Horse advocate still pushing for fence-out notices

Betty Retzer of the Wild Horse Preservation League is leading a campaign to get Lyon County officials to make developers aware that Nevada is a fence-out state.

"I don't understand why they (state officials) are picking them (the horses) up," she said. "Unless they are causing a hazard, crossing the road, they shouldn't be picking them up, people should be fencing them out.

Retzer plans to go before the Reno Sparks Association of Realtors and the Sierra Nevada Association of Realtors as soon as she has a chance to remind the group that Realtors are required by law to provide clients with the Nevada Open Range Disclosure form, which states that nonurban areas in this state are open range, and livestock or wild horses must be fenced out.

Retzer, who lives in Stagecoach, said the sod farm near her home has been divided into parcels just over five acres, and she hopes the buyers of those parcels consider fencing.

"As much as I hate to see checkerboard fencing, I'd rather see the horses fenced out than see them get into trouble," she said.

She has already taken her efforts to the area advisory boards and the Lyon County Planning Commission.

She said the planning commission has passed a measure reminding developers that they needed to inform buyers about the fence-out laws.

"I'm again stressing the fact that you don't have to put fencing up, but then you can't call and say 'take the horses out because they're tromping on our property.'"

She said Lyon County Planning Director Rob Loveberg is still working on creating a fence-out ordinance.

Planning Commissioner Ray Fierro told members of the Dayton Regional Advisory Council that one option under consideration is putting the information on parcel maps.

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Speaking of DRAC, its members approved a resolution at the Sept. 5 meeting that would support discussion of a county-wide transit system for Lyon County's future.

Fierro told DRAC there is a transportation element of the master plan, but it's mostly about roads, although transit is mentioned in passing.

A special meeting will be held at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Lyon County Administrative offices in Yerington to discuss the upcoming master plan.

DRAC's Oct. 4 meeting will include a public discussion on public transit, with transit experts from Carson City and Fallon to be invited to speak.

• Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.