MEEKER, Colo. - The Bureau of Land Management and Friends of the Mustangs are hosting a tour and barbeque May 6 to celebrate the wild horses of the Piceance-East Douglas Herd Management Area southwest of Meeker.
“The Piceance-East Douglas HMA is a great place to see wild horses, but it is somewhat remote," said Lauren Brown, acting field manager for the BLM White River Field Office. “The tour is a great opportunity for the public to learn their way around the area and see wild horses. We will also discuss opportunities for the public to help with managing these horses."
The day begins at 10 a.m. at the Yellow Creek Corral, which is at the intersection of Rio Blanco County Roads 20 and 122. BLM specialists will lead tours of the HMA at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. A barbeque potluck begins at the corral at 5 p.m. Meat will be provided but please bring a side dish or dessert to share. Dinner will be followed by a discussion of managing the Piceance-East Douglas wild horses, including the possibility of incorporating volunteers.
“We are encouraging folks interested in the wild horses on the Piceance to form a volunteer partner group, such as the Friends of the Mustangs with the Little Book Cliffs herd or the Sand Wash Advocate Team in Sand Wash Basin," Brown said.
The 190,130-acre Piceance-East Douglas HMA is one of four wild horse Herd Management Areas in Colorado. The other three HMAs have benefitted from partner groups assisting the BLM in the hands-on management of the area and wild horses, including assisting with fertility control.
Please RSVP for the barbecue or for more information about the celebration, call 970-878-3800.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management
