As part of its efforts to effectively manage wild horses and burros, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plans to establish a third privately operated ecosanctuary for the off-range care of excess wild horses. The new ecosanctuary would be operated on the 900-acre Double D Ranch, located seven miles north of Lander, Wyoming, and would initially hold up to 100 horses, with the first horses arriving as early as the spring of 2015.

The BLM’s Lander Field Office issued a decision record, resulting from an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act, that addresses comments from the public and adjacent landowners. The environmental assessment can be viewed online. The decision record, which finds no significant environmental impacts from the ecosanctuary, initiates a 30-day appeal period during which the public may express comments.

The ecosanctuary would be run by Dwayne and Denise Oldham, who own and lease portions of the Double D Ranch. It would be the second BLM-private ecosanctuary to be located in Wyoming; a 290-horse ranch is already operated by Richard and Jana Wilson on the 4,000-acre Deerwood Ranch near Centennial, Wyoming. A third ecosanctuary, known as the Mowdy Ranch, operated by Clay and Kit Mowdy, holds 153 horses on 1,280 acres and is located 12 miles northeast of Coalgate, Oklahoma.

“This advances our efforts to improve the BLM’s management of and care for America’s wild horses and burros,” said BLM director Neil Kornze. “Although the challenges facing our Wild Horse and Burro Program remain formidable, every step forward moves us closer to our goal of more effective and efficient stewardship of wild horses and burros, both on and off the range

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