The BLM announced today the beginning of a public scoping period for the Pinyon Solar Project west of Maricopa, AZ.

The news release was the only document copied to the project folder.

The map at ePlanning puts the project area, which consists of 1,730 acres of public land, at the edge of the Sonoran Desert National Monument.

The National Data Viewer puts it inside the Conley Allotment.

The allotment offers 4,158 active AUMs on 90,946 public acres, or 45.7 AUMs per year per thousand public acres, according to the Allotment Master Report.

Therefore, the facility will take an estimated 45.7 × 1,730 ÷ 1,000 = 79 AUMs per year out of action for the life of the project, assuming the resource is evenly distributed across the allotment.

That’s like turning six to seven wild horses loose in the allotment to rob forage from the poor rancher!

Livestock grazing inside the NM was authorized by the BLM in a 2020 decision.

The incident started on January 9.  Results through January 15:

• Target: Burros
• Method: Helicopter
• Type: Planned
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Goals: Gather 1,000, remove 960
• Better way: Eradicate the herd with PZP, let the ranchers have their way*
• Captured: 443, up from 284 on Day 5
• Shipped: 314, up from 199 on Day 5
• Released: None
• Deaths: None
• Average daily take: 63.3
• Unaccounted-for animals: 129

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Youngsters represented 14.0% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 55.1% were male and 44.9% were female.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

• Forage liberated to date: 2,658 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 2,215 gallons per day

The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and overlapping allotments.  Click on map to open in new tab.

The management plan assigns 2.5 times more forage to livestock than the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

*According to advocates

RELATED: Black Mountain Roundup, Day 5.

The incident began on December 28.  Results through January 15:

• Scope: Sonoma Range HA, East Range HA, Humboldt HA, Tobin Range HMA, North Stillwater HMA, Augusta Mountains HMA
• Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Better way: Sterilize the mares with PZP, let the ranchers have their way*
• Captured: 1,245, up from 1,139 on Day 17
• Average daily take: 65.5
• Capture goal: 2,875
• Removal goal: 2,875
• Returned: 3, no change from Day 17
• Deaths: 13, no change from Day 17
• Shipped: 1,115, no change from Day 17

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

Helicopters did not fly on Day 18.

The trap site has been moved to a new but undisclosed location.

The death rate is 1.0%.

The capture total includes 531 stallions, 578 mares and 136 foals.  The sidebar at the gather page says 572 mares captured.

Youngsters represented 10.9% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of five to six percent per year.

Of the adults, 47.9% were male and 52.1% were female, no indication of an abnormal sex ratio.

The Complex is managed primarily for animal agriculture.  The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and grazing allotments.  Click on image to open in new tab.

*According to advocates.

Day 19 ended with 114 unaccounted-for animals.

There are no plans to treat any of the captured mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 14,904 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 12,420 gallons per day
• Horses allowed by plan: 555
• Pre-gather population: 3,375
• Forage assigned to horses: 6,660 AUMs per year
• Forage assigned to livestock: Not determined
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Not determined
• True AML: Not determined
• Stocking rate at new AML: Not determined
• Horses displaced by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

The ability of the Complex to sustain wild horses has been limited by the bureaucrats, who have assigned most of their food to the public-lands ranchers.

Refer to these reports for an indication of the problem:

• Sonoma Range HA
• East Range HA
• Tobin Range HMA
• Augusta Mountains HMA
• North Stillwater HMA

RELATED: East Pershing Roundup, Day 17.

It’s the third of three HMAs in the East Pershing Complex, now subject to the largest roundup of FY24.

The HMA covers 178,927 total acres, including 176,800 public acres, and the 205 horses allowed by plan receive 2,460 AUMs per year.

The stocking rate allowed by plan is 1.2 wild horses per thousand public acres, in line with the target rate across all HMAs of one wild horse per thousand acres (27,000 animals on 27 million acres).

Table 8 in the Final EA for pest control and resource enforcement in the Complex shows seven allotments that intersect the HMA.

