Frequently Asked Questions about the Salt River Wild

Horses
For more information, please visit the Salt River Wild Horse Management Groups
website and follow them on Facebook.
1. Are the Salt River horses wild and native horses or stray livestock horses?
The Salt River wild horses are an iconic and historic population of unbranded,
unclaimed, wild and free-roaming horses that merit protection within our national
forest.
Evidence indicates that wild horses have been living on the lower Salt River since well
before the Tonto National Forest was created in 1902. It is believed that the herd is
descended from the Spanish horses brought to Arizona by Spanish missionary Father
Eusebio Kino in the 1600s. An Arizona Champion Newspaper article, dated January 25,
1890 and located in the Arizona State Archives, classifies horses in the Salt River
Valley as native stock. The United States Forest Service (USFS) itself acknowledges
that the horses have lived on the lower Salt River since the 1930s. Further historic
records and eyewitness accounts chronicle the presence of free roaming horses on the
lower Salt River throughout the modern era, through the 1970s, when the Wild Free
Roaming Horses and Burros Act was passed, to present day.
The FS claim that the Salt River horses are not wild is based on a 1974 letter that
acknowledged dense riparian vegetationmakes it very difficult toeven observe
these animals. The decision to deny the Salt River horses protection under the Act ran
counter to the longstanding FS policy to manage these horses as wild and distinct
from stray livestock prior to 1971. In fact, then FS Regional Rangeland Ecosystem
Specialist, Curtis M. Johnson, stated that the horses were not considered
unauthorizedthey were considered wild horses and managed as such throughout the
1960s.
In a May 17, 1979 Phoenix Gazette article, Perl Charles, a former Forest Service official
and noted conservationist (for whom many hiking trails are named) confirmed that the
horses were wild and had been present on the Salt River for 35 years that he knows of,
and maybe since the turn of the century. At the time, Mr. Charles was advocating for
protection of the population of 40 to 50 wild horses, stating, Its a delightful thing to
watch them running free.

During his career with the Forest Service, Perl Charles estimates he rounded up and
removed over 3500 head of wild horses within the national forests. Therefore, Perl
Charles should be a credible authority on identifying wild horses versus alleged
branded Indian horses present at the time.
Simply put, USFS claim that these horses are stray livestock is not supported by
historical or current evidence. No parties -- including neighboring tribes or the State of
Arizona - claimed these horses in response to the July 31, 2015, USFS published
notice to impound. Therefore it may be assumed that they are not truly stray livestock.
2. Do the Salt River horses help or harm the environment?
Of the six million annual visitors to the Tonto National Forest and the tens of
thousands of animals who call it home, the small herd of free-roaming horses
living along the lower Salt River is compatible with, and supportive of, a healthy
ecosystem.
There are no scientific data published in any peer-reviewed journal about the Salt River
wild horses or the lower Salt River habitat. Neither the U.S. Forest Service nor any other
organizations have performed a scientific study or overall environmental assessment of
the lower Salt River, indicating that there have not been serious environmental concerns
on the lower Salt River to date.
Claims that these horses pose a threat are based on scant research in other geographic
regions that are not relevant to the lower Salt River region. And the data from these
regions indicate that wild horses have both environmental impacts and environmental
benefits, much like any other wildlife species, including birds.
In fact, the 16-mile stretch where the horses graze is one of the most biologically rich
areas along the entire 200-mile river, in spite of the human caused challenges it faces.
Photo-documentation accumulated by members of the Salt River Wild Horse
Management Group supports this observation with evidence over long periods of time
showing healthy and growing trees, seedlings sprouting from horse manure, abundant
plants and flourishing wildlife diversity in the very area on the river where the horses
roam.
Bald Eagles on the river have been making a comeback since the early 1980s and
eagle nesting was particularly successful this year in the exact area that the horses call
home, according to the Audubon Society itself. The horses and the bald eagles have
been cohabiting together successfully and may even have a symbiotic relationship.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group cares deeply, not only about the wild
horses, but also about the birds, the environment and all other wildlife. We look forward
to working with the USFS and conservation groups in any and all projects that improve
the environment and benefit the ecosystem, in which thousands of species have been
harmoniously co-habiting for more than a century. The lower Salt River should be
preserved as is, for future generations to come.

3. What are other pressures on the environment in this area?

The lower Salt River faces a myriad of human-caused challenges that should be
addressed before scapegoating this small herd of extremely rare and valuable
wild horses.
The Salt River ecosystem in the Tonto National Forest is impacted by many factors,
including agricultural activities and heavy recreational use. The Salt River is heavily
littered with trash and the bottom of the river has accumulated several layers of
aluminum cans in certain areas. Legal as well as illegal recreational use has impacted
the riverbanks and the soil conditions. Items such as fishing wire, lead bullets, metal
and old downed barbed wire pose a serious safety hazard to wildlife as well as to
people and wild horses. The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group members pick
up bags of trash on the river daily, organize bi- monthly cleanup days and also
participate in the FS yearly cleanup day.
In addition, the health of this natural habitat is heavily impacted by Salt River Projects
policies regarding water levels and volume of water released from the Stewart Mountain
dam. At times, during the winter, the river actually runs to just a trickle. Recorded levels
of output from Stewart Mountain Dam show less than 6 cubic feet per second released
for months on end during the winter, which is less than 1% of the average output of 900
cubic feet per second during the summer months. Water levels, obviously, have a
significant effect on plants and animal life in the area. We believe this to be a potential
source of adverse outcomes in the riparian areas along the Salt River.
4. Are there public safety concerns related to the horses?
The FS initially cited public safety as its main motivation for removing the horses. Yet,
the FS states on its website that in nearly three years, there were only four accidents
involving a horse, with no mention of any human injuries:

