The day after we posted “things to watch” as BLM crafts the roundup schedule, BLM posted the schedule.

A FAST LOOK

BLM is breaking the schedule into 2 clear sections to complete the end of the fiscal year (ends Oct): Darting operations, Emergency (up to 1500) and Planned operations. Over 5000 will be captured in this last leg of the funding under the 2023 fiscal year spending bill. We expect this schedule to expand.

We are going to focus on helicopter capture that begins July 1.

We see a lot of repeats from 2020/2021: Reveille, Antelope, the Surprise Complex (High Rock, Fox Hog, Wall Canyon), etc. Many of you will recognize areas where PZP darting has taken place over the years at McCullough Peaks and Sand Wash Basin.

Reveille 2014. Reveille was hit in 2017, 2020 and will be hit in 2023. Increased roundups are how BLM applies most fertility control as they keep the numbers of wild hoses absurdly low.

All advocates should become aware of is the history of Reveille. Reveille is an area we see on the schedule usually every 3 years. In 1987 a court Settlement was made with the permittee after an Interior Board of Land Appeals (IBLA) filing. The 105,494-acre Reveille HMA sits within the 650,520-acre Reveille (livestock) Allotment. A year-round (12 month) livestock permit allows grazing of 1000-1800 cow/calf pairs depending on the time of year. The settlement agreed to keep Reveille at the AML at 138 wild horses, maximum. A settlement in an IBLA filing made by any wild horse and burro advocate is nearly unheard of, but common with permittees. Every 3 years or so BLM slams the population in Reveille down to around 93 wild horses, treats mares with PZP and releases older horses (causing an increasingly aging population). Creating any decision for something legally referenced as “administrative convenience,” is not legal land management. How can BLM repeatedly set AML through some type of agreement or settlement and never update based on new priorities, science or open the HMA up to any management planning? For nearly 30 years, this settlement has been the main driving force behind actions in Reveille… a range it it getting hard to spot a rabbit anymore in the cows bashed lowlands. A few dozen extra horses are not causing the degraded landscape. (It should be noted that BLM usually hits Stone Cabin at the same time as Reveille. BLM just approved a new Gather-EA at Stone Cabin and we expect BLM is jockeying to get it onto the schedule after the appeal period expires. In our work up earlier this week we talked about BLM not placing newly approved roundups onto the schedule; if they did, getting a stay of operations would be more likely. We are working on a filing for Stone Cabin right now.)

BLM will hit the Nevada Wild Horse Range and not allow public observation, again. Because the range shares space with a military base, no public will be allowed to see wild horses captured in an area designated for their protection even before the 1971 Wild Horse and Burros Act.

Antelope

BLM will hit the Antelope Complex, again. Another massive roundup is planned out of the Ely district for the Antelope Complex. This district is working on expanding one of the grazing decision for one of the larger permittees in the Complex. This is the same district that approved feeding livestock because the winter was “so hard.” BLM has over 3,100 wild horses slated for capture on ranges they have repeatedly hit over the last 6 years in a 2 month long roundup. 

Running concurrently with Antelope, BLM will be hitting herds in Idaho, Oregon and Wyoming.

Hot shot use, Surprise

BLM will hit the Surprise Complex, again. This time they will capture nearly 1000; in 2021 they captured over 1,200. This complex is managed by CA, but physically winds through the NW corner of NV. (Last roundup at Surprise where we were the only org onsite for the whole operation, HERE.)

Desatoya in NV by helicopter and Sand Wash in CO  (bait trapping) are next on the list. (We expect additional areas to be added during this time that run the highway 50 corridor in NV.)

BLM will wrap up the 2023 fiscal year by hitting Calico, that they hit last year, again. This time they will capture nearly 1000.

BLM is continuing to run a data-poor program based on removing, not managing the herd and habitat. It is absolutely obscene that Congress is continuing to increase funding for this acceleration that is collapsing the herds on the range and the system of holding. We need to stop the continued increase in funding until there is a review of this program! (You can take action HERE)

As we noted earlier this week:

Ranges in the West were hit hard this winter. BLM “planning” created removal numbers based on census flights done a year ago (or longer). Until BLM performs a census flight for any HMA they place on the schedule, the numbers to remove will not be an accurate representation of the numbers on the ground that survived through the winter. (BLM NV and Wyoming have both noted massive hardships and die-off threats.)

BLM has not even released the 2023 population statistics report yet. (Breakdown of 2022 report HERE)

BLM has not held the annual Motorized Vehicle Hearing that is required prior to the beginning of the season. We will update you as we have more info.

• WHE is the only organization that provides an independent report on CAWP to the public. In addition to the basic “daily update” we provide during operations, our team crafts a complete report. (WHE welfare report)
• Our teams are breaking down the schedule to make sure we get out and continue the important work of exposing the truth as we continue to craft data based rebuttal to BLM assertions that “all is fine.”
• Our legal team is working hard to try to impact pending roundups, habitat give-aways and protect your voice and “right to observe.” 

We need your help to keep our team in the fight. WHE is not a large corporate organization. Without your support, none of our work is possible.