Christy Lattin
The Bureau of Land Management has authorized a roundup of wild horses in the Lahontan Herd Management Area following the release of its final Environmental Assessment (EA), published July 18. The assessment recommends the gather to reduce the wild horse population in the area.
BLM representatives briefed Churchill County commissioners on local projects during the July 16 commission meeting. Zach Reichold, BLM Stillwater Field Manager, told commissioners the bureau prioritized the Lahontan HMA because it was “grossly” over the appropriate management level. Aerial data from 2023 estimated 518 wild horses in the area, where the target population is 7 to 10.
The environmental assessment analyzed both the 9,687-acre Lahontan Herd Management Area and a larger surrounding area encompassing approximately 304,705 acres in Lyon and Churchill counties, located south of Lahontan Reservoir.
Another factor in the roundup decision is that the Lahontan HMA overlaps the B-16 bombing range south of Fallon. BLM Public Affairs Specialist Lisa Ross confirmed the plan is to gather all horses from within the B-16 area, with a long-term goal to install fencing, though no timeline has been announced
The BLM held a public scoping period from Dec. 11, 2024, to Jan. 20, 2025, distributing its plan to local and state governments, media, and the public. Public comments on the preliminary EA were accepted from April 10 to May 12. The agency received 161 individual comment letters, largely from private citizens but also from wild horse and animal advocacy groups. The Churchill County Commission submitted a letter supporting the proposed gather.
Although authorized, the roundup has not yet been scheduled. The BLM’s 2025 Wild Horse and Burro Gather and Fertility Control Schedule, released Sept. 9, 2024, does not list the Lahontan gather. It is expected to appear on the 2026 schedule.
The gather will include areas both inside and outside the HMA. The surrounding area overlaps with six grazing allotments, while the HMA itself includes a portion of the Lahontan grazing allotment. Four of the allotments are not designated for wild horse use, but the animals are present and utilizing resources in those areas, according to the BLM.
Roundups conducted in Nevada in late 2024 and early 2025 included a large operation at the Triple B Complex in Elko and White Pine counties. There, the BLM gathered 2,196 horses, treated 23 with fertility control, and returned 39 to the range—fewer than its proposal goal of treating 50 mares and returning 100 horses.
The Wild Horse Education organization submitted comments on the EA and also shared concerns on its website, arguing that the BLM is overreaching by including areas far outside the Lahontan HMA in its gather plan. The group warned that the plan could affect animals from neighboring herd areas that were not analyzed.
“This EA far exceeds any logical scope,” the organization stated, “and BLM cannot simply use a Lahontan Removal plan to rid itself of responsible management of Horse Mountain and surrounding areas.”
The Decision Record also addresses public concerns about the use of helicopters and motorized vehicles in gathers. A public hearing held May 6 drew widespread opposition to the use of helicopters for capturing excess horses and burros.
“In response to the concerns raised, the BLM reviewed its Standard Operating Procedures governing motorized vehicle use. Based on this review, they found no changes were warranted,” the agency stated.
The BLM maintains that helicopter gathers are conducted safely, reporting a total mortality rate of approximately 1.1 percent. It also noted that helicopter operations are avoided during the peak of foaling season and are not conducted from March 1 through June 30.
The full Decision Record is available at www.eplanning.blm.gov
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