Today, the BLM published a preliminary environmental assessment for resource enforcement actions in the Sinbad HMA. Comments can be submitted through August 20, according to the news release.
The proposed action features periodic gathers to remove excess animals, fertility control vaccines and possible use of IUDs. The plan would be valid for ten years.
The HMA covers 99,241 acres in central Utah and has an AML of 70 wild burros, equivalent to 35 wild horses. The equivalent stocking rate is 0.35 wild horses per thousand acres, considerably lower than the average rate of one wild horse per thousand acres across all HMAs.
The HMA intersects seven grazing allotments, according to Table 6 in the EA. Burros have not been documented in two of them per the footnotes. A map provided with the project documents shows the arrangement.
Concerns about resource allocations and management priorities, although valid, should not be submitted as they are outside the scope of the project.
The problem is upstream, in the Price RMP, cited numerous times in the EA.
An emergency roundup occurred in the area about a year ago.
Western Horse Watchers Association 