While the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF) was busy trucking 45 Alpine wild horses to a Texas kill pen, the Tonto National Forest (TNF) held its ground in defending the Salt River wild horses from a lawsuit aimed at overturning the humane management program created under Arizona State law. The program is implemented by the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (SRWHMG) in partnership with the AZ Department of Agriculture. It includes a humane fertility control program that is successfully reducing the size of the population without removals.
The lawsuit was filed by the Center for Biological Diversity and sport hunting groups – the same coalition behind the mass removal of Alpine wild horses from the ASNF. It was dismissed in its entirety with prejudice, which means it cannot be refiled.
The contrast between the Tonto National Forest and the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest could not be more stark.
Currently, the fate of the 45 Alpine wild horses hangs in the balance at the Bowie, Texas slaughter auction in Texas, a facility known for shipping horses to Mexico for human consumption.
Contact U.S. Forest Service Officials and Demand Immediate Action:
- Randy Moore, Chief of the US Forest Service: (202) 205-1661
- Tony Scardina, Chief of Staff: (202) 205-1132
- Christopher French, Deputy Chief: (202) 205-1689
- Michiko Martin, Region 3 Forest Supervisor: (505) 842-3301
- Gina Sampson, Chief of Staff (Region 3): (505) 842-3305
“I am appalled by the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest's decision to ship 45 wild horses directly to a kill pen, ignoring humane alternatives. This blatant disregard for the horses’ well-being and the public's interest is shameful. I call for an immediate halt to all horse removals from the forest and urge better, humane solutions. The Apache Forest should follow the Tonto National Forest’s lead in managing wild horses humanely. Under no circumstance should the Forest Service ever send horses captured from our public lands to kill pens and slaughter auctions.”
