Gayle Hunt (Pres., Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition)

Our guest today is Gayle Hunt, President & Founder of the Central Oregon Wild Horse Coalition (COWHC) a non-profit organization in 2002.

The Ochoco National Forest is seeking comments on a proposal to revise the Ochoco Wild and Free Roaming Herd Management Plan, and sent a Scoping Letter to the public that is vague and doesn't state the proposed Appropriate Management Level (AML), the number of wild horses and burros that will be allowed to remain on this HMA.  (The current AML is 55-65 wild horses - not allowing a high enough number to be viable ). On this show you'll learn more about how COWHC is currently trying to preserve the current 130 or so wild horses currently on the Big Summit HMA, about 30 miles east of Prineville, Oregon.  Check out the COWHC facebook page for the latest updates.  COWHC is boots on the ground and provides one of the most accurate herd inventories in the nation, annually bringing a cadre of about 80 volunteers to count these wild horses on their turf.  They also work on on-the-ground improvements like water developments, forage improvements, fence removal and other projects.

Public comments  are due by July 21, 2017 and can be submitted electronically at https://cara.ecosystem-management.org/Public/CommentInput?project=46228 or mailed to Ochoco Wild and Free Roaming Herd Management Plan Revision Project, c/o Marcy Anderson, Lookout Mountain Ranger District, 3160 NE Third Street, Prineville, OR 97754