A Determination of NEPA Adequacy (DNA), which refers to a 2011 Final EA for resource enforcement actions in the HMA, preceded the Stone Cabin roundup.
The EA, DOI-BLM-NV-B020-2011-0106-EA, is not available in ePlanning.
Two grazing allotments overlap the HMA, according to the Western Watersheds map.
The allotment boundaries coincide roughly with the HMA boundary, suggesting that the HMA is 100% subject to permitted grazing. The forage consumed by livestock grows in an area set aside for wild horses.
The Allotment Master report at RAS provides acreage, AUMs and management status.
The DNA said the HMA covers 407,706 total acres, including 402,567 acres of BLM land, very close to the acreage designated for grazing.
Both allotments are in the Improve category, along with all of the public acres.
The 364 horses allowed by plan receive 4,368 AUMs per year, about 23% of the total authorized forage, neglecting wildlife.
The forage assigned to livestock would support an additional 1,192 wild horses, for a True AML of 1,556, considerably higher than the pre-gather population of 1,037.
The 1,192 horses displaced from the HMA by livestock represent about 2.4% of the 50,000 wild horses in off-range holding.
If that pattern was true in other HMAs, all of those horses could be returned to the range by ending public-lands ranching in about 40 more.
RELATED: Stone Cabin Roundup Day 33.
Western Horse Watchers Association 