As noted yesterday, the 140 horses allowed by plan require 1,680 AUMs per year.
Livestock receive an average of 56.7 AUMs per year per thousand public acres on the six allotments that overlap the HMA.
The HMA covers 113,938 public acres so the forage assigned to livestock in the area managed for horses is 56.7 × 113,938 ÷ 1,000 = 6,460 AUMs per year.
If you allow 200 AUMs per year for wildlife, the resource management pie chart would look like this:
The AML is small relative to the available resources because the HMA is managed primarily for livestock, contrary to the original statute.
The forage allocations will be enforced over a ten-year period by thinning the herd with bait traps and stifling its growth with fertility control.
The process is just getting started.
It’s not what Velma intended but it’s what the bureaucrats, ranchers and advocates intend.
RELATED: The Carrying Capacity Puzzle.
Western Horse Watchers Association 