Dear Editor:
The wild horse gather in the West Douglas Herd Area, despite an attempt through a lawsuit to stop the gather, was completed between Sept. 16 and Sept. 24.
The White River and Douglas Creek conservation districts’ staff and/or constituents observed the removal of the excess horses in the West Douglas Herd Area each day. A total of 167 healthy excess horses were removed, with two unfortunate deaths.
We would like to thank the Bureau of Land management and it’s contractors for working very hard and efficiently to successfully remove the excess horses with minimal stress and accidents.
The gather is a step in the right direction to help preserve the rangeland in the area to provide for a multi-use balance of agriculture, wildlife, and recreation.
The BLM staff was extremely accommodating and courteous to the public wishing to participate and observe. Once again a big thanks to the BLM staff for helping conserve our rangeland in the West Douglas Herd Area.
Sincerely,
White River and Douglas Creek
Conservation Districts
Rio Blanco County
