BLM announced today that 750 wild horses will be removed from the Paisley Desert HMA, beginning on October 10, due to lack of water.
The operation will be carried out with helicopters, according to the news release, and will be open to public observation, except for horses found on private land.
The HMA covers 271,667 acres in central Oregon and has an AML of 150, for an aimed-at stocking rate of 0.6 wild horses per thousand acres.
As noted earlier this year, the fractional stocking rate may indicate large amounts of forage diverted to privately owned livestock.
An environmental assessment from 2009 indicates the HMA intersects four grazing allotments, with livestock receiving 10,151 AUMs per year, compared to 1,800 AUMs per year for the horses. Curiously, the HMA has a Herd Management Area Plan (HMAP).
The pre-gather population is thought to be around 1,050. The true AML is 996.
Captured animals will be taken to the off-range corrals in Hines, OR.
Gather stats and daily reports will be posted to this page.
Western Horse Watchers Association 