The Bureau of Land Management has resumed appointment scheduling for people interested in adopting or purchasing a wild horse or burro from the Litchfield Corrals near Susanville. Those interested in visiting the facility and selecting an animal should call the corrals at 530-254-6575 to make arrangements.
“We had suspended appointments when Lassen County was moved into California’s purple Covid-19 tier that signified widespread Covid spread and mandated closure of non-essential offices,” said Emily Ryan, manager of the BLM Eagle Lake Field Office in Susanville. “With the county’s shift into a lower tier we can now offer limited public access to the corrals by appointment.”
Adopters or buyers should download an adoption/purchase agreement and send it ahead of their appointment to the Litchfield Corrals. Forms can be sent by email to [email protected], faxed to 530-254-6575, or sent by mail to: BLM Litchfield Corrals, PO Box 455, Litchfield, CA 96117.
The corral staff will contact applicants to determine if they are interested in a horse or burro, adoption or purchase, the age range for the animals, and their choice of a mare, gelding or yearling filly or colt, or jack or jenny burro. The staff will then move horses and burros with those qualities into the public viewing corrals.
Another option for bringing an animal home is the BLM’s Online Corral, where selected horses from the Litchfield Corrals and other BLM facilities are featured. Information on adopting or purchasing these horses and burros is available on the website.
Adopters and purchasers must meet the BLM’s qualifications and have facilities that meet the BLM’s standards. Information on these requirements is also available at the above-referenced website.
The BLM manages and protects wild horses and burros on the public lands under provisions of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act. Animals are removed from the range when populations grow too large for the forage and water shared with other range users, including wildlife and domestic livestock.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, which was passed unanimously by Congress and signed into law on December 15th, 1971. To mark this anniversary, the BLM is holding a series of events around the country highlighting the value of wild horses and burros as enduring symbols of our national heritage.
