BLM Seeks Public Comment on Environmental Analysis for Wild Horse Roundup in Southern Utah

© Protect Mustangs  (designed by Robin Warren)

© Protect Mustangs (designed by Robin Warren)

Cedar City, Utah—The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Cedar City Field Office is seeking public comment on an Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzing proposed wild horse gather, removal and fertility treatment in the Bible Spring Complex.

The four Herd Management Areas (HMAs) that make up the Bible Spring Complex—Bible  Spring, Blawn Wash, Tilly Creek and Four Mile—are located in western Iron and Beaver counties, approximately 30 miles west of Minersville, Utah in the Wah Wah and Indian Peak mountain ranges. The Bible Spring Complex is approximately 222,929 acres of public, private and state lands.
The EA analyzes a proposal to gather and remove excess wild horses and apply fertility control between two to four times over a 10-year period.  The EA, including maps, is available on line at: http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/wild_horse_and_burro.html or on the Environmental Notification Bulletin Board at: https://www.blm.gov/ut/enbb/index.php; search for project name “Bible.”
Written comments will be accepted by letter or email until May 30, 2014. Please note that the most useful comments are those that contain new technical or scientific information relevant to the proposed action. Comments should be as specific as possible. Comments which contain only opinions or preferences will not receive a formal response but may be considered in the BLM decision-making process. Please reference “Bible Spring Complex Wild Horse Gather Plan EA” when submitting comments.
Written comments may be mailed or emailed using the following:
Mail
BLM Cedar City Field Office
Attn: Cedar City Field Office Manager
176 E. DL Sargent Drive
Cedar City, UT 84721

Before including an address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in any comments, be aware that the entire comment—including personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. Requests to withhold personal identifying information from public review can be submitted, but the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. The BLM will not consider anonymous comments. All submissions from organizations and businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their entirety.

For additional EA-specific information, please contact Chad Hunter at (435)865-3000. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question with the above individual. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.

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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. The BLM’s mission is to manage and conserve the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations under our mandate of multiple-use and sustained yield. In Fiscal Year 2013, the BLM generated $4.7 billion in receipts from public lands.