Protecting the Fish Springs Wild Horses

In 2023, the American Wild Horse Campaign acquired 3,300+ acres of prime habitat in Nevada’s beautiful Carson Valley just 30 minutes east of South Lake Tahoe. The new conservation area is home to abundant wildlife, including the beloved Fish Springs wild horse herd that lives in a Bureau of Land Management Herd Area outside the Pine Nut Herd Management Area.

The land includes the 1,871 Buckeye Creek Ranch property deep in the foothills of the Pine Nut Mountains, a 665-acre parcel that is a key watering and gathering ground for the horses, and nearly 800 acres of additional land with natural springs and access to Buckeye Creek, ensuring that wild horses and other wildlife will have access to water year-round. The land has been placed in conservation easements for long-term preservation.

The conservation area also includes 40 acres of land with year-round spring and access at Pine Nut Creek, which was purchased by the Chantecaille Conservation Foundation. The Chantecaille family is a long-time supporter of AWHC. This acquisition is the pilot program for AWHC’s Land Conservancy, which aims to set the conservation standard for wild horse and burro protection by preserving and restoring habitat and developing collaborative partnerships with federal and local governments to further land and wildlife conservation goals. We also look forward to continuing our partnership with the local organization, Pine Nut Wild Horse Advocates, which expertly implements fertility control and other stewardship activities for these magnificent wild Nevada mustangs.

We are deeply grateful to Christopher and Camille Bently and Bently Family LLC for their incredible generosity in donating key land parcels for this acquisition. The Bentlys are long-time AWHC supporters and passionate advocates for wild horses, other animals and the environment, and we could not be more proud to preserve this land in their honor. We are also beyond grateful to visionary philanthropist Maja Kristin and the additional generous and committed donors who made the full acquisition of this land possible.