The Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board will meet in Arlington, Va., to discuss issues relating to the management, protection, and control of wild horses and burros on Western public rangelands. The two-day meeting will take place Oct. 13 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Oct. 14 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., local time, at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City, 2799 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, Va. The agenda of the meeting can be found in the September 6 Federal Register.

The Advisory Board provides input and advice to the BLM as it carries out its responsibilities under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. The law mandates the protection, management, and control of these free-roaming animals in a manner that ensures healthy herds at levels consistent with the land’s capacity to support them. The BLM manages approximately 38,500 wild horses and burros that roam BLM-managed rangelands in 10 Western states.

The public may address the Advisory Board on Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., local time. Individuals wishing to make a statement at the Thursday meeting should register with the BLM by 1 p.m., local time, on that same day at the meeting site. Depending on the number of speakers, the Board may limit the length of presentations, set at three minutes for previous meetings.

Speakers should submit a written copy of their statement to the BLM at the addresses below or bring a copy to the meeting; those who would like to comment but are unable to attend may submit a written statement to: Bureau of Land Management, National Wild Horse and Burro Program, WO-260, Attention: Ramona DeLorme, 1340 Financial Boulevard, Reno, Nevada, 89502-7147. Comments may also be e-mailed to the BLM through the Wild Horse and Burro Website. Written comments should be submitted by regular or electronic mail no later than close of business October 5, 2011; the BLM will not necessarily consider comments received after close of business on October 13, 2011