June 5, 2000

The hot, dry weather isn't just affecting people. It's threatening hundreds of wild horses in Utah's west desert.

But, it's not just the weather. Environment Specialist John Hollenhorst explains.

The wild horse herds in remote parts of Tooele County have been growing for years. And the horses are doing fine. But suddenly they're facing a double-barreled threat. The hot dry spring provided less forage than usual.

And now armies of crickets and grasshoppers have moved through the herd areas, eating much of what's left.

Two large groups of horses are headed for trouble-- the Cedar Mountain herd and the Onaqui herd.

GLENN FOREMAN/U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT: "ONAQUI MOUNTAIN, ABOUT HALF THE FORAGE HAS BEEN EATEN IN A TWO-WEEK PERIOD BY THE CRICKETS THIS SPRING, WHICH WAS ALMOST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT THAT WAS EATEN LAST YEAR."

On top of that, there's a greater than usual threat from summer wildfires which could wipe out even more vegetation.

GLENN FOREMAN/U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT: "IT'S BECOME NECESSARY FOR US TO REMOVE SOME OF THOSE HORSES SO THEY DON'T GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE THEY MAY BE STARVING THIS WINTER."

While the bugs keep marching and munching, government managers are launching an environmental study and inviting public comment to help decide how many horses to remove. The tentative plan is to capture about 650 mustangs, beginnning about a month from now.

JOHN HOLLENHORST REPORTING: "ABOUT 500 OF THE HORSES WILL LIKELY BE ADOPTED OUT, SO THEY MAY WIND UP WITH A HAPPY HOME."

But, about 150 horses are expected to be too old to adopt, so they'll be returned to the range to take their chances. Officials deny getting any pressure from ranchers to get rid of the mustangs.

GLENN FOREMAN/U.S. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT: "THEY'VE WORKED VERY WELL WITH US IN THE PAST. THEY LIKE THE WILD HORESES OUT THERE, RANCHERS IN THAT AREA. AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF THAT. IT'S THE OVERALL CONDITION OF THE RANGE."

In fact, the bugs and the weather may hurt ranchers too. Cutbacks on livestock are also expected.

Most of the horses would be captured with the use of helicopters. The law prohibits the government from just killing the animals.