Forest Service to remove ‘feral’ horses from Alpine to protect endangered species

Frontpagemagazine ^ | 3-15-22 | Kim Powell

[SJackson]

ALPINE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) – The US Forest Services will be collecting ‘feral’ horses in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Alpine starting Mar. 21st. The removal of the horses comes after the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit group based out of Tucson, filed a lawsuit against the Forest Service for violating the Endangered Species Act. The group claims the Forest Service fails to control feral animals’ damage to the meadows and streams, which are the New Mexico Jumping Mouse’s federally protected habitat.

“Since the early 2000s, feral horses have been causing severe damage to the habitat of threatened and endangered species in an area including the Chiricahua leopard frog, narrow-headed garter snake, loach minnow, and Apache trout, and New Mexico meadow jumping mouse - which is nearing extinction. There are indirect effects on habitats of Three Forks spring snail and Mexican spotted owl. Collection of these feral horses is an ongoing process and necessary for responsible forest management for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests,” said Jeffrey Todd, the spokesperson for the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF).

The Center for Biological Diversity says the jumping mouse relies heavily on the tall grass and streams in the Alpine area, which they claim unauthorized livestock are damaging.

“What is really the damage the horses are doing? Because when you have elk and deer and cattle and they’re all kind of using the same area, you can’t really say it’s the horses doing the damage,” said Simone Netherlands, an Arizona wild horse advocate. Netherlands says she and other horse advocates were notified two days ago of the roundup and wish they had more notice. “We think it’s really sad we’re only getting seven days to try to save these horses. That’s not enough time for the public to give their input.”

[Glennb51]

Let’s not forget they make excellent bbq (we must be green and recycle).

At least, that is what I have been told

[dirtymac]

it worked in TN and the snail darter fish. didn’t know if the building of dams had any effect on the snail darter but they were able to shut down the TN valley project. Still working today due sympathies bureaucrats.

[BiteYourSelf]

All horses in the wild in the US are feral or descendants of feral horses.🙄

[girlangler]

Yes I remember that. And now they have found snale darters all over the eastern part of the state.

[wardaddy]

Look it up

Surprised me too

[gundog]

I’m sure they end up eating a lot of grass. Around here, they do well in mixed environments, as well. They’ll eat English Ivy off the trees, as high as they can reach, skunk cabbage, blackberry, lots of cultivated plants. There’s a field that they stay in up north. It had a bunch of sedges that are toxic. They ate them sporadically. One day, the farmer found a herd all apparently dead and was making provisions to get them hauled off, when they started reviving.