A first-pass assessment can be carried out if you know the forage availability or stocking rate, both of which can be determined from the Allotment Master Report at RAS.
Forage availability = Active AUMs ÷ Public acres × 1,000
Stocking rate = Forage availability ÷ 12
| Forage availability (AUMs per thousand public acres) | Rating | Stocking rate (Wild horses per thousand public acres) |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 36 | Poor | Less than 3 |
| 36 t0 60 | Fair | 3 to 5 |
| More than 60 | Good | More than 5 |
For example, the Wallrock Allotment in Oregon offers 6,656 active AUMs on 100,167 public acres according to the report.
That’s 66.4 AUMs per thousand public acres or 5.5 wild horses per thousand public acres, putting it in the Good category.
If the base property tied to the allotment was on the market, you might want to take a closer look.
The allotment supports livestock equivalent to 555 wild horses, which would be the carrying capacity of the new refuge, assuming no on-site hay production.
RELATED: Scoping Out a New Wild Horse Refuge.
Western Horse Watchers Association 