TONOPAH — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Battle Mountain District, Tonopah Field Office is proposing to remove about 198 excess wild horses from the Reveille Allotment and Herd Management Area (HMA) to bring the number of wild horses in the HMA to 80 wild horses.  The Reveille HMA is located in Nye County, about 50 miles east of Tonopah. The gather is expected to begin in September.

The proposal and associated impacts are described and analyzed in the Reveille HMA Wild Horse Gather Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA). The BLM would appreciate receiving substantive comments on the EA by June 25. Comments received during the public review period will be analyzed and considered as part of the decision-making process.

The EA may be viewed at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/battle_mountain_field_office.html. Questions and written comments should be mailed to Thomas J. Seley, Tonopah Field Manager, Tonopah Field Office, P.O. Box 911 (1553 S. Main St.), Tonopah, NV 89049.  Comments can also be e-mailed to reveille_gather@blm.gov. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment, including your personal identifying information, might be made publicly available.

The gather is needed to achieve the Appropriate Management Level (AML) in the Reveille HMA to achieve a thriving natural ecological balance for the remaining wild horse population, wildlife, livestock and vegetation. The BLM issued its Final Multiple Use Decision (FMUD) in June 2001 and an Amended Wild Horse Management Decision in October 2001, which established the AML at 138 wild horses for the Reveille HMA.

The gather also is a Court mandated action resulting from a 1987 settlement agreement that directs the BLM to remove excess wild horses when the population exceeds the established AML. The current wild horse population for the HMA is approximately 231, which exceeds the established AML of 138 by 93 animals.  After the foaling season in 2010, the population will grow to an estimated 278 wild horses.