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                   NEWS RELEASE
Tentative ADOPTION DATE SEPT. 28TH. POSSE GROUNDS.

August 23, 2013  


Range Conditions and Wild Horse Population force BLM to gather 15- 25 wild
horses from the Little Book Cliffs


GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Bureau of Land Management has refined its wild  horse removal estimate and is scheduled to begin gathering 15 – 25 wild horses  from the Little Cliffs Wild Horse Range Sept. 3 to conserve range conditions for
horses.


The BLM evaluated range conditions on Aug. 20 with assistance from a local  wild horse volunteer group, Friends of the Mustangs. Based on that evaluation,
the BLM determined that 15 – 25 horses need to be removed from the range to  maintain conditions for the wild horses and the range. Horses to be removed will  be five years old or younger.


"Current utilization is at or exceeding what healthy rangelands can sustain,"  said Wayne Werkmeister, associate field manager for the BLM Grand Junction Field
Office. "We’ve not held a gather since 2007 because of favorable conditions and  the success of fertility control. By removing 15-25 horses we can provide better  winter forage for the horses and give the vegetation an opportunity for
recovery."


The BLM has an established Appropriate Management Level of 90 to 150 horses  for the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range. Current numbers place herd  population at approximately 155 horses. Fertility controls began in 2002 cutting  reproduction numbers nearly in half. With the help of the Friends of the  Mustangs, the BLM hopes to continue fertility controls to lessen the need for  future gathers. 

This gather will employ a bait and water trapping technique not used before  on this range. The BLM will not use helicopters for this gather but will allow  the horses to move into corrals enticed by food or water. The BLM will periodically provide updates to the community and keep our website updated daily  with gather information. For more information please go to: http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html.


The BLM is now preparing for the gather by introducing food and water in  select locations throughout the range. No horses will be gathered prior to the  start of gather operations on Sept. 3. Tentative date for vet date is Sept 26th. Tentative Adoption date is Sept 28th at the Mesa County Posse Grounds. Viewing will be available that prior week.  
 
Contact: Chris Joyner, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 210-2126 

MEDIA ADVISORY 

August 30, 2013 

Contact: Christopher Joyner, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 210-2126 

Public Affairs support to media during bait trapping gather at Little Book
Cliffs Wild Horse Range 

WHAT: BLM Grand
Junction Field Office will attempt to gather 15-25 wild horses from the Little  Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range beginning Sept. 3, 2013.
WHEN: Sept. 3, 
WHERE: Little Book
Cliffs Wild Horse Range 
WHY: The BLM began
planning for the possible removal of horses from the Little Book Cliffs Wild  Horse Range months ago and published an Environmental Assessment. Public  meetings were held and comments led the BLM to adjust gather plans and eliminate
the use of helicopters as an option for this gather. The BLM, with the  assistance of Friends of the Mustangs, evaluated range utilization on the Little  Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range on Aug. 20. The evaluated conditions led the agency
to determine that 15-25 horses need to be removed from the Little Book Cliffs  Wild Horse Range to ensure range and horse health. Bait trapping will be the  method for gathering horses. The last gather on the Little Book Cliffs was in
2007. 
Bait trapping is a static gather method that relies on a horse’s interest in  food or water placed in a circular corral. Once horses walk into the corral, a  door is shut and the horses identified for removal are removed and relocated to
the Mesa County Posse grounds to await a not-yet-scheduled adoption. Other  horses are released back into the Wild Horse Range. It may take multiple days to  gather a horse and gather locations must be free from visitors a minimum of five
days before a trap is operational. For this reason, media will not be allowed at  active gather sites that are within five days of trapping activity. Trap sites  will be available for inspection after a site completes gather operations. 

WHO: BLM Public  Affairs will be available during normal business hours or by appointment to  escort media to observation points where they may be able to see active traps.  There is an instituted standoff distance of a minimum of 200 meters from active  trap sites. This distance may be expanded if horses react negatively to  visitors. The public lands associated with this gather will remain open, but
visitors are asked to avoid trap sites. Visitors interfering with US Government  Employees or volunteers attempting to perform their jobs will be subject to  arrest and prosecution under 43 CFR 8365.1-4(a)(4). 
Please see attached map. Public Affairs will be positioned at a location  annotated on the map. Cell coverage is sporadic but available at this location.  Public Affairs will travel to DeBeque to conduct media interviews if reporters
are unable to make it to the gather location. 




 

Friends of the Mustangs  P.O. Box 2771  Grand Junction, CO 81502 
friendsofthemustangslbc@gmail.com