The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Oregon’s Lakeview Field Office is seeking public comment on an environmental assessment (EA) and finding of no significant impact analyzing the potential effects of a wild horse gather and fertility control plan for the Beaty Butte Herd Management Area (HMA).

Located about 65 miles east of Lakeview, Oregon, the HMA comprises approximately 437,650 acres near the Nevada state line. The HMA’s wild horse population was estimated at 242, as of March 1. The BLM has set the appropriate management level (AML) at 100-250 wild horses.

“This action is the next step in a long-term strategy developed by a collaborative working group of ranchers, wild horse advocates, environmental groups, elected officials, state and federal fish and wildlife agencies to better manage the Beaty Butte HMA for rangeland health, wild horses, wildlife, grazing, and recreation,” said Todd Forbes, acting Lakeview district manager.

The EA analyzes a proposal to helicopter gather all wild horses on the HMA, followed by returning 100 studs and fertility control-treated mares to the range. Then, HMA management would shift to a routine ground-trapping system to readminister fertility inhibitors to mares and remove excess horses to keep the herd population within AML, the BLM said. Horses removed from the range will be prepared for the BLM adoption and sale program.

Visit eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do to review the environmental assessment and to submit comments. Hard copies of the documents can be requested by contacting James Price or Paul Whitman at 541/947-2177. Comments can also be mailed to:

Field Manager

BLM Lakeview District Office

1301 S. G St.

Lakeview, OR 97630.

Electronic and written comments must be received by Sept. 27 to be considered.

Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or any other personal identifying information in your comment, be aware that your entire comment, including personal identifying information, could be made publicly available at any time. While individuals can request that the BLM withhold personal identifying information from public view, the BLM said it cannot guarantee it will be able to do so.

For additional EA-specific information, please contact Whitman at 541/947-2177.