BLM updates Mill Site land-exchange timing and plans November wild-horse gather

BLM staff reported to the council that the Mill Site land-exchange environmental assessment (EA) will be completed later than originally anticipated because Fish and Wildlife added an extra review step following recent court decisions. The agency said it expects the exchange to be finalized before the end of August.

A BLM representative also described plans for a November wild-horse gather. The agency said population estimates vary from flight counts and that the plan is to gather roughly in the low hundreds as part of a multi-year effort to reach appropriate management levels (AML) across herd-management areas.

"We were supposed to be doing the gather in August, but because we got it done so quickly, there's some other offices that weren't ready to go. So we're gonna be gathering in November," a BLM speaker said, describing logistics and anticipated numbers.

BLM staff noted staffing changes and that a field manager detail to Moab will leave the local office short-handed for several months, but the agency said it is relocating engines and resources and coordinating with partners for fire and gather operations. The agency requested public comments during scoping for the Muddy Creek gather and described plans to respond to comments it considers relevant.

Council members were invited to a coordination meeting tied to a new MOU for a recreation area and were told BLM and county staff will meet to set enforcement and maintenance priorities under the agreement. No formal county decision was taken on the land exchange or gather during the meeting.