The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has approved a plan to gather and remove 1,000 wild burros from the Black Mountain Herd Management Area east of Bullhead City.
The Kingman Field Office announced the plan after the agency signed the decision record last week, authorizing the removal of excess animals beginning next month to protect the health of the wild burro herd and the landscape.
BLM reasons for removal
• Without natural predators, the burro population has grown over the years. The population of an estimated 2,200 wild burros in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area is more than four times the target population of 478. The target population was created by land and wildlife management officials based on what the landscape — including availability of food and water — could bear, as well as the impact on other wildlife.
• Burros occasionally wind up in populated areas in their quest for food and water, resulting in a number of highway accidents, particularly on Interstate 40 between Kingman and Needles, the Bullhead Parkway on the eastern edge of Bullhead City, and Arizona Highway 68 between Bullhead City and Kingman.
• In addition, wild burros that have wandered onto private lands in their search for habitat have caused property damage and reduced available resources for other animals.
“Animals removed from the Black Mountain HMA will be available for adoption or sale through the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Private Placement and Care Program,” said Amanda Dodson, BLM Kingman field manager. “Those that are not placed into private care will be maintained in an off-range pasture facility, where they retain their ‘wild’ status and protection under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.”
Following the completion of the gather, the BLM plans to conduct an aerial survey to determine the remaining number of animals to remove to reach the appropriate management level. The BLM also plans to use fertility control vaccine treatments and adjust sex ratios to reduce population growth to achieve and maintain AML.
The gather impacts are described and analyzed in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area Wild Burro Gather Environmental Assessment. The EA and decision record have been posted on the BLM website, www.blm.gov/office/kingman-field-office. To learn more about the program, including how to adopt or purchase a wild horse or burro, go to the BLM National Wild Horse and Burro website, www.blm.gov/programs/wild-horse-and-burro.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land primarily in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In fiscal year 2018, the diverse activities authorized on BLM-managed lands generated $105 billion in economic output across the country. This economic activity supported 471,000 jobs and contributed substantial revenue to the U.S. Treasury and state governments, mostly through royalties on minerals.
Source: BLM Press Release
NOTE: 350 wild burros were removed from Black Mountain HMA June through August of last year. See Arizona burro removals 2017 through 2019 below.
Arizona BLM wild burro removals 2017-2019
2017 — BLACK MOUNTAIN HMA NUISANCE WILD BURRO GATHER (PRIVATE LAND CONTRACTOR)
The BLM to begin removing approximately 125 nuisance burros from Private land beginning September 27, 2017. The gather will be a bait and water trap gather conducted by Federal gather contractor. Excess wild burros removed from the range will be transported to the Florence facility located in Florence, Arizona where they will be prepared for the BLM adoption program.
2017 — LAKE PLEASANT HMA BURRO STUDY WILD BURRO GATHER
The BLM Phoenix District/Hassayampa Field Office began bait trapping burros in January 2017 to support research aimed at improving Lake Pleasant herd management. Bait trapping will continue until 100 wild burros are freeze marked and 55 jennies (female burros) are radio collared. Freeze marking allows identification of study burros from a safe distance in the field while radio collars provide movement information remotely. All marked and collared burros will be returned to the areas from which they were gathered.
2017 — LAKE PLEASANT HMA MORRISTOWN HUMAN HEALTH & SAFETY WILD BURRO GATHER
BLM to remove approximately 50 nuisance burros from private land beginning September 19th, 2017. The gather will be done with bait trapping conducted by BLM. Gathered burros will be transported to the WH&B Florence Prison Training Facility in Florence, Arizona where they will be prepared for public adoption.
2017 — PLANET RANCH WILD BURRO NUISANCE REMOVAL
The BLM to remove approximately 75 nuisance burros from Private land beginning August 15, 2017. The gather will be conducted by BLM personnel and will be a bait and water trap gather. Excess wild burros removed from the range will be transported to the Florence facility located in Florence, Arizona where they will be prepared for the BLM adoption program.
2017 — ZONASTAT-H PZP FERTILITY MANAGEMENT PILOT PROJECT FOR WILD FEMALE BURROS
The gather to begin August 8 and will be a bait and water trap gather. Gathering/marking of animals will be conducted by BLM personnel and the application of fertility control will be completed by HSUS. Male and non-study female burros will be released from the trap sites. Study eligible females will be marked/treated and released back into the HMA near the original gather location.
2018 — BEN AVERY RANGE EMERGENCY GATHER
The BLM to gather approximately 20 wild burros, and transport the burros to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro facility in Florence, AZ, where they will be prepared for possible adoption in response to increasing public safety concerns at the Ben Avery Shooting Facility located approximately 30 miles northwest of Phoenix.
2018 — HAVASU EMERGENCY GATHER
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to conduct an emergency gather of wild burros, beginning Nov. 7, to respond to increasing public safety concerns along State Route 95 just north of Lake Havasu City, Ariz. The BLM to gather approximately 50 animals, and transport the burros to the BLM Wild Horse and Burro facility in Florence, Ariz., where they will be prepared for possible adoption.
2019 — BIG SANDY HERD MANAGEMENT AREA NUISANCE WILD BURRO GATHER
The BLM to remove 50 nuisance burros from private land within the Big Sandy Herd Management Area (HMA) between the months of June 2019 and August 2019 by drawing the burros into a fenced area. A contractor and BLM staff will set temporary corrals on private and NPS lands, and will remove them once the operation is complete. For the purpose of this gather no burros will be treated with fertility control. All gather operations will be overseen by the BLM Kingman Field Office.
2019 — BLACK MOUNTAIN EMERGENCY WILD BURRO GATHER
The BLM to remove 350 nuisance burros from private and NPS lands within the Black Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA) between the months of June and August 2019 by drawing the burros into a fenced area. A contractor and BLM staff will set temporary corrals on private and NPS lands, and will remove them once the operation is complete. For the purpose of this gather no burros will be treated with fertility control. All gather operations will be overseen by the BLM Kingman Field Office.
2019 — SEVEN SPRINGS RANCH WILD BURRO GATHER
The BLM plans to remove up to 40 wild burros from private lands within the Tassi-Gold Butte HMA between August 5 and September 30, 2019 by drawing the burros into a fenced area. A contractor working with Arizona Strip District BLM staff will set temporary corrals to bait trap wild burros. No aircraft will be used for these operations. No burros will be treated with any type of fertility control at the trap site. The burros will be checked by a veterinarian at the Florence Wild Horse and Burro Training and Off-Range Corral in Florence, Arizona, where the male burros will be gelded and readied for the BLM’s Adoption and Sale Program. Although unlikely, any livestock that are inadvertently trapped would be released upon discovery.
Featured Image: Bureau of Land Management
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