The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Burns District announced plans to conduct a second bait/water trap gather of wild horses within the South Steens Herd Management Area (HMA) beginning on Monday, Nov. 7. A similar bait trap gather was conducted in August 2016 in one of the northern pastures of the HMA with 100 horses selectively removed for adoption. The November gather would be conducted in a separate area of the HMA, but again capture remove 100 horses from the area.

The South Steens HMA is located south of Frenchglen, in southern Harney County. The Appropriate Management Level (AML) – the number of horses the range can sustainably support in conjunction with other animals and resource uses – for this area is 159 to 304 horses and the current population is over 500.  Heavy to severe wild horse grazing jeopardizes the health of rangelands, wetlands, wildlife habitats, and ultimately animal health and condition. Although the South Steens gather will not immediately return the herd to within AML, it will reduce resource impacts and briefly cut reproduction rates. After removing 100 horses, there will still be over 400 horses remaining in the HMA.

Animals selected for removal from the range will be transported to Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility in Hines to be prepared for adoption.  For viewing, the public may visit the Corral Facility anytime between regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bait/water trap gathers are not conducive to capture site viewing opportunities. However, the BLM may host public viewing days at temporary holding corrals near the capture site as horses are gathered and sorted. Viewing may be scheduled on short notice but can accommodate as many as are interested each day. Viewing opportunities and twice per week gather reports will be shared here: http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/whb/steens2016.php.

The supporting planning documents for the South Steens bait/water trap gather are available online at: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/plans/plans-details.php?id=3054.

The gather will likely last through November 2016, though exact start and end dates will be determined by the contractor’s availability. Those interested in viewing at the temporary holding corrals should contact Tara Thissell at tthissell@blm.gov or 541-573-4519 for more information.