| Contacts: | Christopher B. Joyner, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 210-2126 |
BLM lifts emergency closure - concludes emergency gather (09-13-12)
MEEKER, Colo. –The Bureau of Land Management halts summer 2012 emergency gather operations in the West Douglas Herd Area and, effective immediately, is lifting the Emergency Closure of public lands associated with the gather.
Drought conditions that forced a public land closure south of Rangely, Colo., no longer threaten the wild horse herd at West Douglas. The BLM gathered twenty horses in July through water trapping.
A portion of public lands near Texas Mountain were closed to the public to reduce strain on drought-stressed horses. The BLM began hauling water to a group of horses in an area that no longer held water. The BLM planned to gather up to 50 horses, but stopped gathering operations once drought conditions improved and animals found naturally occurring water seeps.
Under the authority of the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, the BLM manages, protects and controls wild horses and burros as part of its overall multiple-use mission. The BLM manages four herd management areas in western Colorado for healthy wild horse herds that are in balance with other resources and uses of the land. For more information about these herds and how to visit them, log on to www.blm.gov/co.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. 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, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
220 E. Market Street Meeker, CO 81641