Initially, the plan was to develop the HMAP in Phase I and identify enforcement actions in Phase II, but those tasks have been combined into one set of planning documents, based on feedback from unnamed stakeholders.
The BLM news release says the current population exceeds 500 horses, resulting in degradation of natural resources in and around the JMA.
The new management plan will promote the health and vitality of the Murderer’s Creek herd and achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance, alongside other important uses on the landscape (such as animal agriculture).
The Joint Management Area covers 142,740 total acres in central Oregon, including 108,488 public acres.
The 140 horses allowed by plan require 1,680 AUMs per.
The stocking rate allowed by plan is 1.3 wild horses per thousand public acres, slightly more than the target rate across all HMAs of one wild horse per thousand acres (27,000 animals on 27 million acres).
The JMA is subject to permitted grazing. The National Data Viewer shows the BLM and FS portions but does not show the FS allotments. The BLM allotments are shown with green borders. Click on image to open in new tab.
The Proposed Action, Alternative 2 in the EA, features gathers and removals to achieve AML, sex ratio skewing in favor of males, treatment of mares with fertility control pesticides, use of IUDs and transfer of mares from other areas to boost genetic diversity.
The EA and other supporting documents have been copied to the Analysis folder at the project site.
Comments will be accepted through July 14.
If you can’t access the EA, you can read it here.
RELATED: Comments Invited on Murderer’s Creek Management Plan.
Western Horse Watchers Association 