BLM TO BEGIN WILD HORSE GATHER IN CENTRAL IDAHO TO ADDRESS CRITICAL OVERPOPULATION, PROTECT HERD HEALTH

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 -- The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management issued the following press release:

CHALLIS, Idaho - The Bureau of Land Management will begin a wild horse gather today in the Challis Herd Management Area, approximately 20 miles south of Challis in Custer County, Idaho. The gather is necessary to protect the health of the wild horses that depend on the area's rangelands, particularly during the winter, which have been heavily strained by long-term overpopulation and drought conditions.

Without active management, wild horse populations can grow rapidly and may double in size every four to five years. When populations exceed theAppropriate Management Level, forage and water become increasingly scarce. H...