The Bureau of Land Management has approved a plan to reduce wild horse populations on public lands in six herd management areas in northern Washoe County and part of Humboldt County in Nevada.
The decision record and finding of no significant impact for the Surprise Complex Wild Horse and Burro Gather Plan follows an environmental analysis of the proposed population management actions that was released for public review and comment last year. Comments were addressed and incorporated into the final plan where appropriate.
“Our goal is to establish and maintain healthy wild horses on healthy lands in balance with other authorized range users,” said BLM Applegate Field Manager Craig Drake. “The wild horse populations in the six herd management areas within the Surprise Complex have grown well beyond the population range established in our land use plan.”
The gather plan calls for several approaches, including using helicopter drive trapping, bait and water trapping, and fertility control to reduce the herds within six BLM herd management areas over 10 years.
The final plan, decision record and associated materials are available online at the BLM’s planning website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2011428/510. Copies in other formats are available by contacting Amanda Gearhart, the BLM Northern California District wild horse and burro program specialist, at 530-257-0456.
Appeals must be filed by Monday, June 28th, 2021. Information about filing an appeal is available at the above planning website.
The Surprise Complex covers nearly 397,000 acres and includes the Massacre Lakes, High Rock, Wall Canyon, Bitner, Fox Hog and Nut Mountain herd management areas. Based on aerial population surveys and subsequent estimates, the BLM believes there are about 1,300 wild horses in the six HMAs.
1.The appropriate management level is 283 to 496 wild horses total for the complex. There is a small number of wild burros, but the land use plan does not provide for wild burro populations there, and the gather plan calls for their removal.
Horses and burros removed from the range will be available for adoption or purchase by the public.
