MEDIA ADVISORY August 30, 2013 Contact: Christopher Joyner, Public Affairs Specialist, (970) 210-2126 Public Affairs support to media during bait trapping gather at Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range WHAT: BLM Grand Junction Field Office will attempt to gather 15-25 wild horses from the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range beginning Sept. 3, 2013. WHEN: Sept. 3, WHERE: Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range WHY: The BLM began planning for the possible removal of horses from the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range months ago and published an Environmental Assessment. Public meetings were held and comments led the BLM to adjust gather plans and eliminate the use of helicopters as an option for this gather. The BLM, with the assistance of Friends of the Mustangs, evaluated range utilization on the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range on Aug. 20. The evaluated conditions led the agency to determine that 15-25 horses need to be removed from the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range to ensure range and horse health. Bait trapping will be the method for gathering horses. The last gather on the Little Book Cliffs was in 2007. Bait trapping is a static gather method that relies on a horse’s interest in food or water placed in a circular corral. Once horses walk into the corral, a door is shut and the horses identified for removal are removed and relocated to the Mesa County Posse grounds to await a not-yet-scheduled adoption. Other horses are released back into the Wild Horse Range. It may take multiple days to gather a horse and gather locations must be free from visitors a minimum of five days before a trap is operational. For this reason, media will not be allowed at active gather sites that are within five days of trapping activity. Trap sites will be available for inspection after a site completes gather operations. WHO: BLM Public Affairs will be available during normal business hours or by appointment to escort media to observation points where they may be able to see active traps. There is an instituted standoff distance of a minimum of 200 meters from active trap sites. This distance may be expanded if horses react negatively to visitors. The public lands associated with this gather will remain open, but visitors are asked to avoid trap sites. Visitors interfering with US Government Employees or volunteers attempting to perform their jobs will be subject to arrest and prosecution under 43 CFR 8365.1-4(a)(4). Please see attached map. Public Affairs will be positioned at a location annotated on the map. Cell coverage is sporadic but available at this location. Public Affairs will travel to DeBeque to conduct media interviews if reporters are unable to make it to the gather location.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 15:34:01 +0000
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