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Mohave County to ask BLM for improved coordination after board raises burro population concerns
Summary
Supervisor Martin secured board approval to send a letter to BLM and elected officials citing a BLM press release estimating roughly 3,896 burros in the Black Mountain area and urging better coordination, population management and public-safety responses; public testimony was sharply divided.
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted April 20 to authorize a letter from the chairman to the Bureau of Land Management and state and federal officials expressing concern about the feral burro population in the Black Mountain Herd Management Area and requesting improved coordination and long-term management.
Supervisor Don (as recorded—Supervisor Martin) said he learned of the issue from a BLM social-media post that estimated the Black Mountain burro population at about 3,896 animals and argued the number far exceeds the authorized management level (AML) of 478 set in a prior ecosystem planning document. He cited recent vehicle collisions and property damage as reasons for county action and requested the board forward a letter to BLM state and national leadership and elected officials.
Public comment was divided. Jeff Esposito said he and other nearby property owners have not observed problematic burro behavior and warned against harsh removal methods; he suggested focusing on other livestock damage. Jennifer Esposito criticized helicopter roundups and called for local adoption options, arguing the herd can coexist with wildlife and provide beneficial water-finding behavior in drought. She also urged the board to use the county’s representative on the BLM advisory committee before escalating the matter.
Supervisor Martin's motion to have the chairman sign and forward the letter passed after public comment.
What happens next: the chairman will sign and submit the letter to the BLM state director, the acting national director and relevant elected officials as requested. The letter asks for improved communication with Mohave County and for BLM to consider management strategies that address safety and ecological concerns.
Quotes: "In that press release, the BLM stated that they estimated the feral burro population in the Black Mountains to be at 3,896 animals, a number that is incredulous to this supervisor," Supervisor Martin said. "Communications between the local BLM and the Board of Supervisors should be improved."
