The Final EA and unsigned FONSI were copied to the project folder on November 15, along with 19 appendices, initiating a 30-day protest period.
Protests are usually limited to those who participated in the planning process but this is not stated in the BLM news release.
No decisions have been issued.
Under Alternative 2, the Proposed Action, the AML would be set at 107 to 120 horses, excluding foals less than one year of age. The current range is 90 to 120.
Herd size would be limited by removals, fertility control, natural means or a combination thereof.
ZonaStat-H would remain the preferred method.
Mares that don’t respond would be treated with GonaCon-Equine or other approved product or be removed from the HMA.
These and other objectives would be documented in a new HMAP, discussed in Section 2.3.1 of the EA.
The Billings RMP would be amended to improve genetic diversity but not at the expense of rangeland health. This may include the introduction of horses from other areas, as explained in Section 1.5.1.
The upper end of the AML corresponds to the maximum number of horses that the range can support without deterioration, according to Appendix C. The lower end represents the population that will grow to the upper limit in four to five years.
The new AML of 107 to 120 implies a 2.4% annual growth rate over five years, suggesting the mares will be heavily “sedated” with pesticides if they aren’t already.
Western Horse Watchers Association 