**Briefing**

**Date:** June 9, 2003

**Title**: Number range CHAPTERCalifornia Desert Wild Horse and Burro
Management

**Issue**: Future role/activities of the DMG in California Desert Wild
Horse and Burro Management

**Background**:

In January 1999, the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) California Desert
District and the National Park Service's (NPS) Death Valley National
Park and Mojave National Preserve signed the California Desert Strategic
Plan for the Management of Wild Burros. This document recognized the
overpopulation of wild burros on the desert and the adverse impacts that
were occurring as a result of this overpopulation. It outlines the
California Desert land managing agencies' process to work
collaboratively in sharing staff and resources to manage wild burros an
effective and efficient manner.

This wild burro strategy outlines several key goals and objectives and
associated management actions to be achieved (attached). A key elements
to the strategy, is to aggressively remove existing excess burros to
reach appropriate management levels (AML). AML has been defined for the
various heard management areas in several BLM's land management plans
that were recently finalized. NPS' management goal is to remove all
burros from inside the park boundaries and implement actions to ensure
that they do not reenter from adjacent public lands. They have
identified a three phase approach to achieving this goal:

1.  a period where NPS staff/contractors will actively remove and adopt
    as many burros as possible,

2.  a period for animal rights groups to remove any remaining animals;
    and

3.  direct or lethal removal of remaining animals by NPS staff or
    contractors to achieve a zero population.

Depending on area, NPS is in Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the approach. The
point at which NPS moves to Phase 3 will depend on the continued success
and progress under Phases 1 and 2.

**Current Status and Future Plans**:

BLM, NPS and various other agencies (Fish and Wildlife Service;
California Department of Fish and Game; BLM Field Offices in Yuma and
Havasu; Military Reservations including China Lake, Chocolate Mountain
Gunnery Range, and Ft. Irwin; Bureau of Reclamation, Metropolitan Water
District, and the Chemehuevi Indian tribe) have worked collaboratively
to accomplish the goals and objectives of the plan. As of October 2002,
approximately 3,450 animals have been removed from throughout the
California Desert. This averages 986 animals annually which is
significantly more than the historical average of 200 to 400 animals
annually that past funding would allow.

The DMG 5 year plan includes a task for the development and adoption of
consistent burro population monitoring/census methods among DMG
agencies. To date, little progress has been made on this task.

For FY 03, BLM plans to remove 600 burros from the California deserts.
So far, 473 have been removed from the following areas:

-   224 from Chemehuevi

-   58 from Clark Mountains

-   20 from Panamint Mountains,

-   73 from Centennial Range

-   70 from Slate Range, and

-   24 from outside HMAs.

For the remainder of FY 03, BLM plans to remove an additional 125
animals through water trapping (20 from Centennial, 15 from Slate Range,
25 from Chemehuevi, and 20 from Clark Mountains, and 45 from the Picacho
State Park).

BLM has established vegetative monitoring studies within the Picacho
Herd Area Complex, Chemehuevi HMA, Clark Mountain HMA, Panamint HMA, and
Centennial HMA. BLM and the California Fish & Game are two years in a
five year migration study to monitor the seasonal movements of both
burros and deer within the Picacho Herd Area complex. BLM and California
State Parks are in the process of finalizing a MOU that will allow State
Parks to remove burros that are impacting Picacho State Park along the
Colorado River. BLM has a policy of accepting into there adoption
program at no cost to NPS all burros captured by NPS that fall within
the jurisdiction of the Wild Horse and Burro Act.

In FY04, BLM plans to remove approximately 500 burros, including the
remaining 190 burros in the Clark Mountains. In the Ivanpah Mountains
(just south of Clark Mountains adjacent to and within the Mojave NP) an
estimated 100 animals will be removed; 150 from the Centennial and Slate
range; 20 burros at the Picacho State Park; and another 50-75 burros
throughout the desert which are outside HMAs.

In FY05, BLM plans to get down to AML throughout the desert by removing
up to 500 burros. The focus will be on Centennial, Slate Range, Piute
Mountains, Dead Mountains and remaining areas outside HMA's (adjacent to
NPS lands still having transient burros crossing agency boundaries).
Beginning in FY06, BLM expects to be in maintenance mode, removing
animals where habitat impacts and population census dictates.

