If you ever doubted that the spirit of the Old West still lingers like a sunburn in July, look no further than the Bureau of Land Management, which has once again saddled up for a grand endeavor—this time to round up some 518 free-roaming horses out yonder, some forty miles east of Carson City. And in a rare and charitable mood, they’re asking for the public’s thoughts on the matter, which is about as common as a jackrabbit volunteering for stew.
According to the BLM’s finely printed papers—writ, no doubt, by a learned soul with a government-grade typewriter—the Lahontan Wild Horse Gather is “needed” to prevent what they call “undue or unnecessary degradation of public lands.” That’s government-speak for too many hooves making a mess of the scenery.
Their goal? Reduce the Lahontan herd to a polite dinner party of seven to 10 horses, give or take a neigh. And don’t be fooled by the flowery phrase “thriving natural ecological balance.” That means the horses are doing too well for their good—or ours.
The BLM has cast its eye over 9,687 acres of wild horse heaven, a patch of real estate officially dubbed the Lahontan Herd Management Area. But just in case the horses wander off-script, the feds are also eyeing a stage big enough for a Buffalo Bill show–304,705 acres stretching across Lyon and Churchill counties.
Miss Kim Dow, who wears Carson City District Manager like a freshly pressed sash, assures us the roundup will be “safe, efficient, and successful,” and that every four-legged participant will get treated with “humane care.”
The BLM’s also digging into the history books, invoking Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. They aim to ensure no ghost towns, arrowheads, or secrets from the days of gold and silver and gunpowder are disturbed while in the process. If any old homesteader’s cabin or sacred Paiute ground gets trampled by bureaucracy—or worse, a helicopter—that would be an awkward footnote.
But hark! The citizenry has a say, or so they claim.
From now until May 12th–anyone with an opinion and a postage stamp—or better yet, an internet connection—can submit their thoughts, criticisms, praises, or poetic lamentations about the fate of the Lahontan herd. So, if you’ve got a soft spot for wild horses or a sharp tongue for federal plans, now’s your time to let it loose.
The West may not be wild anymore, but every once in a while, it still remembers how to ask for your two cents. Whether they listen after it gets ‘em, that’s another story entirely.
The Old Blog in the Desert 
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