Three Field Offices are involved:

• Humboldt River – Pleasant Valley, Rawhide, Rochester, Jersey Valley
• Mount Lewis – South Buffalo
• Stillwater – Copper Kettle, Boyer Ranch

Three more steps are needed to determine the carrying capacity.

The overlap percentages in the table seem reasonable based on the arrangement in the National Data Viewer, except for Boyer Ranch and Copper Kettle.

The estimated overlaps for those two allotments are 20% and 25%, not 91% and 94% per table 8.  These values will be used in the calculations.

The Allotment Master Report at RAS provides management status, acreage and active AUMs, with three iterations required (HRFO | MLFO | SFO).

Approximately 41% of the public acreage does not meet standards for rangeland health.

The allotments offer a weighted average 34.6 AUMs per year per thousand public acres, not very attractive from a ranching viewpoint.

The management plan assigns an estimated 4,212 AUMs per year to livestock inside the HMA, assuming the resource is evenly distributed across the allotments.

The number of wild horses displaced from their lawful home by permitted grazing is therefore 4,212 ÷ 12 = 351.

The True AML is 205 + 351 = 556, the number of horses the HMA could support is it was managed principally them as specified in the original statute.

As of today, it’s managed primarily for livestock.

The new AML can be achieved by confining the ranchers to their multi-million-dollar base properties in a year-round off season.

The private corrals operated by JS Livestock, destination of horses captured in the roundup, demonstrate the feasibility of this idea.

Instead of allowing the horses to fill their niche on public lands, the bureaucrats cram them into taxpayer-supported feedlots, while giving most of their food and water to the government dependents.

As a result, the agency collects 4,212 × 1.35 = $5,686 per year from ranching activity inside the HMA, while it spends 351 × 5 × 365 = $640,575 per year to care for the horses displaced thereby.

Would you say that’s a wise use of the public lands?

None of this is necessary according to the advocates.  Just beat the horse populations down with ovary-killing pesticides and let the ranchers have their way.  Problem solved.

RELATED: How Many Wild Horses Can the Augusta Mountains HMA Carry?

At the Salt River with Michael Pebbles.

Foals available for an additional charge (to drive to another area that hasn’t been ruined by the advocates).

No gather and removal activity for the past two days.

The holding pen was dismantled on Day 16 and moved to another location.

The number of unaccounted-for animals should have been zero when this occurred but the figures in the sidebar indicate two.

UAF Animals = 1,133 – 1,115 – 3 – 13 = 2

Refer to the Day 15 report for the latest results.

RELATED: East Pershing Roundup, Day 15.

The incident started on January 9.  Results through January 13:

• Target: Burros
• Method: Helicopter
• Type: Planned
• Goals: Gather 1,000, remove 960
• Captured: 284, up from 161 on Day 3
• Shipped: 199, up from 98 on Day 3
• Released: None
• Deaths: None
• Average daily take: 56.8
• Unaccounted-for animals: 85

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

The reports now include the number of jacks, jennies and foals going back to Day 1.

The shipping total for Day 3 should be 55, not 49, according to the breakdown.

Youngsters accounted for 13.0% of the animals gathered.

Of the adults, 53.4% were male and 46.6% were female.

The location of the trap site was not disclosed.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

• Forage liberated to date: 1,704 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 1,420 gallons per day

The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and overlapping allotments.  Click on map to open in new tab.

The management plan assigns 2.5 times more forage to livestock than the burros.

The roundup supports three tenets of rangeland management.

RELATED: Black Mountain Roundup, Day 3.

The roundup was set to begin on or about November 27.

The advocates say it isn’t necessary.  To bolster their claim, they’ve been praying for

• A harsh winter
• The older horses to die
• Predators to take out any foals that slip though their darting program

Their prayers may have been answered.  As of today, no activity has been reported at the gather page.

RELATED: McCullough Update.

