Horse roundup approved

CARSON CITY -- The Bureau of Land Management approved the removal of 2,500 wild horses from the range near Reno on Monday as opposition grows to what would be one of the largest roundups in Nevada in recent years.

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., is to hear arguments Wednesday in a lawsuit filed to block the wild horse roundup planned for later this month.

The roundup is part of the BLM's overall strategy to remove thousands of wild horses from public lands around the West and ship them to greener pastures in the East. The BLM, which estimates about half of the 36,600 wild horses live in Nevada, wants to reduce the overall population to what it considers an "appropriate management level" of 26,600.

In its decision, the BLM said removal of the 2,500 horses is needed to bring population numbers down in the Calico Mountains Complex to prevent habitat deterioration. The agency estimates that more than 3,000 horses roam the five herd management areas that make up the complex. It wants to reduce the population to about 570 by removing horses and treating others with birth control.

BLM spokeswoman JoLynn Worley said the agency in 2000 set what it deemed to be appropriate horse populations for areas in Nevada, and has been working since to achieve those goals.

Horses taken from the range would be placed for adoption or sent to long-term holding corrals, which now hold about as many wild horses as left in the wild.

Wild-horse advocates counter the planned roundup using helicopters is illegal because some of the animals would be traumatized, injured or killed.