To manage the growing population of wild horses and burros, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will discuss awarding contracts to build three new and expand one existing off-range corral facilities at their meeting in September.
The BLM announced they have “completed the necessary environmental analyses to award contracts for three new and one expanded off-range corral facilities in the states of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.”
The three proposed locations for off-corral facilities are Caсon City, CO, Delta (Sutherland), UT, and Wheatland, WY. The existing facility in Axtel, UT, will be expanded.
The Caсon City facility would be located on Colorado Department of Corrections’ land 1.5 miles east of Caсon City. The Delta facility would be on 20 acres of private property owned by G & R Livestock, Inc. 4.5 miles northwest of Delta, UT, and 1.5 miles northwest of Sutherland, UT. Wild horses and burros would be cared for on approximately 200 acres of private land owned by ZimMetal and Welding, Inc., 11 miles north of Wheatland, WY.
“The four corrals, which will collectively hold 8,500 animals, will serve as short-term holding and preparation facilities for animals to be transferred to off-range pastures or adoption and sale locations throughout the country,” the BLM said in a press release.
Each facility will be “staffed by individuals who are knowledgeable and experienced about the behavior and nutritional requirements” of the wild horses and burros, including contractor personnel, BLM staff and veterinarians.
BLM states as of March 1, 2020, the wild horse and burro population on public lands was estimated to be about 95,000. The number is triple the number of animals the land can sustainably support wildlife, recreation and livestock grazing. The agency currently holds approximately 50,000 wild horses and burros in a network of off-range corrals and pastures around the country.
The meeting will be held virtually on Sept. 23-24, 2020 and can be viewed on BLM.gov/live. Public comments can be sent to whbadvisoryboard@blm.gov at least two weeks before the meeting. — Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
