While the roundup at Clan Alpine was happening, BLM released a Preliminary (Draft) Environmental Assessment (EA) for comment involving a prey selection study involving mountain lions in the Caliente Complex.
Comments are due December 15. You can access the document and make a comment using BLMs “Participate Now” button at this link.
Above: Map of study area in Draft WA open for comment and map from the Caliente wild horse EA approved in 2018.
NOTE: “One of the main goals of the study is to understand the actual impact that mountain lion predation has upon populations of desert bighorn sheep.” It seems the study is to determine of you remove wild horses, do lions hit the sheep harder?
page 53 and 54 of the draft lion study:
“Because these two HA’s are managed for zero wild horses, gathers could occur anytime horses are detected within the areas. However, because administering a gather requires administrative approval as well as the necessary funding and space to accommodate the horses that are removed, gathers generally only occur every few years. Past removals have left a gap in knowledge regarding the ecological process that occur in areas occupied by wild horses and inhabited by mountain lions. As wild horses are removed from the ecosystem, little is known about how mountain lion prey selection adapts to such a disturbance. Thus, it is hypothesized that when the population of wild horses in an area rapidly decreases (due to gathers or other types of disturbances), that predation habits of mountain lions will change, and they will shift toward native species. However, because so little is known about these relationships, the bigger questions are how do they change, how will these changes impact mountain lions, and how will these changes impact native prey species?” (Note: The recent roundup they reference was in 2020.)
“To answer these questions, researchers and technicians working with the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) and Utah State University (USU) would like to study the relationship(s) between mountain lions in Nevada and their prey. The study area is located within the Delamar and Clover Mountains. The goal is to provide a clearer image of the natural ecological process that take place within these two mountain ranges, which can also be applied broadly across similar locations in the state of Nevada. Gaining knowledge of how mountain lion prey selection changes based on the availability of wild horses in their range would help NDOW and the BLM to make informed decisions regarding the management of big game and predator populations in conjunction with federal management of wild horses.”
A cursory analysis of the data obtained so far has led researchers to believe that wild horses make up approximately 25% of the diet of mountain lions. However, without the inclusion of the wilderness, data obtained from outside the wilderness boundaries will be incomplete and won’t provide a complete picture of the actual ecological process taking place.
On first glance you might say “about time.” However, you need to keep in mind how these studies are often flawed in practice and skewed to create impacts that favor the desires of the livestock industry, (or hunting groups thta want wild horses gone, i.e. Sheldon NWF) such as the Greater Sage Grouse “studies.”
We are looking at this proposed EA closely for flaws. There is significant domestic livestock grazing in these areas. Fences, gates being closed and waters being turned off, etc. can skew results. We are looking at how the wild horse, livestock permit and the proposed lion study EAs overlap.
We wanted to let you know about the EA as there are only 2 weeks left to analyze the proposed document and provide input. If we have time we will pst some sample comments after a careful review of the proposed study. It takes time to review these documents and craft comments. We wanted to let you know this is active while we craft our comments and not delay any longer.
You can access the document and provide comments through BLMs participate now button HERE.
Our wild ones should live free on the range with the families they hold dear. Our wild ones should also live without abuse. WHE carries ongoing litigation to push BLM into open public process to create an enforceable welfare standard for our treasured wild ones. Something they said they would do years ago.
Thank you for keeping us in the fight!
There are many ways to support the work of WHE from direct contribution, stock donations and even while you shop. More HERE.
Categories: Wild Horse Education
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