Submitted photo

The Wild Horse Corrals Facility west of Hines is open to auto-tours. 

This information is provided by your local Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office, who is working to enhance collaboration and communication between the BLM and the community.

The BLM strives to be a good neighbor in the communities we serve. Part of that effort means keeping you up-to-date on what’s taking place on your public lands. Here’s the latest:

Wild Horse and Burro Program: Effective immediately and until further notice, Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility in Hines is closed to animal adoptions. All Wild Horse and Burro Program staff are assisting with gather operations and preparing horses for private care. The facility auto-tour route remains open to the public during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

An eight-day helicopter gather of 218 wild horses from private lands within, and adjacent to, the South Steens Herd Management Area concluded on Sept. 28 with no animal deaths or other notable incidents. These horses are currently at Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility and being prepared for adoption.

A bait trap gather for approximately 200 horses on private lands within, and adjacent to, the Pokegama Herd Management Area in the BLM’s Lakeview District started Sept. 18. Horses from this gather will also be brought to Oregon’s Wild Horse Corral Facility and prepared for adoption.

Changing Public Use Restrictions: In case you missed it, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, public use restrictions on BLM-administered lands in Harney County were slightly reduced. Campfires are now allowed, but only within designated fire rings at Page Springs, Fish Lake, Jackman Park, and South Steens campgrounds. Otherwise, there can be no open flames.

Personal chainsaw use is also now permitted, but only before 1 p.m. and after 8 p.m. A one-hour fire watch after operations cease is required. Industrial woods workers will continue following the Industrial Fire Precaution Level, which is now a two.

Other public use restrictions implemented on Aug. 6 remain in effect, especially no off-road or two-track driving or parking. Any travel must be done on roads clear of all flammable material, berm to berm.

Online Fuelwood Permit Sales: It’s about that time, Harney County. Fuelwood season is upon us! Did you know that you can purchase fuelwood permits online? The same permits you have been purchasing for years at your local BLM office are now available electronically at https://forestproducts.blm.gov/. Find the area you’ll use your permit in, answer a few questions (the same questions we ask when you come into the office to buy a permit), complete your payment, receive your valid permit through email, print, and go! The process is simple, secure, and fast.

The electronic permit package that you receive has all the maps, stipulations, load tags, and documentation you’ll need to legally cut and remove products from BLM-administered land. For the Burns District, fuelwood permits in the Pine Creek and Rattlesnake areas are currently available.

For more information about what’s happening on your public lands, stop by the BLM office at 28901 Highway 20 West, or call (541) 573-4400.