A bachelor stallion chases a mare and foal as they leave a water hole in the following video by Friends of the Heber Wild Horses. The fence is for livestock.
A management plan, drafted earlier this year, shows the WHT boundary relative to those of the allotments, page 10 in the pdf. The proposed AML is discussed on page 21.
The AML for areas outside the WHT is zero, meaning the horses could be captured and removed from the forest if someone complains or they create a hazard.
When grazing season begins, gates are closed, and the horses are cut off from some of their food and water, perhaps a sizeable amount.
If they can’t access critical resources inside their designated area, they’ll move beyond it in search of new ones. Gotcha!
This approach to wild horse management is not unique to the WHT. It’s standard practice for most of the wild horse areas on western rangelands. The new Desatoya resource enforcement plan, currently out for review, is another example.
The environmental assessment for the Heber management plan should be available for public review in early 2021, according to the project status.
RELATED: Heber EA in Progress.
