BLM gathers 140 wild horses, public viewing welcome

Individuals at the Wild Horse and Burro Program | Photo courtesy of the Wild Horse and Burro Program
CEDAR CITY — The Bureau of Land Management-Utah Cedar City Field Office will begin a wild horse gather within the Bible Spring Complex Monday. Members of the public are welcome to view the daily gather operations once they begin, provided the safety of the animals, staff and observers is not jeopardized and operations are not disrupted.

The BLM plans to gather and remove an estimated 140 wild horses from the Blawn Wash Herd Management Area — one of four Herd Management Areas that make up the Bible Spring Complex. Gather operations will also extend to the adjacent Highway 21 area, where 10-30 wild horses pose traffic safety hazards.

Animals removed from the Blawn Wash management area and Highway 21 will be made 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.

Beginning July 28, and for the duration of the gather operation, interested public may participate in an escorted tour each day. Participants should meet at the KB Express Convenience Store/Subway, 238 South Main in Milford and be ready to leave at 5 a.m. sharp. Please note, the dates and departure times for public tours are subject to change depending upon weather and gather operations.  Participants should check the gather hotline nightly – Telephone 435-865-3030 – for any changes or updates to the schedule.  Participants must provide their own transportation, water and lunches.  The BLM recommends that those attending the gather dress for harsh, summer field conditions.  Binoculars and four-wheel drive, high clearance vehicles are strongly recommended.

There is no anticipated closure of public lands unless deemed necessary due to safety concerns. Those who participate in outdoor recreation during the gather and visitors to the gather area should be aware that low flying aircraft will be present in the area and brief road closures may be needed to allow movement of wild horse herds during the operation.

The BLM requests that pilots avoid flight patterns through the Wah Wah Mountain range south of Highway 21, the Shaunite Hills and along Highway 21 throughout the Snake Valley because air traffic could pose safety risk to helicopters assisting gather operations. These helicopters often change course and altitude quickly.

Gather updates and information will also be available on the BLM website or by following the BLM on Twitter @BLMUtah using hashtag #BlawnWashGather.

To learn more about the program or to obtain an adoption application, visit the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website.

The Bible Spring Complex Environmental Assessment, Finding of No Significant Impact and Decision Record are posted on the BLM website.

For additional information on participating in public observation days, please contact Lisa Reid, Public Affairs Specialist, at telephone 435-743-3128 or email [email protected].

Note: Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf, or TDD, may call the Federal Information Relay Service, or FIRS, at telephone 800-877-8339 to leave a message or question for the above individual.  The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  Replies are provided during normal business hours.

Event recap

  • What: Wild horse gather, public observation
  • Where: Meet at KB Express Convenience Store/Subway, 238 South Main, Milford
  • When: July 28, following, 5 a.m. sharp
  • Information resources: Gather hotline, telephone 435-865-3030 (scheduled gathers) | BLM website | Twitter @BLMUtah #BlawnWashGather
  • Contact: Lisa Reid, Public Affairs Specialist |  telephone 435-743-3128 | email [email protected]

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15 Comments

  • Fred July 23, 2014 at 11:09 am

    You, too, can come watch the BLM solicit your congratulations as they make a token attempt to fulfill their legal responsibility.

    • crypto666 July 24, 2014 at 11:06 pm

      Yup, that about sums it up.

  • killjoy July 23, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    I hope my friend can get her 2 stallions back who got free.

    • crypto666 July 24, 2014 at 11:04 pm

      Maybe your friend should get them themselves instead of sticking us with the cost of their irresponsibility?

      • makkie July 25, 2014 at 7:25 am

        Maybe obama should foot the bill himself for all the illegals instead of sticking us with the cost of his irresponsibility?
        Oh wait he can use tax dollars to pay for the destruction of the US.
        You probably do not have an issue with that though.

    • dk July 30, 2014 at 9:16 pm

      Two Mustangs died today and their blood is on the hands of the public lands ranchers/aka the Welfare Ranchers:

      http://protectmustangs.org/?p=7034

      Here is the truth about this situation:

      http://bit.ly/1jETNGM

  • Andrea July 23, 2014 at 3:48 pm

    Seriously, rounding up wild horses using a helicopter during the hottest time of the year? What idiot decided this would be a good idea? Shame on everyone involved, it’s animal abuse and cruelty.

    • Susan July 23, 2014 at 5:37 pm

      I agree Andrea. Why wasn’t this done in the Spring or this Fall, not in the heat of July? BLM waited for years to round up Cliven Bundy’s cattle down in Bunkerville, and then all of a sudden had to do it right in the middle of calving season in the spring. They had 17 or more calves separated from their mothers. One calf died and another was attacked by coyotes when it was left in the desert alone. Lucky they found it when they did and were able to keep it alive. Bundy’s had to bottle feed all of them. Then there are the cows that were hidden in a mass grave and the bulls that were shot and killed from the helicopter. Quite the pictures to see. BY ALL MEANS FOLKS,PACK A LUNCH AND TAKE YOUR KIDS OUT TO WATCH HOW THE BLM TREATS ANIMALS WHEN THEY ROUND THEM UP!!!!

    • crypto666 July 24, 2014 at 11:02 pm

      In the spring you would complain about babies. In the fall you would complain about mating season and the coming winter. In the winter you would complain about the cold.

      You would never agree, so why pretend the heat has anything to do with it?

  • Debbie Sue July 23, 2014 at 9:47 pm

    total abuse and cruelty to the horses and burros. Heat of the summer will harm them during such a roundup. Shame on BLM. U call yourselves human how about evil heartless shameful sin filled greedy unmerciful sort of group I consider dark greedy and cruel not appropriate to be called humans or even people just a group of killers.

    • crypto666 July 24, 2014 at 10:57 pm

      TAbuse is abandoning horses in the wild where they multiply and destroy the habitat for the other animals. You know, the real wildife that isn’t the product of a 9000.year human controlled breeding program? Horse aren’t wild or native, which is why they destroy things, which is why they round them up.

  • Jutta July 24, 2014 at 4:09 pm

    We need to get someone in there who Cares about the Animal, not lining their Pockets. I don’t know how we can get rit of the BLM, I don’t think all of them are bad. We just have to clean House, any Idea how to start

    • crypto666 July 24, 2014 at 10:50 pm

      Who is lining their pockets? The only people who are making money off this bs is the horse advocacy groups, which don’t do any for horses other than enourage them to breed more, and cost tax payers more money. The problem is you.

    • Susan July 24, 2014 at 11:20 pm

      Jutta, I agree that there are a lot of good people w/ the BLM. I have several good friends that work there and we just agree to disagree. But the ones who are in charge and making these bad decisions and the ones abusing these animals need to go. There is actually quite a movement started to return the control of the land in each state back to that state. The Federal government controls something like 80% of the land in Utah and Nevada. The National Association of Counties just had their convention and had a 100% vote on a resolution in favor of the Feds turning the land back to the states. There is a lot of good info on the American Lands Council website too. Get involved and let your representatives know that you support the states controlling their own land and not the BLM. All of the senators and congressmen’s contact info can be found on USA.gov. You can get a lot of info on a google search of the topic too.

      • chicorey July 25, 2014 at 11:48 am

        Susan, allowing the individual states to “manage” the horses isn’t really the best solution. I agree the BLM has no clue in taking care of the wild horses & burros – round em up & pen em up! I’m sure there are many good people working there – but apparently none of them in upper management! Giving the states control would mean sending more of the horses to slaughter! Look what has happened in the past when states did acquire some of the wild horses & burros. Apparently the BLM never read or even skimmed the NAS study that we (taxpayers) paid for to the tune of two million!

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