The U.S. Forest Service plans to remove a herd of wild horses from the Tonto National Forest in Arizona, which has sparked a confrontation between the agency and conservationists.
The herd of horses is usually found near the Salt River in the national forest. Forest officials believe that the horses need to be removed as a matter of public safety, according to USA Today.
"We've got horses in campgrounds, we've got horses on the highway," Tonto spokeswoman Carrie Templin stated. "We would love to see these horses go to a safe place where the potential for accidents don't exist."
The agency claims that horses don't merit the protections that designated wild horses receive because they were once domestic livestock. Owners of those horses can claim them through Friday by providing documentation. Afterwards, over a 12-month period, the horses will be impounded and ultimately auctioned off.
A public notice from the U.S. Forest Service states that "livestock not sold at public sale may be sold at private sale or condemned and destroyed, or otherwise disposed."
Using this statement as evidence, advocates of keeping the herd intact, including The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group (a non-profit group), are concerned that unwanted horses could be killed. They started a petition on change.org that has over 65,000 signatures.
Advocates argue that the horses have lived at the forest for centuries and "there is no reason why the Forest Service should want to rob Arizona of this historically, economically and ecologically significant herd," according to UPI.
The Salt River Wild Horse Management Group revealed in the petition that they intend to "welcome the Salt River wild horses into their sanctuary in Prescot, Ariz., in order to prevent them from ending up in cruel stations."
The group plans to protest the U.S. Forest Service's plans on Friday.
