The Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management–Eastern States (BLM-ES) will hold a special wild horse and burro adoption at the Chicopee AG Center, 1855 Calvary Church Road, in Gainesville, Georgia.  

“A wonderful selection of animals will be available to good homes for an adoption fee starting at $125” said BLM-ES Director Mike Nedd.  There will be about 60 horses and a few burros at this adoption including geldings, mares, and yearling horses.  “This is your chance to get that unique wild horse or burro you have always wanted,” he said.

 

The wild horse and burro adoption will be from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 14, 2007.  Remaining animals will be available for adoption Sunday, July 15, 2007, from 8 a.m. until Noon. Animals can be viewed by the public between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday, July 13, 2007.  The arena is located just off I-985, is easy to get to, and is open to the public with no admission charge.

 

Call 1-888-274-2133 for information and applications for the Gainesville adoption.  Potential adopters are asked to call early to be pre-approved to avoid waiting in line. You can also visit http://www.wildhorseandburro.blm.gov/ or http://www.es.blm.gov/whb/ to get requirement information and download an application and instructions to become a qualified adopter.

 

While the adoption process is simple and straightforward, anyone considering adoption of a wild horse or burro should remember that the animals are wild and require gentling and training.  Since the Adopt-A-Wild Horse & Burro Program began in 1973, over 214,000 animals have been adopted nationwide. Of those, there were 17,154 adopted in the region with 3,657 adopted in Georgia, 7,508 adopted in Tennessee, 3,377 adopted in North Carolina and 2,612 adopted in South Carolina.

Directions: From I-985 North, take exit 20 (GA-60), and turn right onto GA-60/Queen City Pkwy.  Turn right onto Calvary Church Rd. & follow the signs.

 

The BLM manages more land – 258 million surface acres – than any other Federal agency.  Most of this public land is located in 12 Western States, including Alaska.  The Bureau, with a budget of about $1.8 billion, also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation.  The BLM’s multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.  The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, and cultural resources on the public lands.