The incident started on January 9.  Results through January 11:

• Burros captured: 161, up from 80 on Day 1
• Shipped: 98, up from zero on Day 1
• Released: None
• Deaths: None
• Average daily take: 53.7
• Unaccounted-for animals: 63

The figures above are based on the daily reports.

Only the totals have been posted.  The percentages of males, females and foals cannot be determined.

The HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

• Forage liberated to date: 966 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 805 gallons per day

The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and overlapping allotments.  Click on map to open in new tab.

RELATED: Black Mountain Roundup Begins.

The incident began on December 28.  Results through January 11:

• Scope: Sonoma Range HA, East Range HA, Humboldt HA, Tobin Range HMA, North Stillwater HMA, Augusta Mountains HMA
• Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Better way: Fix the problem once and for all with ovary-killing pesticides*
• Captured: 1,139, no change from Day 13
• Average daily take: 75.9
• Capture goal: 2,875
• Removal goal: 2,875
• Returned: 3, up from 2 on Day 13
• Deaths: 13, up from 11 on Day 13
• Shipped: 1,115, up from 925 on Day 13

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

Helicopters did not fly on Days 14 and 15.

A stallion was released on Day 15.  No details were given.

Two stallions were dispatched on Day 15 due to leg injuries.

The death rate is 1.1%.

The capture total includes 480 stallions, 538 mares and 121 foals.  The sidebar at the gather page says 532 mares captured.

Youngsters represented 10.6% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of five to six percent per year.

Of the adults, 47.2% were male and 52.8% were female, no evidence of an abnormal sex ratio.

The Complex is managed primarily for animal agriculture.  The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and grazing allotments.  Click on image to open in new tab.

*According to advocates.

Day 15 ended with eight unaccounted-for animals.

There are no plans to treat any of the captured mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 13,632 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 11,360 gallons per day
• Horses allowed by plan: 555
• Pre-gather population: 3,375
• Forage assigned to horses: 6,660 AUMs per year
• Forage assigned to livestock: Not determined
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Not determined
• True AML: Not determined
• Stocking rate at new AML: Not determined
• Horses displaced by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

The ability of the Complex to sustain wild horses has been limited by the bureaucrats, who have assigned most of their food to the public-lands ranchers.

Refer to these reports for an indication of the problem:

• Sonoma Range HA
• East Range HA
• Tobin Range HMA
• Augusta Mountains HMA

RELATED: East Pershing Roundup, Day 13.

In a news flash dated January 7, the Campaign Against America’s Wild Horses described the Virginia Range darting program as conservation.

Adjectives used in the blurb: Innocent, Majestic, Iconic.

Are they pandering to nitwits?

What will happen to the herd when the mares are sterile?

Why not classify motorized removal as conservation?

The darting program violates federal law but it’s not listed among their legal battles.

RELATED: Foal-Free Friday, Go Forth but Don’t Multiply Edition.

The reports for Days 1 and 2 provide totals only, no breakdowns for jacks, jennies and foals.

Questions about sex ratios and birth rates cannot be answered.

RELATED: Black Mountain Roundup Begins.

The incident started on January 9, with 80 burros captured, none shipped, none released and none dead.

RELATED: Next Black Mountain Roundup Set for January 8.

The HMA covers 89,392 total acres, including 77,311 public acres, and the 100 burros allowed by plan receive 600 AUMs per year.

The stocking rate allowed by plan is 1.3 wild burros per thousand public acres.

Table 3.1 in the Final EA for pest control and resource enforcement indicates 34% of the Robbers Roost Allotment overlaps the HMA.

The National Data Viewer shows the arrangement.  Click on image to open in new tab.

The allotment offers 3,840 active AUMs on 159,786 public acres.

Therefore, the bureaucrats have taken 3,840 × .34 = 1,305 AUMs per year from the burros and given them to the permittee, assuming the resource is evenly distributed across the parcel.

The number of burros displaced from the HMA by permitted grazing is 1,305 ÷ 6 = 217.

