The announcement appeared in the classifieds of the Argus Observer, not the BLM news site.
The project folder contains the EA only. No maps, notices or appendices were posted.
The Proposed Action, discussed in Section 2.2.1 of the EA, includes wild horse removals and intensive fertility control over a ten-year period. Treatment options include PZP, PZP-22 and GonaCon Equine.
The Three Fingers HMA covers 62,508 public acres in Malheur County, OR and the 150 horses allowed by plan require 1,800 AUMs per year. The target stocking rate is 2.4 wild horses per thousand acres.
The Jackies Butte HMA covers 65,211 public acres in Malheur County with the same AML and stocking rate. (Click on image to open in new tab.)
Both HMAs are subject to permitted grazing according to Section 3.2.2 of the EA.
Three Fingers lies within the Riverside pasture of the Three Fingers Allotment and the Wildhorse Basin pasture of the Board Corrals Allotment. Livestock inside the HMA receive about 5,000 AUMs per year based on data in Table 5.
Jackies Butte coincides with the Dry Creek Native pasture of the Jackies Butte Summer Allotment. Livestock inside the HMA receive around 4,000 AUMs per year using figures in Table 6.
The population management plan would enforce these forage allocations, ensuring that livestock are the primary consumers of resources in both HMAs.
Comments can be submitted by email until May 9.
Western Horse Watchers Association 