Adoptions have been paused until further notice, according to today’s news release.

The strangles outbreak has resulted in the deaths of eleven horses.

RELATED: Strangles Lingers at Wheatland Off-Range Corrals.

Two deaths were reported on May 11, bringing the total to 142.

All fatalities have occurred in pens occupied by the West Douglas horses.

The May 11 sitrep says the outbreak is diminishing in intensity and beginning to resolve.

RELATED: No Increase in Cañon City Deaths.

The BLM announced yesterday that the documents had been posted to the project page hosted by the Forest Service.

The Proposed Action features gathers and removals, fertility control, sterilization and sex ratio skewing over a ten-year period.

The Complex includes the Wheeler Pass, Johnnie, and Red Rock Joint Management Areas, and the Spring Mountains Wild Horse and Burro Territory.

The plan is subject to a 45-day objection period.

Instructions for submitting a complaint were included in a Forest Service news release dated May 9, posted with other project documents.

Western Horse Watchers is unable to access the files at this time.

A story by KLAS News says a roundup will occur in the area next month.

RELATED: Draft EA for Spring Mountains Complex Out for Review.

The BLM said today in a news release that it seeks new contract services to gather wild horses and burros, treat them with fertility control and return them to the range.

Overpopulated herds are at risk of starvation and thirst, and they can overuse food and water that are important for other wildlife species that share public lands.

Not mentioned in the announcement are the herds of privately owned cattle and sheep that also occupy those lands and receive the lion’s share of the resources, as indicated in this example from the Warm Springs HMA in Oregon.

That’s what the contractors will be protecting.

RELATED: Congress Authorizes $11 Million for Montana Solution in FY 2022?

No deaths were reported on May 10, leaving the total at 140.

All fatalities have occurred in pens occupied by the West Douglas horses.

The May 10 sitrep has no new information.

RELATED: Cañon City Deaths Reach 140.

The incident began on May 2.  Gather stats through May 8:

• Target: Burros
• Type: Planned
• Method: Helicopter
• Captured: 267, up from 124 on Day 3
• Average daily take: 38.1
• Capture goal: 1,080
• Removal goal: 1,080
• Returned: None
• Deaths: None
• Shipped: 173, up from 56 on Day 3

Reports for Days 4 to 7 were not posted until yesterday.  Helicopters did not fly on Day 7 due to high winds.

The cumulative total includes 100 jacks, 127 jennies and 40 foals.

Youngsters represented 15.0% of the animals captured.  Of the adults, 44.1% were male and 55.9% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 15% per year.

Four PZP jennies have been caught to date, part of the Humane Society darting project.

The location of the trap site within the HMA was not disclosed.

Day 7 ended with 94 unaccounted-for animals.

Other statistics:

• AML: 478
• Forage assigned to burros: 2,868 AUMs per year
• Pre-gather population: 3,000
• Forage liberated to date: 1,602 AUMs per year
• Water liberated to date: 1,335 gallons per day
• Forage assigned to livestock: 7,333 AUMs per year (estimated)
• Burros displaced from HMA by permitted grazing: 1,222
• True AML: 1,700
• Stocking rate at new AML: 1.7 burros per thousand acres
• Burros displaced from HMA by drilling and mining: Ask the advocates

RELATED: Black Mountain Roundup Day 3.

Two deaths were reported on May 9, presumably adults, bringing the total to 140.

All fatalities have occurred in pens occupied by the West Douglas horses.

The link in the May 9 update points to the May 8 sitrep.

RELATED: Cañon City Virus Still Spreading.

Seven complaints have been submitted online as of this morning.  Objections can also be submitted by mail and these may not be reflected in the count.

The Proposed Action (Alternative D in the Final EIS) will close two of the four HMAs under consideration and downsize a third.  The fourth will remain intact but will be subject to population suppression of unspecified type.

In the Draft EIS, three would be closed and the fourth downsized.

Many of the horses in the area were removed in a roundup that ended in January.

RELATED: Paper Misleads Readers About Rock Springs RMP Protest.

At Grayson Highlands State Park with Dorthe & Morten Outdoor.

An article posted today by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle says now is the time to speak up if you have any concerns about how the BLM responds to land issues involving wild horses in the state, which is not correct.

The protest period is not a public comment period.  Only those who participated in the planning process are eligible.

If you didn’t submit comments at the time don’t hit the Participate Now button!

Refer to the letter on page two of the Final EIS for more information.

RELATED: Protest Period Begins for Rock Springs RMP Amendments.

UPDATE: Link to article fixed.

Two deaths were reported on May 8, presumably adults, boosting the total to 138.

All fatalities have occurred in pens occupied by the West Douglas horses.

No additional information was provided in today’s sitrep.

RELATED: More Horses Lost at Cañon City.

Earlier this week Western Horse Watchers sent an inquiry to the staff at Assateague Island National Seashore asking if the 2022 results had been released to the public but as of today no response has been received.

Is an FOIA needed now to obtain the same information that was posted every two months on the Assateague news page?

RELATED: Anticipation.

Five more deaths were reported on May 7, including a yearling and four foals, bringing the total to 136.

All fatalities have occurred in pens occupied by the West Douglas horses.

No other changes were noted in today’s sitrep.

RELATED: Cañon City Deaths Top 130.

Operations concluded on May 5, according to a remark at the gather page, with 153 burros captured, 152 shipped and one dead.

The cumulative total included 75 jacks, 67 jennies and 11 foals.

Youngsters represented 7.2% of the burros captured.  Of the adults, 52.8% were male and 47.2% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 7%.

The capture goal was 300 and the removal goal was 260.

The HMA is managed principally for livestock.

RELATED: Sinbad Roundup Announced.

Operations concluded on May 5, according to a remark at the gather page, with 181 burros captured, 181 shipped and one dead.

The number of animals shipped is usually less than the number captured when deaths are reported.

The cumulative total included 76 jacks, 83 jennies and 22 foals.

Youngsters represented 12.2% of the burros captured.  Of the adults, 47.8% were male and 52.2% were female.

The herd can’t be growing at a rate of 20% per year with a birth rate of 12%.

The capture and removal goals were 490 each.

Three HAs were involved in the roundup.

RELATED: BLM to Assist NPS in Death Valley Roundup.

The original project in ePlanning has been superseded by a new project, to which the Final EIS and Notice of Availability were posted.

The protest period runs from May 6 to June 6.

The BLM will release a Record of Decision after the protest period, presumably after objections have been screened for validity and merit.

If approved, management actions analyzed in the EIS would amend the 1997 Green River RMP and the 2008 Rawlins RMP.

Any person or organization that participated in the planning process and has an interest that would or may be adversely affected by the decision may protest.

The protesting party may raise only the issues they submitted for the record during the planning process leading up to the publication of the Proposed RMP Amendments.

New issues may not be brought into the record at the protest stage.

The final decision may be subject to a 30-day appeal period.

RELATED: Decision Pending in Rock Springs RMP Amendments.