Public comment needed against the Swasey roundup proposal

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Release Date: 11/05/12
Contacts: Lisa Reid, 435-743-3128
Gus Warr, 801-539-4057

BLM Announces a 30-day Public Comment Period for the Swasey Herd Management Area
Wild Horse Gather Plan (GP) Environmental Assessment
Fillmore, Utah- The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Fillmore Field Office announces a 30-day public comment period beginning November 5, 2012, and ending on December 4, 2012, for the Swasey Herd Management Area (HMA) Wild Horse Gather Plan Environmental Assessment (EA). The BLM is currently soliciting public comments to be considered prior to the finalization of the EA.
This EA has been prepared to analyze the BLM Fillmore Field Office proposal to implement a gather plan that would outline the management goals and objectives for the Swasey HMA.  The management strategy of this plan would include a number of population control methods, together with an objective to develop, maintain or improve existing water sources.  The EA includes analysis of a proposal to gather and remove excess wild horses and apply fertility control between two and four times over a 10-year period. The first of these gathers is planned to begin around mid-January 2013, with approximately 264 wild horses being gathered and 164 head of excess horses being removed.  Fertility control  will be applied to 49 head of mares and then released. The EA describes the potential environmental impacts from implementing the proposed projects and includes related maps.  The EA is available on-line at:
Animals removed from the Swasey HMA will be available for adoption through the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Adoption Program.  Those that are not adopted will be cared for in long-term pastures, where they retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
When submitting comments, please reference the Swasey Herd Management Area Wild Horse Gather Plan EA. Comments, including names, email addresses, and street addresses of respondents will be available for public review at the BLM Fillmore  Field Office during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday), except federal holidays. Comments and related personally identifying information will be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and comments may be published as part of the EA and other related documents.
Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your name, street address, or email address from public review and disclosure under the FOIA, you must state this prominently at the beginning of the written comment. Such requests will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations or businesses will be made available for public inspection in their entirety. The BLM will not accept anonymous comments.
Written comments will be accepted during the public comment period up to close of business on December 4, 2012. Please submit written comments to:
Bureau of Land Management
Fillmore Field Office
Attn: Eric Reid
95 East 500 North
Fillmore, Utah 84631
Fax: (435) 743-3114
For further information, contact Eric Reid, Wild Horse and Burro Specialist, at (435) 743-3114.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
–BLM–Fillmore Field Office   95 East 500 North      Fillmore, UT 84631