Wild horse Blue stands his ground in the Pine Nut Mountains.

Mary Cioffi/Special to The R-C

A wild horse roundup that was delayed in February is due to resume July 29, the Bureau of Land Management announced on Tuesday.

Spokeswoman Lisa Ross said the plan is to gather around 148 horses over five days.

Ross said the gather does not include the Fish Springs horses that were the subject of an agreement between the Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates.

According to the BLM, there are 228 horses in the Pine Nut horse management area as of June 20. Federal officials say the area can support 118-179 horses.

Any mares released back to the range will be treated with Porcine zona pellucida fertility control. The Fish Springs herd saw the first use of the contraceptive to reduce its growth.

Wild horses removed from the range will be made available for adoption or sale to good homes through the BLM’s Adoption and Sale Program.

All horses identified for removal will be transported to the Palomino Valley Center in Reno, where they will be checked by a veterinarian and prepared for the BLM’s Wild Horse and Burro Adoption and Sale Program. For information on how to bring home a wild horse or burro, visit http://www.blm.gov/whb.

Members of the public are welcome to view the daily gather operations, provided that it does not jeopardize the safety of the animals, staff or observers and that it does not disrupt gather operations. The BLM will escort the public to gather observation sites located on public lands. The BLM anticipates that viewing opportunities will begin on or about July 29, weather and logistics permitting. Those who want to view gather operations are asked to call the Pine Nut Gather Hotline at 775-885-6101 at least one day in advance to receive specific instructions on meeting locations and times. The hotline will be updated each day by 7 p.m.

The BLM is conducting the gather under the DOI-BLM-NV-C020-2016-0020-EA Pine Nut Mountain Gather Plan Environmental Assessment decision signed on Nov. 28, 2017. Access the decision record and determination of National Environmental Policy Act adequacy at https://goo.gl/uqpD2w.

Once the gather is underway, the BLM will post gather reports and additional information on its website at https://go.usa.gov/xEXxR. For technical information, contact John Axtell, wild horse and burro specialist, at 775-885-6146 or jaxtell@blm.gov.