The True AML would be 100 + 217 = 317, the number of burros the HMA could sustain if it was managed principally for them as specified in the original statute.

Table 2.1 puts the current population at 168, about half of the carrying capacity.

The stocking rate at the new AML would be 317 ÷ 77,311 × 1,000 = 4.1 wild burros per thousand public acres, equivalent to two wild horses per thousand acres, to be achieved by confining the rancher to his base property in a year-round off season.

RELATED: BLM Publishes Canyonlands Final Planning Documents.

The Decision Record authorizes Alternative 1, the Proposed Action, with modifications, effective immediately for a ten-year period.

The Proposed Action, discussed in Section 2.2.1 of the Final EA, features gathers and removals of excess burros in and around the HMA, controlling population growth with PZP, GonaCon Equine or IUDs and possibly equipping burros with GPS tracking units.

The BLM will also collect samples to assess genetic diversity.

Animals from other areas could be introduced to the HMA, a tactic that boosts genetic diversity while keeping herd sizes small.

The decision limits the use of fertility control pesticides to a maximum of 10 jennies, after results from genetic testing have been received.  IUDs will not be used at this time but could be considered in the future if an appropriately sized device is developed.

A roundup appears in the December 8 schedule with a start date of February 23.

The news release did not include a link to the project in ePlanning.

Approximately 70% of the HMA is subject to permitted grazing.

RELATED: Canyonlands EA Out for Review.

The incident began on December 28.  Results through January 9:

• Scope: Sonoma Range HA, East Range HA, Humboldt HA, Tobin Range HMA, North Stillwater HMA, Augusta Mountains HMA
• Purpose: Pest control, resource enforcement, rancher protection
• Target: Horses
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Category: Cruel and costly*
• Better way: Sterilize mares with pesticide-laced darts*
• Captured: 1,139, up from 940 on Day 11
• Average daily take: 87.6
• Capture goal: 2,875
• Removal goal: 2,875
• Returned: 2, up from zero on Day 11
• Deaths: 11, no change from Day 11
• Shipped: 925, up from 841 on Day 11

The figures above are based on the daily reports, not the totals posted by the BLM.

The trap site was moved back to the North Stillwater HMA on Day 13.

Previously, trapping occurred in the Humboldt HA where 122 horses were caught, an area unfit for them, supposedly.

Two stallions were released (escaped?) on Day 13.

The death rate is 1.0%.

The capture total includes 480 stallions, 538 mares and 121 foals.  The sidebar at the gather page says 532 mares captured.

Youngsters represented 10.6% of the animals gathered, consistent with a herd growth rate of five to six percent per year.

Of the adults, 47.2% were male and 52.8% were female, no evidence of an abnormal sex ratio.

Body condition scores ranged from 2.5 to 3.5 on Days 12 and 13.

The Complex is managed primarily for animal agriculture.  The National Data Viewer shows habitat loss and grazing allotments.  Click on image to open in new tab.

*According to advocates.

Day 13 ended with 201 unaccounted-for animals.

There are no plans to treat any of the captured mares with fertility control pesticides and return them to the range.

Other statistics:

• Forage liberated to date: 13,644 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 11,370 gallons per day
• Horses allowed by plan: 555
• Pre-gather population: 3,375
• Forage assigned to horses: 6,660 AUMs per year
• Forage assigned to livestock: Not determined
• Horses displaced from Complex by permitted grazing: Not determined
• True AML: Not determined
• Stocking rate at new AML: Not determined
• Horses displaced by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

Overpopulation means more horses than allowed by plan, not necessarily more horses than the land can support.

The ability of the Complex to sustain wild horses has been limited by the bureaucrats, who have assigned most of their food to the public-lands ranchers.

Refer to these reports for an indication of the problem:

• Sonoma Range HA
• East Range HA
• Tobin Range HMA
• Augusta Mountains HMA

RELATED: East Pershing Roundup, Day 11.