09-04-2010 Elko Daily Free Press

BLM plans Reveille gathering

BATTLE MOUNTAIN — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Battle Mountain District will begin gathering 198 wild horses from in and around the Reveille Herd Management Area on Tuesday.

The BLM estimates the gathering will last about four days and leave 80 wild horses in the HMA.

First priority for removing the roughly 198 excess wild horses would be the horses outside the Reveille Allotment.

The post-gather goal is for 80 wild horses to remain in the HMA. The removed horses will be transported to the BLM short-term holding facility in Ridgecrest, Calif.

The BLM stated that fertility control treatment would be given to the mares released back to the HMA. The sex ratios of the wild horses would be adjusted to favor studs (60 percent studs, 40 percent mares).

"Both of these population control measures would help to slow population growth in order to maintain the established AML," said Tonopah Field Manager Tom Seley.

"These measures will potentially increase the time before another gather is necessary, and reduce the numbers of wild horses that would need to be gathered and removed in future years," he said.

The BLM also reported a public observation day has been scheduled tentatively for Sept. 9 to provide the media and public an opportunity to view ongoing gather activities.

"This will be the only observation day offered for this gather, and we invite the public to observe," said Battle Mountain wild horse and burro specialist Shawna Richardson.

BLM representatives will rendezvous with interested members of the public at the Tonopah Field Office, 1553 S. Main St., at 5:30 a.m., and caravan to the gather site, which will be about an hour-and-a-half drive from Tonopah.

Four-wheel drive or high-clearance vehicles are recommended.

The observation day will last four to five hours, with an approximate departure between noon and 1 p.m.

In an effort to provide a safe environment for the animals, BLM staff, contractors and members of the public and media, requests will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis and be limited to 10 people.

Space should be reserved ahead of time by calling Karen Goldsmith at 775- 482-7836.

For more information, call Tonopah Field Manager Tom Seley, 775-482-7800