The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) this week signed a decision to remove up to 50 wild horses from the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range, located northwest of DeBeque, Colo., to improve range conditions for the remaining wild horses.

The BLM plans to use bait and water trapping to gather wild horses beginning in early September.

The BLM has an established Appropriate Management Level of 90 to 150 horses for the Little Book Cliffs Wild Horse Range. Current numbers place the herd population at approximately 154 horses.

Range conditions have suffered due to recent drought. The wild horse population is increasing and requires a gather to ensure the wild horses have enough winter forage to survive, as well as to ensure adequate forage exists for wildlife, the organization said