2020 Range Creek Wild Horse Gather

Begins: July 1, 2020

Ends: July 6, 2020

Overview:

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Price Field Office (PFO) is scheduled to gather and remove wild horses from within the Range Creek HMA. The Range Creek Herd Management Area (HMA) is approximately 55,000 acres of Federal, State and Private lands located twenty miles northeast of Price, Utah. The wild horses primarily use the open natural benches, parks, wooded breaks, and canyon areas in the winter.  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.

Background

The AML for the Range Creek HMA is 75-125 wild horses. The current population is estimated at 184 animals, and the population is projected to reach 220 with the addition of the 2020 foals.

Approximately 125 excess wild horses will need to be removed to achieve the gather objectives within the HMA. Only 60-70% of the population can be gathered in a single year based on past gather success in the Range Creek HMA area, which would be between 132 and 154 head. A population growth suppression and sex ratio adjustment would be implemented upon reaching AML.

Since 1992, approximately 702 wild horses have been gathered and removed from the Range Creek HMA. Gathers were conducted in or adjacent to the HMA in 1994, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2018, 2019 .

Once the AML has been reached, any mares released back to the HMA would be treated with a fertility control vaccine.  Horses removed from the Range Creek gather are tentatively planned to be shipped to the Axtell Off-Range Contract Wild Horse Facility in Axtell, Utah.  

Public Observation

Gather operations will begin on July 1 on private land where public observation will not be available. Daily tours will begin on Friday, July 3 meeting at Millers Wellington Chevron, 2195 East Main Street, Wellington, Utah, departing at 6:00 a.m. MDT.  The BLM Utah gather hotline (801) 539-4050 will be, updated daily with information about the gather.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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:

• Stay at least six feet from others at all times. Avoid gathering with others outside of your household.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• 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 with COVID-19, recently exposed (within 14 days) to someone with COVID-19, or don’t feel well.

For additional information on participating in public observation days, contact Lisa Reid, Public Affairs Specialist, at (435) 743-3128 or lreid@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for Lisa Reid.  The FRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.