Near the Phon D. Sutton recreation area with NarrowRoadJourneys.

Originally posted on 01-04-20.

1. What is the annual forage requirement for horses on an HMA with an AML of 256?

• Wild horse roam freely 12 months per year, 256 × 12 = 3,072 AUMs per year

2. How many cow/calf pairs would that forage support in a six month grazing season?

• The resource requirements of cow/calf pairs are said to be equivalent to those of wild horses, 3,072 ÷ 6 = 512 cow/calf pairs

3. How much would a public-lands rancher pay for that forage (at current prices)?

• Current price is $1.35 per AUM, 3,072 × $1.35 = $4,147.20

4. What is the approximate size of the HMA?

• The aimed-at density for wild horses across all HMAs is one animal per thousand acres, 256 × 1,000 = 256,000 acres

5. Estimate the total forage available to livestock and horses on the HMA.

• If you don’t know the forage allocation on an HMA, assume it’s 80% to livestock and 20% to wild horses, 3,072 × 5 = 15,360 AUMs per year

“But the land was set aside for the horses!”  What does that have to do with anything?

A report posted yesterday by The Ely Times says the greatest threat to the state’s desert bighorn sheep is bacterial pneumonia, which has destroyed entire herds statewide.

The EIS from yesterday’s post on domestic sheep grazing in Colorado noted in Section 3.1.1.1. that

…the preponderance of current scientific literature establishes that Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and domestic sheep should not share the same space at the same time due to potential for disease transmission.

Section 3.1.1.2. states that

Historic population declines [in RM bighorn sheep] are attributed to over hunting, parasites, disease, competition with domestic livestock for forage, and competition with humans for space…but mortality resulting from epizootic pneumonia is thought to be the primary cause of the historical decline and currently remains the primary factor limiting bighorn sheep recovery.

Could privately owned sheep affect the health of wild sheep in Nevada?  How might the bighorns come in contact with those animals?

The action proposed by the BLM in the Colorado EIS (Alternative A), which was based on permittee applications, is not the preferred action (Alternative C), which would reduce the risk of contact between domestic sheep and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep.

On the Virginia Range with Andrea Bates.

Last week the BLM issued the final Environmental Impact Statement for grazing permit renewals in southwestern Colorado.  Refer to Figure 1-A on page 6 of the document for a map of the project area.

Public comments can be submitted through February 10, according to the news release, at which time a decision will be rendered.  A 15-day protest period will then commence, followed by a 30-day appeal period for the final decision.

The EIS considered five alternatives, including the termination of grazing on all nine allotments.  Wild horses and burros are not allowed on those lands (denoted by a red border in the following map), although the tiny Spring Creek Basin HMA is about 50 miles to the west (blue border).

Although wild horses are not involved, management of western rangelands is always of interest, because privately owned livestock might be treated differently than the horses.

Table 2.1-1 in the EIS, for the proposed alternative, gives the size of the allotments, the available forage and the grazing periods.  Those data were copied into a spreadsheet so the population densities (stocking rates) can be determined.

The Cox Park allotment was omitted because it is small and only 51% on public lands.

The American Flats allotment included six horses (domestic), equivalent to 30 sheep, for a total of 580 such animals.

Although the allotments are permitted for sheep, converting them to cow/calf pairs puts the numbers into familiar territory and allows a direct comparison to stocking rates for wild horses.

Given that one cow/calf pair is equivalent to five domestic sheep, in terms of its resource requirements, the 1,230 sheep at American Lake convert to 246 cow/calf pairs.

Likewise for the other allotments.

The densities are reported in animals per thousand acres.  Note the huge advantage of livestock compared to wild horses, the same pattern seen at Challis HMA.  The target density for horses across all HMAs is one (27,000 animals on 27 million acres).

Folks, this is why the ranchers have to rotate pastures: They load these animals onto the land at rates that would destroy it in a matter of months.

It’s rape and pillage but they try to sell it as environmental stewardship.

1. What is the annual forage requirement for horses on an HMA with an AML of 256?

2. How many cow/calf pairs would that forage support in a six month grazing season?

3. How much would a public-lands rancher pay for that forage (at current prices)?

4. What is the approximate size of the HMA?

5. Estimate the total forage available to livestock and horses on the HMA.

The acting director of the BLM will retain that role until April 3, according to a report posted today by Federal Times.  At that time his appointment can be extended again or the President can nominate him or another individual permanently to the position.

RELATED: Greatest Threat to Public Lands: Wild Horses and Burros.