BLM monitoring drought impacts, assessing changes in use
SUSANVILLE, Calif. – With drought impacts expected to intensify over the coming summer and fall months in California, resource management specialists in northeast California’s high desert rangelands will be paying close attention to conditions, including plant health and water availability, to determine if changes in land uses will be necessary.
In an initial action for this effort, BLM managers in Susanville and Alturas have advised public land ranchers that many reservoirs are already dry, spring flows are lower than normal, and forage production is well below normal on public ranges. Ranchers who hold permits to graze cattle and sheep on BLM-managed public ranges have been advised that range conditions might not support their normal numbers of livestock, and that early removal of cattle and sheep from public ranges might be necessary.
BLM seeking public comments on proposals to manage wild horse population in northern Washoe County
ALTURAS, Calif. – The Bureau of Land Management today released for public review and comment a preliminary environmental assessment analyzing a range of alternatives for managing wild horses and burros on public lands in northern Washoe County, Nev.
“Our goal is to establish and maintain healthy wild horses on healthy lands in balance with other authorized range users,” said Craig Drake, manager of the BLM Applegate Field Office. “The wild horse and burro populations in six herd management areas within the Surprise Complex have grown well beyond the population range established in our land-use plan. This EA examines the environmental impacts of several approaches that would reduce the overpopulation of wild herds over a 10-year period. We also analyze the impacts of taking no action.”