The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act (WFRHBA) of 1971 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976 mandate that BLM manage wild horses so as to preserve and maintain a "thriving natural ecological balance" (TNEB) and multiple use relationships on public lands and also protect rangeland resources from deterioration associated with wild horse overpopulation. The BLM's monitoring data shows that current rangeland and habitat conditions are degraded and that invasive grasses are of significant concern. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Utah State Office in Salt Lake City has received numerous written wild horse removal request letters since 2016 for the Range Creek Herd in the located within the BLM Price Field Office. These letters have come from both the private land owner and the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Mitigation efforts over the past three years have been attempted by maintenance of fences and control of water resources, but to no avail. Furthermore, the minimal snowpack of the 2017-2018 winter season and prolonged drought conditions have allowed wild horses to stay at higher elevations, adding impacts to the available forage and water resources on private lands. Also, it is estimated that the current population of the Range Creek Herd is 378 head of horses, but the Appropriate Management Level (AML) for this herd is between 75 and 125 head of horses. There have been 10 gathers on the Onaqui Mountains in Tooele County, Utah, since the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971 was passed. The most recent gather was in February of 2012. The AML for the Onaqui Mountain HMA is 159 wild horses with a range of 121-210 (low-high range, respectively). With the 2018 foals, the population is now estimated to be 510. It is anticipated that by the time a gather could occur in 2019 the population would be approximately 586 wild horse.

1) The capture objective is to gather and remove approximately 200 wild horses from the Range Creek HMA, Carbon County, Utah, utilizing necessary approved capture methods. 2) Remove approximately 250 wild horses from the Onaqui Mountain Herd Management Area (HMA),

The BLM is charged with the enhancement and maintenance of healthy rangelands in order to provide a "thriving natural ecological balance" for all species residing on the range. Excess wild horses from the Range Creek HMA are negatively affecting rangeland resources on private lands. The proposed action benefits the resources and helps restore the range to a thriving natural ecological balance.

Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971 (Public Law 92-195) Section 3(a) and (b), and Title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations 4720.2. The proposed action is in conformance with the Price Field Office RMP because it is specifically provided for in the following PFO RMP goals, objectives, and management decisions: "Manage wild horses and burros at appropriate management levels (AML) to ensure a thriving natural ecological balance among wild horse populations, wildlife, livestock, vegetation resources, and other resource values" (Page 86). "Maintain the number of wild horses and burros within established HMAs at AMLs as designated in Herd Management Plans" (Page 86). "WHB-1: Manage populations...to maintain AMLs on established HMAs" (Page 86). "WHB-8: Range Creek HMA; 55,000 acres; 75-125 (horses)" (Page 87). Pony Express Resource Management Plan (RMP) (January 1990) (BLM 1990)as amended, and is consistent with the following objectives, goals, and decisions of the approved plan: * Wild Horse Decision 1 (page 34) -- manage herd size. * Soil, Water, and Air Decision 1 (page 30) -- evaluate on a case-by-case basis. * Cultural Resource Decision 1 (page 49) -- inventory and evaluate. The State of Utah Resource Management Plan (Emery and Johnson 2018) identifies considerations, objectives, policies and guidelines regarding the management of multiple resources and land uses within Utah, including wild horse herds. The State of Utah supports phasing out long-term holding and the application of funding towards on-range management/adoption; removing excess animals from the range to achieve AML; maintaining AML numbers by using fertility control to slow population growth at levels where removals equal the adoption demand; and adjusting AML numbers where appropriate. The Tooele County General Plan (Tooele County 2016, as revised 2017) identifies the HMA in a multiple use zone (MU-40). Chapter 19 of the Tooele County Resource Management Plan (Tooele County 2017) identifies the County's resource management plan with existing conditions, desired future conditions, and monitoring. The wild horse gather and maintenance activities as proposed is consistent with the County desired conditions and policy statements for recreation management. Specific objectives are currently not identified for wild horses. Chapter 29.2 indicates that Tooele County desires wild horse populations to be actively managed to avoid resource damage and impacts to private property. Chapter 29.3.3 describes the County's wish to participate in public land management processes with regard to wild horse management, including active participation in herd management activities, and coordination with the BLM during planning activities. Wild horse population control is consistent with the County's desired future state, management objectives, and role as a cooperating agency. The Juab County Resource Management Plan (Juab County 2017) identifies specific objectives for wild horse populations in chapter 2 and chapter 4. Chapter 2.6.1.2 states that wild horse and wild burro populations shall be maintained at or below objectives adopted on January 1, 2015. Chapter 4.4.1 indicates that Juab County regards the land that comprises the grazing districts and allotments in the non-WSA lands with wilderness character as more valuable for grazing than for conversion to wild horse HMA. Chapter 1.5.3 describes that Juab County desires to provide meaningful involvement early and often through their role as a cooperating agency in the NEPA process. Wild horse population control is consistent with the County's policies, management goals and objectives, and role as a cooperating agency.

