BLM Press Release:

Winnemucca, Nev. – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Winnemucca District, Humboldt River Field Office will begin a wild horse bait/water trap on Monday, June 23 with a placement of corrals located in Pershing County approximately 10 miles northeast of Lovelock, Nevada at the Humboldt Herd Area (HA). Actual gathering of wild horses will commence once the corrals are in place and the wild horses become accustomed. The BLM will gather and remove approximately 100 wild horses from the range.

“The Humboldt HA was not designated for the long-term management of wild horses through the Sonoma-Gerlach Management Framework Plan due to the checkerboard land pattern found within the HA and, therefore, is not currently managed for wild horses or burros,” said Humboldt River Field Manager Vic Lozano. “Since this area is not a Herd Management Area managed for wild horses, these wild horses have been identified as excess.”

A Wild Horse Gather Information Line has been established for this gather at (775) 623-1747. A recorded message will provide information on daily gather activities and updated gather schedules. The BLM will also post daily gather reports on its website at: http://bit.ly/HHAGather.

A Public/Media tour has been set-up for Tuesday, June 24. Public will meet at the Court House Park, at 400 Main Street in Lovelock, Nevada at 7:30 a.m. Visitors must RSVP by calling the Gather Information Hotline (775) 623-1747 and leave a message, or call Lisa Ross, Public Affairs Specialist, at (775) 885-6107 (email: lross@blm.gov).

The gather area is comprised of 431,544 acres of both private and public lands. Removing the excess wild horses will help prevent further deterioration of the range and water resources, as well as address safety issues on roads and private land issues. There are currently an estimated 282 wild horses from an aerial population count conducted in May 2014.

The contractor for this gather is Cattoor Livestock of Nephi, Utah. The gathered animals will be transported to the Palomino Valley Center near Reno, Nevada where they will be prepared for the BLM adoption program. Horses not adopted will be placed in long-term pastures where they will be humanly cared for and retain their “wild” status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

For more information contact Mandy Deforest at 775-623-1579.

–BLM—