Helicopter RoundUp for 500 Devil's Garden Plateau Horses (CA)

Photo by Montgomery Creek Ranch - Wild Horse Sancutary

The Devil's Garden wild horses face a helicopter roundup of 500 wild horses beginning, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024. These horses are managed by the Forest Service (instead of BLM).

HERD INFO ON DGPWH (USFS)
The Devil’s Garden Plateau Wild Horse Territory is located in California roughly 5 miles north of Alturas. The territory consists of 300,000 acres of Forest Service land and 8,300 acres of Bureau of Land Management land. Wild horses have been present on the Devil’s Garden Plateau for more than 140 years.

Horses can be seen in many colors and sizes. The dominant colors are black and bay; however, appaloosa, palomino, gray, buckskin, and roan are also found with some frequency.

SPEAK UP FOR DHWHT HORSES

On October 10th, from 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. PST, the Modoc and Inyo National Forests will conduct a virtual public hearing regarding using helicopters and other mechanized equipment during wild horse roundup operations. The hearing will be held via Zoom.

The Inyo and Modoc National Forests plan to capture and remove “excess” wild horses from areas within and outside the Devil’s Garden Plateau and outside of the Montgomery Pass WHTs during the next 12 months. This complies with policy that directs the managing agencies to keep wild horse herds at appropriate management levels. Appropriate management levels are designed to preserve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance and multiple-use relationship on the wild horse territories.

The virtual meeting will provide updates on planning for the roundups and the use of helicopters and other mechanized equipment during capture operations. During the meeting, public comments will be accepted regarding using mechanized equipment to round up horses.

Join at https://usfs.zoomgov.com/j/1612948049?pwd=1pDFtAvmyN3vQob3et1gMzR78iCV5n.1

Meeting ID: 161 294 8049 and passcode DDW#2024

POTENTIAL TOPICS FOR COMMENT

  • Wild horses are prey animals and during roundups, they are literally running for their lives.

  • We prefer wild horses aren’t captured using helicopters. Bait/water traps are much kinder if done well.

  • IF using helicopters, horses should not be run more than 5 miles AS THE HORSE RUNS (not as the crow flies).

  • Horses should not be moved faster than the slowest of the group.

  • No SINGLE horse should be pursued.

  • Temperatures during a helicopter drive should not exceed 92 degrees - preferably no more than 85 - or be below 32 degrees.

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