Reader finds Salt River herd management politics concerning

Independent Newsmedia

Thank you to Scottsdale Mayor Borowsky for acknowledging the relevance of saving the Salt River Wild Horses. However, how did we get here? Why are these historic horses, living at the Salt River for perhaps centuries, no longer welcomed in their home? Could it be political?

In 2015, the U.S. Forest Service ordered removal of the horses. The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group was founded in response. Since 2015, it has been contracted to humanely manage the herd, slowly reducing it through birth control. ARS 3-1491 was unanimously passed in 2016 to protect the horses.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed three lawsuits attempting to remove the horses and all three were dismissed. No horses were removed.

In 2023, Ericka Luna was named deputy forest supervisor at Tonto National Forest. She previously worked at Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and advocated for removing the Alpine herd  while rejecting humane birth control for the mares. USFS hired Lazy Rail H, owned by Jackie Hughes, to round up the Alpines. Many were shipped to an auction house in Texas.

The contract to manage the Salt River herd is up for renewal. The previous administration defended these horses. It is concerning that Ms. Luna is now at Tonto National Forest and Ms. Hughes’ Wild Horse Transition Team is bidding on the new management contract after previously working with Ms. Luna to remove the Alpines.

Stop the politics, continue SRWHMG’s humane management.

I again thank Scottsdale’s mayor for caring and seeing the horses’ value. It’s sad that this even had to be suggested, but at least it’s an option against roundups and auctions.

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