Mustang Monument Eco-Resort Unable to Open, Cites BLM as Reason

Mustang Monument is closed
for the 2016 season. Photo via Mustang Monument: Wild
Horse Eco-Resort/Facebook

Back in 2008, Madeleine Pickens offered to adopt 33,000 burros and horses that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was caring for. Mustang Monument in Wells, Nevada was to be an eco-resort for guests and a sanctuary for the wild horses and burros, spanning 900 acres of land. She was supported by senators Dianne Feinstein and Harry Reid, as well as the then head of BLM, Henri Bisson, Inquisitr reports.

Mustang Monument 2015 Promo
Video from Madeleine Pickens
on Vimeo.

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Mustang Monument opened, and Pickens spent time and money on promoting it. Guests were treated an adventure, including off-road excursions, hiking, Native American beading lessons and moccasin lessons, Inquisitr reports. The $1,000 to $1,500 price tag for luxury stays at the resort helped care for the resort and 600 wild horses that were on the property. It seemed to be going well. Mustang Monument was featured in Ultimate Wedding Magazine, among others.

However, in 2014, the BLM and local officials reportedly contacted Pickens, informing her that the resort was required “to have a recreation permit to take guests from one property to an adjoining property extending over a small portion of public land,” according to Inquisitr. A press release on the Mustang Monument website states, “The BLM has seen fit to delay and obstruct the issuance of the necessary permit- claiming among other things that they have lost or misplaced important public records necessary to resolve some of these issues. As we have no indication that the BLM will ‘find’ these documents, or otherwise resolve the issues to permit access, we regretfully cannot assure our guests the experience we wish them to have.”

As of now, a $1.3 million budget has been approved for the 2017 fiscal year for the BLM. Neil Kornze, BLM director, told Inquisitr, “The president’s budget gives the BLM the resources we need to manage the public lands on a landscape scale. This funding will help us continue to devise 21st century solutions to the challenges we face.”

At the time of this writing, Mustang Monument remains closed and no permit has been issued.

8 years ago

Cari Jorgensen

Cari Jorgensen is a web content specialist who is also an adjunct professor of English at Santa Ana College.

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Judy Merrick says:

August 18, 2016 at 6:13 am

I am just astounded at the stupidity of the BLM! Why are they opposed to Mustang Sanctuary? Madeleine has saved hundreds of horses from slaughter and given them a place to live free. Have the issues been resolved and the ranch opened to guests now? Or is he BLM continuing its obstinacy and stupidity?