Posted on 08/04/2015 7:19:42 AM PDT by originalbuckeye
If you're lucky enough, you'll catch a glimpse of them while traveling along the Salt River or visiting Saguaro Lake. The Salt River wild horses offer visitors an awe inspiring view, one that's in danger of being erased.
The beloved Salt River wild horses are being removed from the place they have called home for decades and may even face death, according to a notice from the Tonto National Forest.
The forest service says it will begin removal of the more than 100 horses on Aug. 7, stating they are "unauthorized livestock" and therefore cannot be there.
The removal will continue for an entire year, so as horses migrate to forest service land from nearby reservations, they will be removed.
"This may be the last footage we're ever going to get," said Simone Netherlands, president of the Salt River Wild Horses Management Group.
Netherlands and other volunteers have tracked and researched the herd of horses for years, on Monday a group of 10 to 15 were hanging around Saguaro Lake.
"This is an absolutely inhumane thing that our government is planning," Netherlands said.
This week the group was devastated to learn the Forest Service was planning to round up the herd for removal.
The horses were never given a wild horse territory and therefore aren't protected by federal law. The U.S. Forest Service also isn't allowed to manage them so the animals are considered unauthorized livestock.
According to a public notice issued this week, if the horses aren't claimed by their owners, who will need to provide proof of ownership, by August 7, they can be captured, auctioned off and even disposed of.
"They're going to kill them, that's what disposed of means," Netherlands said.
The full notice from the forest service states:
"Any unauthorized horses. May be impounded by the United States Forest Service on or after 8/07/2015, unless said livestock is permanently removed from the above described lands.
"After the impoundment, owners of unauthorized livestock may regain possession thereof only by first showing proof of ownership and reimbursing the United States in full for the expense incurred in impounding, feeding, and caring of such livestock, or if impoundment costs exceed fair market value, by a payment equal to the fair market value of the impounded livestock. All impounded animals not redeemed withing 5 days after notice of sale of impounded livestock has been published in a local newspaper, posted in the county court house and in one or more local post offices, will be offered for sale at public auction.
"Livestock not sold at public sale may be sold at private sale or condemned and destroyed, or otherwise disposed of as provided by Regulations 36 CFR 262.10(f)."
The forest service says the horses appear on lands within the boundaries of the Mesa Ranger District in the Tonto National Forest but it is unclear where the horses originated from. It's been an issue of debate - supporters say the horses have been in the forest and on the land for hundreds of years, but the forest service says the animals have wandered from nearby properties.
A representative from the Tonto National Forest Service told 12 News the agency isn't authorized to manage the horses and removing them is for public safety. The spokesperson cited highway accidents involving horses and also said because the animals are known to frequent a popular recreation area, they fear visitors will end up getting hurt. So far, no injuries have been reported.
The representative went on to say the last thing anyone at the Forest Service wants is for the horse to end up in a situations where they could be killed.
They added that while the public notice listed this Friday as a deadline for the removal process, the U.S. Forest Service has no intentions to begin a roundup that day and have up to a year to finalize plans.
Lake goers 12 News spoke with on Monday seemed surprised that the forest service wanted to remove them.
"They're just peaceful, I think they're pretty, not worth getting rid of them," said Kirsten Bluth who was with her family at the lake.
"I haven't seen them running around kicking cars or anything, so they'll be fine," Jacob Bluth said.
The Salt River Wild Horses Management Group and other advocates have been fighting the roundup for the past few years. They say they were hoping the government would choose a more humane option or at least work with them on ways to allow the horses to stay with population control.
"It's madness, it's madness," Netherlands said. "That attitude has to change before there are none left."
The group created a Change.org petition in an effort to stop the forest service from removing the horses.
‘The representative went on to say the last thing anyone at the Forest Service wants is for the horse to end up in a situations where they could be killed’
Yeah, right. If they aren’t sold, they will be put down. This from the Leftists that claim they are the only compassionate ones, the ones who care about the animals and the little guy. What phonies!
Typical meddling liberals/communists.They just have to f__k with everything.
Obviously, their flatulence contributes to global warming..
Mmmm...cheval, it’s what’s for dinner.
Don’t they just ship ‘em to Mexico where they get turned into Alpo For Seniors?
;^)
They just have to kill everything. Monsters.
These horses are part of an ancient and honorable peoples with deep links to the land from time immemorial, just like the Palestinians. / sarc
Someone with a twisted enough sense of humor can make a similar ruckus over these horses as the “Palestinians” do.
Complete with signs, slogans, “two park solution” etc.
Federal government is obsessed with control.
What they can’t control they will lock up or kill.
The horses? Or the Forest Service Nazis? d;^)
The Tonto National Forest abuts the Fort McDowell Indian Reservation. These horses roam both areas. The Feds are going to only round up from the Forest, but figure they will eventually get all the horses as they will all be on Forest land at some point. They are beautiful to see.....this is heartbreaking.
Now if they were lions, it would be different.
Sadly. I guess some animals are more equal than others.
I know of a Dentist who’s currently looking for something to do with his spare time...
-PJ
Tastes like...ummm...not chicken.
Yes, that will eventually happen.
And since they don’t belong to anyone, the quest to bill someone for it will be pushed onto the taxpayers.
Let me see if I understand correctly the Feds’ view of the law:
Undocumented livestock - bad.
Undocumented immigrants - good.
Oh, wait, I guess that the term used by the Feds was “unauthorized livestock”. Now I understand.
So if we just call them “unauthorized immigrants”, then the Feds will suddenly see the error of their ways and they will start following the law?
(Rhetorical question only - of course none of the government criminals under the control of the Obama regime has any intent to act lawfully.)
Dunno bout any of this, buy my dog Rover doesn’t like his dog food ever since they stopped putting wild Mustangs in it.
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