As of March 1, the BLM estimated that there were 88,090 wild horses and burros residing on public lands. | Photo: iStock

The BLM said it will award contracts to facilities in Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming that can accommodate 500-3,500 wild horses and burros in safe, humane conditions. Corrals will serve as short-term holding and preparation facilities for animals to be transferred to off-range pastures or adoption and sale locations further east.

The BLM said it removes animals from the range to control herd size, which can double in population every four years because wild horses and burros have virtually no predators to naturally control population growth. These rapidly growing populations and the stress they place on the landscape requires BLM to remove more animals from the range than can immediately place into private care, the agency said. Off-range care facilities provide needed capacity to hold these animals while providing veterinary care and preparing them for adoption, the BLM said, and provide support for BLM’s mission of maintaining healthy wild horse and burro herds on healthy rangelands.

Depending on their condition, wild horses and burros can only be transported a certain distance in a single day (typically no more than 10 hours). Consequently, it is necessary to have a network of strategically located off-range corrals to allow for safe and humane shipment, the BLM said. For that reason, facilities must be within 10 hours drive time of regional herd management areas. Specifically, facilities in Colorado must be west of I-25, north of I-76, and no more than 25 miles south of Hwy 50. Facilities in Utah must be east of I-15 and north of I-70. In Wyoming, facilities must be south of Hwy 20 and 26. Facilities outside the boundaries will not be considered