A Wildlife Article from All-Creatures.org

Forest Service plan for Arizona’s Heber wild horses could mean death in 2023

From Reality Checks With Staci-Lee Sherwood
October 2022

Making room for livestock is a big reason native, often endangered, wildlife are removed from habitat and killed. There is no legitimate argument for the public to subsidize this private industry. The federal grazing program costs taxpayers millions in a losing program. The insanity of paying to kill native animals in exchange for destructive non native animals shows the absurdity of government policies.

After stalling for years the FS is crafting their Heber Wild Horse Territory management plan, due January 2023. It’s anticipated to call for the removal of nearly all horses. The few remaining will be experimented on with PZP, by non-profits with hefty government contracts. For these groups the payoff is $ not saving horses.

A looming tragedy is about to take place in Arizona’s Apache-Sitgreaves forest. A a herd of about 400 wild horses, relatively untouched and unspoiled by humans, is facing a death sentence. Nearly all other areas where wild horses had roamed freely for centuries have been destroyed. Despite a landmark law in 1971 that granted wild horses and burros legal protection and freedom from human harassment while living on 50 million acres of public land, they have never been truly protected.

No sooner was the law signed than ranchers, developers and mining interests began to rip it to shreds. Over the years their land has been reduced by nearly half, their population has been drastically reduced and fragmented and the word ‘livestock’ is used to get the public into thinking they’re not native wildlife. Brutal and unnecessary roundups have taken place throughout the plains and western states.

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Please read the ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE.

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