N/A

This removal will help protect several natural springs from prolonged use by wild horses.

NEPA DECISION RECORD Categorical Exclusion DOI-BLM-UT-W010-2017-0009-EA (Onaqui) and DOI-BLM- UT-G020-2018-0024-EA (Range Creek).

The Removal would occur utilizing a bait and/or water trap during fall/winter months to reduce stress on animals. Some incidental roping in order to maintain mare/foal pairs may be needed. Horses removed will be transported to the Axtell Off-Range Contract Facility, Axtell, UT for Range Creek gather and the Delta Wild Horse & Burro Facility, Delta, UT for the Onaqui Mountain gather. 1. Water Trapping This method involves setting up a trap constructed of temporary panel around a well-used water source and manually closing the gate(s) using a pull rope once the wild horses enter the trap. This requires personal to be at the trap site to man and close the gate. Bait may also be placed in the corrals to influence the horses to stay in the corrals longer than if they were only watering. Gates would be wired open until the capture day. This would allow wildlife and livestock access to the water, while the wild horses become comfortable entering the corrals to drink. When gates are manned wildlife and livestock would be permitted to enter and leave the trap without capture. 2. Portable Corral Traps/Exclosures Capture traps would be constructed in a fashion to minimize the potential for injury to wild horses and BLM or BLM authorized personnel. Gates would be wired open at all unmanned trap sites, and would be left closed only when needed to hold horses inside. Trapped horses would not be held inside the traps for a period exceeding 10 hours, unless provided with feed and water.

The BLM would continue to conduct monitoring activities in the HMA, including the monitoring of individual and herd health (including mares after fertility control vaccine treatments), genetic diversity (via hair sampling), population size (via flight and ground inventories), population growth rate assessments, and rangeland, wildlife habitat, and riparian conditions.

Specific coordination efforts have already taken place with the area livestock grazers, Utah School Institutional Trust Lands, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and private land owners by BLM personnel.

Will maintain the number of wild horses and burros within established HMAs at AMLs as designated in Herd Management Plans.

Domestic livestock and wildlife will benefit from the additional forage and water.

09/11/2019

10/02/2019

2020

The Bureau of Land Management has concluded two seperate horse gathers using water and bait trap gather of wild horses on the Range Creek Herd Management Area (HMA) in Carbon County, Utah and Onaqui Mountain Wild Horse Gather, in Tooele County, Utah. The BLM gathered 154 wild horses (53 stallions, 78 Mares, 23 foals) from the Range Creek HMA from September 26, 2019 to October 2, 2019. They gathered 241 wild horses (89 stallions, 104 mares, 45 foals) from the Onaqui Mountain HMA from September 11-19, 2019. Horses removed from the Range Creek HMA were transported to the Axtell Off-Range Contract Facility, Axtell, UT and the horses from the Onaqui Mountain HMA were transported to Delta Wild Horse & Burro Facility, Delta, UT. The horse will be prepared for the BLM adoption and purchase program.

The Onaqui gather received multiple visitors, including media representatives (several articles and TV news reports were published), advocacy groups, county commissioners, and members of the public. The Range Creek gather had minimal visitors as much of the gather was on private land. The Range Creek gather had to shutdown twice, once for high winds and second to due horses scattering around the trap-site. Each day the gather started around 7:00 am and were finished by 12:00 pm. Temperature ranged from 32-56 degrees fahrenheit for the Range Creek gather and 54-75 degrees fahrenheit for the Onaqui Mountain gather. A total of three horse fatalities occurred during the event (1 on Range Creek 2 on Onaqui) from injuries and had to be euthanized.

The BLM will continue to conduct monitoring activities in the HMA, including the monitoring of individual and herd health (including mares after fertility control vaccine treatments), genetic diversity (via hair sampling), population size (via flight and ground inventories), population growth rate assessments, and rangeland, wildlife habitat, and riparian conditions.