will begin Wednesday, Dec. 11, on a new office and adoption center at the Bureau of Land Management’s Litchfield Wild Horse and Burro Corrals near Susanville. The corrals will remain open for horse and burro viewing, but wild horse and burro adoptions will be suspended until Jan. 6.
“We have to suspend adoptions because our access to files, forms and our computer systems will be limited as our staff moves into temporary quarters and the existing adoption center is demolished,” said Emily Ryan, associate field manager for the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office. “We will continue making adoption appointments for any time after Jan. 6.”
Ryan said a new permanent office building and adoption center will be completed by March.
The corrals currently hold about 500 wild horses and 200 wild burros available for adoption or purchase. The animals were removed from public rangelands in efforts to manage wild populations at sustainable levels.
The BLM constructed the Litchfield Corrals in 1976, after passage of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act, a federal law that requires protection and population control for wild horses and burros on public land. The facility holds horses and burros from public ranges, and prepares them for private placement.
The corrals were expanded and improved over the years and can now hold 1,000 animals. The facility includes holding pens ranging in size from about two to five acres, each with shade shelters and watering troughs. The facility also has working chutes where horses and burros receive vaccinations, medical treatment and hoof care.
The facility is about 20 miles northeast of Susanville along U. S. Highway 395, and is open to the public from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Operating hours may be reduced during the upcoming holiday period. Visitors should telephone 530-254-6575 to check on current visiting hours.
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.