Section 3.9 in the 2017 Final EA for resource enforcement actions in the Smoke Creek Complex identifies two allotments that overlap the HMA.
The Western Watersheds map shows the arrangement.
The Allotment Master report supplies acreage, management status and active AUMs.
Pole Canyon is in the Custodial category, which hides its condition. All of the acreage and AUMs come from public lands, so it should be classified as Improve or Maintain.
Rodeo Creek is in the Improve category, representing 93% of the grazing land associated with the HMA.
About 90% of Rodeo Creek is inside the HMA, according to Table 7 of the EA.
If forage is evenly distributed across the allotment, .9 × 5,542 = 4,988 AUMs per year have been taken from the horses and given to the permittee.
Pole Canyon is 100% inside the HMA, with all of the forage assigned to livestock.
The total forage available for grazing inside the HMA would be 540 + 4,988 = 5,528 AUMs per year, about 2.3 times higher than the 2,448 AUMs per year assigned to the horses, reinforcing yesterday’s assertion that the aim of the wild horse and burro program is to minimize its impact on the grazing program.
Western Horse Watchers Association 