November 23, 2009

The National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet in Nevada on December 7, amid growing anger among horse advocates over management of the mustangs.

Wild horse advocates have become increasingly vocal in recent months over what they see as an increased number of gathers and the complete removal of horses from some designated areas.

Their latest focus is proposals for a muster in the Calico Complex of northern Nevada, where the Bureau of Land Management intends to remove about 2500 horses, representing 80 per cent of the wild horses in the area.

Public submissions on the proposal have already topped 7000.

The board meeting will take place in Reno, Nevada, to discuss issues relating to the management, protection, and control of wild horses and burros on Western public rangelands, the bureau said.

The board provides input and advice to the bureau in meeting its responsibilities under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law mandates the protection, management, and control of these free-roaming animals in a manner that ensures healthy herds at levels consistent with the land's capacity to support them.

The bureau manages nearly 37,000 wild horses and burros that roam public rangelands across 10 Western states.

The public may address the board at the December 7 meeting at an appropriate point in the agenda, which is expected to be about 3pm.

The board meets at least two times a year, but the bureau director may call additional meetings when necessary.

The one-day December 7 meeting will take place from 8am to 5pm, local time, at the John Ascuaga's Nugget, 1100 Nugget Avenue, Sparks, Nevada 89431 (hotel phone: 1-800-648-1177). The agenda of the meeting can be found in the November 10, 2009, Federal Register on page 58044.

Individuals who want to make a statement should register with the bureau by noon on the day of the meeting at the meeting site. Depending on the number of speakers, the board may limit the length of presentations, set at three minutes for previous meetings.

Speakers must submit a written copy of their statement to the bureau at the meeting. Those who would like to comment but are unable to attend may submit a written statement no later than close of business December 2, 2009, to: Bureau of Land Management, National Wild Horse and Burro Program, WO-260, Attention: Ramona DeLorme, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada, 89502-7147. Comments may also be e-mailed to: Ramona_DeLorme@blm.gov. Those submitting comments electronically should include the identifier "WH&B" in the subject of their message and their name and address in the body of the message.

For additional information regarding the meeting, please contact Ramona DeLorme, Wild Horse and Burro Administrative Assistant, at 775-861-6583. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may reach Ms. DeLorme at any time by calling the Federal Information Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.

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