The Cherry Road Fire burned about 55 square miles in eastern Oregon, just on the other side of the Idaho border, near Homedale. The wildfire has been contained, but did significant damage to a heavily-used wild horse pasture.
The Bureau of Land Management says the rangeland wildfire burned about 90 percent of the Wildhorse Basin pasture. It’s estimated that around 150 horses rely on this area for food and water. Now, the BLM is rounding up the horses and taking them to a corral in Oregon – where some will be put up for adoption.
About 100 horses from the same herd will remain in the wild, in an area unaffected by the wildfire. According to the BLM, it takes about two active growing seasons for the vegetation to grow back to support the horses.
The gather began Monday, and 93 horses have been moved to the corral so far.
Find Frankie Barnhill on Twitter @FABarnhill
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