There are three layers of forage demand in the HMA:
- Wild horses
- Livestock
- Wildlife
To estimate the carrying capacity of the HMA—the number of horses it could support if it was managed principally for them as specified in the original statute—convert the livestock AUMs to horses and add the result to the AML. This is the True AML.
The horse and livestock layers are compared in Table 7 of the Draft EA.
Inspection of the table yields the following remarks:
- The livestock layer can be assessed in a straightforward manner [unusual]
- Horses receive more forage than livestock [unusual]
- All of the HMA is subject to permitted grazing [typical]
- The forage allocation for horses in Dixie Valley should be 4,740 [typo?]
Continuing with the task at hand:
1. Determine the forage assigned to livestock inside the HMA.
2,546 + 2,614 + 1,636 = 6,796 AUMs per year
2. Convert the livestock AUMs to horses.
6,796 ÷ 12 = 566.3
3. Add the result to the AML.
979 + 566 = 1,545
How many wild horses have been displaced from their lawful home by permitted grazing? 566.
How many horses can the HMA support if the ranchers were confined to their base properties in a year-round off-season? 1,545.
How many horses would be found in the HMA if the Wild Horse Fire Brigade was put into practice? 0.
What is the cost of holding those animals in contracted feedlots?
566 × 5 × 365 = $1,032,950 per year
How much does the BLM receive from the permittees?
6,796 × 1.35 = $9,174.60 per year
Would you say that’s a wise use of the public lands? No.
Is the HMA overpopulated? Given the current population of 1,688, yes.
How is the HMA managed? The RMP pits 979 wild horses against livestock equivalent to 566 cow/calf pairs in a 12-month grazing season.
The Allotment Master Report puts all three allotments in the Improve category.
Figures like those in Table 7 should be published for every HMA and WHT, not in hard-to-find planning documents but in the home page for each area.
An assumption in the above calculations is that there is considerable dietary overlap between horses and livestock.
RELATED: Clan Alpine Pest Control Plan Out for Public Review.
Western Horse Watchers Association 