Wild horses subject of meeting

MINDEN - Following up on a promise made in March, the Bureau of Land Management will hold a public meeting Wednesday on managing wild horses.

Dan Jacquet, assistant field manager of the BLM's Carson City field office, said the meeting is intended to educate people on coexisting with the wild horses that roam the western foothills of the Pine Nut range. It will be held at the Fish Springs fire station at 7 p.m.

"We're really here to share information and get feedback from the public on their concerns," said Jacquet. "We will probably ask people to think about possible long-term solutions."

The BLM periodically rounds up wild horses, a practice that inevitably generates complaints and allegations of cruelty from residents who enjoy the animals. Others don't like the horses eating their grass and wandering on their land, and if they complain, the BLM has to remove the animals.

After 42 horses were rounded up in February, Douglas County Commissioner Bernie Curtis, who lives in the Fish Springs area, said the BLM should be required to hold public hearings before roundups.

At the time, Jacquet said the BLM would abide by residents' wishes and suggested forming a group that would focus on managing the horses without contradicting the federal Wild Horse and Burro Act, which mandates that the animals be gathered if they roam outside their designated management area and residents complain they are a nuisance.

Jacquet said Wednesday's meeting will be co-hosted by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, which can provide tips for keeping wild horses away from places they're not welcome.

He said the meeting is a first, but he hopes to hold another in Dayton, where similar problems have occurred.

"We could have (meetings) as regularly as people wanted them," said Jacquet. "I think people generally are not aware of the requirements of the Wild Horse and Burro Act, and I think it's important for everyone to understand that."

He said no roundups are planned, adding Wednesday's meeting has been in the works for some time.

Currently, the wild horse population along the Pine Nut corridor is believed to be a band of five. Their numbers increase as they breed, a cycle that culminates in complaints and roundups.

If you go:

What: Wild Horse managment meeting

Where: Fish Springs Volunteer Fire Department at the corner of Fish Springs Road and Myers Drive in south Carson Valley

When: 7 p.m. Wednesday