April 6, 2007

National Parks Service

Wild horses will benefit from NRRO's project.

Friends of a Legacy, based in Cody, Wyo., is working to build a wild horse interpretive center adjacent to the McCullough Peaks Wild Horse Management Area. FOAL initially asked The HSUS Northern Rockies Regional Office for help with habitat improvement projects but after talking to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, we discovered they had  dozens of wild horse projects in mind. After setting joint priorities with the BLM, we plan to devote the week of June 4–8 to complete  them.

The projects include removing old, dangerous fences; building new ones; installing water guzzlers, and distributing the horses more widely across the management  area.

The project will also serve as a training exercise for our regional network of animal disaster responders. A private donor has given funds to bring in a Youth Conservation Corp team for the week, and we have located experts who will offer special wildlife and emergency medical training.

This project is an excellent example of private/public networking that will help improve this wild horse range. It will also prepare the region for the next disaster that impacts animals, as we will be able to field test our disaster volunteers and equipment. The wild horses, bluebirds, horned toads, scorpions and prairie rattlesnakes who call the management area home will also benefit.

Even if you can't participate in person, you can still make a donation to help purchase bluebird nest boxes, water guzzlers, or equipment rentals. Contact our office to learn how you can help.