Since 1997, Mojave Preserve has removed 3022 burro. Current population
estimates indicated that approximately 1000-2000 burros remain in the
Mojave National Preserve. The goal is to remove 150-200 additional
burros in FY 03. 53 animals have been removed so far in FY 03. At least
100 burros need to be removed annually just to keep the population at
current levels. The Preserve would like to remove 200 animals per year.
However, actual numbers will depend on funding availability. The Mojave
NP has no active plans to go to lethal means to remove the remaining
burros at this time

There has been a long history of burro management at Death Valley
National Park. While no census has been completed since the late 1990,
an estimate 500 burros remain in Death Valley NP primarily in the areas
of Saline Valley, Butte Valley, and Wild Rose. Some burros are
immigrating into the Park from the National Training Center. Only 9
burros have been captured in FYO3 and it is becoming increasingly
difficult to capture additional burros using helicopter roundups and
water trapping. Death Valley NP has no active plans to go to lethal
means to remove the remaining burros at this time

**Conclusion and Proposed Next Steps**

The burro management program in the California desert has been a major
success story of the land management agencies and the DMG. Over 3000 of
burros have been removed and adopted out since the California Desert
Strategic Plan for the Management of Wild Burros was signed in 1999.
Prescribed population levels will be achieved by FY 06 on BLM lands. A
new cooperative effort with Cal State Parks will focus on addressing
impacts to State Park resources along the Colorado River.

A large burro population continues to exist at the Mojave NP and current
funding is inadequate to reduce the population.

Recommendations:

1.  BLM and the NPS should discuss increased cooperative efforts to
    control burro in and adjacent to the Mojave NP and Death Valley
    National Park.

2.  The DMG should support NPS funding request for burro management in
    the Mojave NP and Death Valley NP.

3.  The DMG should develop and broadly disseminate a report or brochure
    which summarizes accomplishments since the California Desert
    Strategic Plan for the Management of Wild Burros was signed in 1999.
    (Note: Some funding and technical support is needed to finalize the
    report/brochure). The report or brochure could also be used by NPS
    to attract private funding or support for burro removal on their
    lands.

4.  There is a continuing need for DMG agencies to develop and use
    consistent burro population monitoring/census methods. The DMG
    should establish an ad hoc group to develop consistent burro
    population monitoring/census methods.

**Summary**

**California Desert Strategic Plan for the Management of Wild Burros**

**January 8, 1999**

# 

# **Parties**: BLM-CDD, Mojave National Preserve, Death Valley National Park

**Goals:**

1.  Provide collaborative/efficient burro management in the Cal Deserts

-   Develop coordinated annual operations plan. Seek funds to carry out
    plan

2.  Aggressive manage burros to reach current AML in 3 years

3.  Manage burros as part of the natural ecosystem on BLM lands to avoid
    impacts.

4.  Manage for zero burros on non-BLM lands.

-   Determine viable herd management areas

-   Identify long term management objectives/actions and population
    levels in HMA's

-   Conduct research on burro behavior and movement

# **Management Actions**

1.  Identify HMA boundaries in BLM plans by 2002 in cooperation with NPS

2.  Complete/revise HMA Plans by 2004 that ID conservation measures to
    protect important habitats

3.  Establish key area to monitor range land health

4.  Implement management actions to reduce animal drift off BLM lands

**Gathers and Adoptions:**

1.  Priorities will be established based on resource issues

2.  Each agency will identify numbers and locations of animal to be
    removed and establish agency priorities annually.

3.  When feasible agencies will pool resources to get the job done.

4.  Provide steady flow of animals into BLM's adoption program

5.  Adoption options: (a) BLM adoption program (b) animal interest
    groups (c) private contractors (c) NPS direct/indirect adoption
    programs

-   only burro that spend part of their life on BLM land will enter the
    BLM adoption program in Kingman or Ridgecrest

**Budget:**

1.  Each agency will request funds annually

2.  No over head charge assessed on transfer of funds between agencies

3.  Removal and deliver cost to be paid for by the agency administering
    lands where the animals are removed

4.  NPS and BLM split cost for holding, feeding, and caring at
    Ridgecrest

5.  BLM pays all cost for adoption