Between January 1, 2013, and August 4, 2015, Maricopa County documented at

least 30 incidents involving these stray horses, from reports of horses on or near
a road to vehicle accidents with horses. Twenty-six of these calls for service
were to report horses on or near roads. Four of the calls for service
resulted in a vehicle accident involving a horse, which required one horse to
be put down.
According to statistics from Maricopa County and Department of Public Safety,
collisions with other types of wildlife happen in the Forest with greater frequency, but
there are no plans to remove other wildlife species, only horses.
Regarding non-traffic related safety concerns, to our knowledge, in the history of
recreation on the Tonto National Forest there has never been an injury reported of a
human, caused by a wild horse.
Any traffic safety issues that do arise can be addressed by continued work between the
Salt River Wild Horse Management Group and the Maricopa County Department of
Transportation. This work has already begun with the placement, in late 2014, of
watch for horses signs placed strategically at each of the eight horse crossings on
Bush Highway. Additional safety measures could include flashing lights at dusk, when
visibility is low.
5. Why is it so important to save these wild horses?
Now that we are down to the last of these historic living symbols, it is crucial that
we make informed decisions based on science and based on what future
generations of Americans would want us to do.
These wild horses are crucially important to the local, environmental, and the global
community for many reasons that include recreational enjoyment and economic,
cultural, and educational contributions. The herd is iconic, representative of nature at its
best: wild and free. It is also accessible -- tourists and photographers come from all over
the nation to see these wild horses.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the wildlife viewing industry in the U.S.
garnered $65.7 billion in 2012 alone, and is growing every year. Wild horse eco-tourism
in particular is on the rise. Madeleine Pickens Mustang Monument Wild Horse Resort in
Nevada is drawing international tourists willing to pay over $1,000 per night for the
opportunity to spend time with mustangs. On the Salt River, visitors can spend an entire
day with wild horses for just seven dollars -- the cost of a Tonto National Forest day

pass. The Salt River wild horses draw visitors to the area, providing a boost for local
businesses and the economy.
These horses are also important to the Salt River Pima and Fort McDowell Sovereign
Nations and as such are protected by both tribes because of the horses long and rich
heritage with indigenous peoples and because of their historic and cultural significance.
Children of all ages benefit from the presence of these horses. Local high schools have
brought their classrooms outdoors to study the wild horses. Very few urban areas exist
where students can travel a short distance to gain tremendous experiential knowledge
in an outdoor classroom that extends beyond a schools four walls. Educational
seminars about the wild horses are offered routinely by Ranger B at the Usury Pass
Center on the Salt River.

6. Who supports protecting these horses?

The USFS notice of intent to remove the Salt Rivers free roaming horses provoked
strong public outrage. Public support for these horses is demonstrated by more than
200 people who attended an August rally in support of the horses and 250 citizens who
attended a town hall meeting a few days later. Our elected representatives in the
Congress and the State House have spoken out as well as U.S. Senators Jeff Flake
and John McCain, U.S. Representatives Matt Salmon, David Schweikert and Krysten
Sinema, and U.S. Representatives Martha McSally, Ann Kirkpatrick, Michelle Lujan
Grisham, Krysten Sinema have all sent letters to USFS raising concerns about its plans
to remove the horses. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has expressed his support for the
horses on social media, as well as Sherriff Joe Arpaio. In addition, the Salt River Pima
Maricopa Indian Community released a strong statement of support for the protection of
the horses. And, hundreds of organizations and businesses as well as literally
thousands upon thousands of people, just like you, are strongly opposed to the removal
of these animals. In fact, nearly 300,000 people have signed a petition calling for their
protection.
7. How can USFS protect the Salt River free roaming horses?
NOTHING IN THE FOREST SERVICE DIRECTIVE PROHIBITS THE US FOREST
SERVICE FROM MANAGING WILD HORSES. Legally, USFS has the discretion to
protect these horses for future generations by managing them as part of its overall
forest management plan. The USFS can also choose to protect the horses by
designating a territory for them under the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group has presented Tonto National Forest
officials with a detailed proposal for a humane management program and is offering a
public-private partnership to implement it. Key components of the plan include:
A humane fertility control program to manage herd expansion. Immunocontraception can be humanely darted by certified individuals without need to
capture animals.
Range management measures such as addition and/or removal of fencing or
restoration of water sources to facilitate natural horse migration and alleviate
areas where horses are congregating in close proximity to people.
Continued work with the Maricopa County Department of Transportation to
improve traffic safety through horse crossing signs and other measures, such as
animal detection systems that trigger warning lights or other signals when large
animals are present. Such traffic safety improvements could be privately funded.
Public education and other measures to ensure public and horse safety.
Long-term range health studies to determine impacts of various uses, including
but not limited to the horses.
By entering into a public-private partnership for the humane management of the Salt
River wild horses, the USFS can balance recreational, environmental and public safety
concerns while delivering win-win solutions that will protect this iconic herd for future
generations to come.
8. What can I do to help?
Sign the petition asking that the Forest Service to protect the Salt River wild horses in
their historic home.
Contact Congress in support of federal protection for the Salt River wild horses in their
habitat. Click here.
Volunteer for the Salt River Wild Management Group and follow them on Facebook
Join the email list for the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign to stay up to
date on news relating to the Salt River wild horses and other wild horses and burros in
the U.S.