BLM announced today a plan to bring the wild horse population of Fifteenmile HMA in line with the capacity of the land to support them and ‘other mandated uses.’ The news release did not indicate what those other uses might be.
The HMA covers 81,000 acres in northern Wyoming and has an AML of 160, for an aimed-at population density of two animals per thousand acres. The current population, said to be approaching 500 horses, yields a density of six animals per thousand acres and puts the herd at 3X AML.
The horses would consume about 1,900 AUMs annually at AML and nearly 6,000 AUMs annually at current population levels.
The announcement did not mention that livestock grazing occurs on the HMA.
The number of livestock allowed on the HMA was not given in the announcement.
The aimed-at population density for livestock was not given in the announcement.
The forage allocated to livestock in the HMA was not given in the announcement.
Until these values are known there is no way of deciding which species needs to go.
But in a state where the BLM allocates 1.9 million AUMs to livestock every year, compared to 45,000 AUMs for horses, you can rest assured it ain’t the horses.
RELATED: Livestock Grazing in Wyoming.