CARSON CITY — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has drafted the preliminary environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Wassuk Wild Horse Gather. The BLM is proposing to gather 498 wild horses and remove approximately 400 excess wild horses from the range. The gather area is located 12 miles southeast of Yerington and west of Walker Lake. The public is invited to comment on the plan through Aug. 25.

According to the proposal, approximately 98 wild horses would be released back onto the range following the gather depending on gather efficiency. Of these, about 39 mares would be vaccinated with fertility control vaccine to help slow population growth, maintaining population size within the appropriate management level and extending the time before another gather to remove excess wild horses would be needed. This would leave a post-gather population of approximately 321 wild horses in the Wassuk herd management area, which is above the appropriate management level range of 110 to 165.

The proposed wild horse gather for the Wassuk area is scheduled to begin in September.

Links to the EA and related documents are located online at www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/carson_city_field/blm_information/nepa.html. Written comments can be sent to: BLM Carson City District Office, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City, NV 89701, Attn: Linda Appel, or emailed to WassukEA@blm.gov. Comments also can be faxed to 775-885-6147.