The Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe conducted a wild horse gather beginning last Friday and throughout the weekend that rounded up around 500 horses. According to witnesses near Wilcox Ranch Road, horses owned by people in the area were caught up in the trapping, and American Wild Horse Campaign’s Deb Walker says the gather even intruded on private land.

One resident had three horses she owns taken. Wild horse advocates say the roundup was in violation of a Nevada law that requires a notice to be published at least once a week for 4 weeks prior to the gather.

The Pyramid Lake Pauit Tribe says the roundup is needed after the 2018 Perry Canyon Fire burned more than 18,000 acres land within the jurisdiction of the Tribe. Once the fire was contained, the Tribe worked with a national federal multi-agency team (Burned Area Emergency Response Team) to evaluate post-fire impacts to natural and cultural resources. From this evaluation, a plan is developed to mitigate the impacts from the fire. This plan prescribes mitigation measures for immediate stabilization of post-burned areas, as well as long-term restoration. One of the treatments included in the plan is to stabilize and rehabilitate the fire-damaged lands by removing feral horses. This mitigation measure is intended to reduce impacts related to grazing, noxious weed encroachment, herbicide treatment, seeding, and other measures being taken in the plan to stabilize and rehabilitate Tribal lands.