Spring Creek Basin Wild Horse Herd 2011 Gather Plan Environmental Assessment
The Bureau of Land Management issued the final environmental assessment and decision record for its gather plan for the wild horse population in the Spring Creek Basin Herd Management Area southwest of Norwood, Colo.
Beginning about Thursday, September 15, BLM will gather approximately 60 wild horses in the Herd Management Area, which is a 21,932 acre area managed for a healthy wild horse herd that is in balance with other resources and uses. The current estimated population of wild horses in the HMA is about 90. This number is based on ground survey completed in May 2011 by volunteers with the Four Corners Backcountry Horsemen and includes the 2011 foal crop.
The appropriate management level identified for the population in this HMA is between 35 to 65 wild horses. Up to 10 of the captured adult horses will be released to maintain herd population within the established appropriate management level. The application of the contraceptive porcine zona pellucida will be administered to the mares upon release.
Wild horse numbers have increased an average of 23 percent per year since the HMA was gathered in 2007, thereby reducing the frequency of gathers.
25 of the wild horses gathered will be available for adoption through BLM’s wild horse and burro program. The adoption will be held at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds, east of Cortez, CO on Saturday, September 24th beginning at 9AM. Individuals interested in adopting a horse must meet corral and shelter requirements. These standards can be found by visiting the following website: https://www.blm.gov/adoptahorse/requirements.php
The wild horses not adopted will be placed in long-term pastures.
Link to the above information can be found at this website.
Link to the EA in PDF version can be found here: http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/co/field_offices/san_juan_public_lands/pdf.Par.10445.File.dat/DOI-BLM-CO-S010-2011-0062EA_7252011.pdf
Spring Creek Basin Mustangs 
Just flew through the Decision of Record. I hope I wasn’t reading it wrong, but the plan for annual PZP was approved!?! The published Gather Schedules ( January 13th vs. May 25th), and how they relate to the Final EA still has me a bit confused.
Yes … but us not having a herd manager right now has things a bit up in the air. We’ll give the primer to the release mares at the roundup and plan to dart mares with the booster in the very early spring.