Plan to reduce Salt River wild horse herd sparks debate

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Local leaders said there's a plan to further reduce the herd of wild horses on the Salt River. Proponents said it's necessary due to the ecosystem and climate, while others questioned why this move is being made.

Local perspective:

It's a sight every Arizonan holds precious—wild horses along the Salt River. But now the fate of these creatures is yet again under question, as the government considers who will be in charge of managing them in the future.

For Elizabeth Fitzgerald, the view is the highlight of her week. 

"It's God's paradise," she said. 

Fitzgerald and her friend kayak along the Salt River each week, soaking up nature and being around the majestic wild horses. But she fears it's a sight that could slowly fade away.

By the numbers:

Currently, the Arizona Department of Agriculture is considering proposals for outside groups to manage the Salt River horses, a herd that, as of the last count, stands at 280. In its request for proposal, the department wants a plan that includes a humane basis for herd reduction. Although it doesn't say how many horses should be removed, horse groups and Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky both report that the desired number is 100.

"I am very concerned about the Department of Agriculture's direction to relocate or remove a good, significant portion of the herd," said Scottsdale Mayor Lisa Borowsky.

Dig deeper:

Attached documents for the proposal include foliage studies from the University of Arizona that suggest the hotter climate is impacting the horses' food supply and that the horses are damaging the environment.

"The reality is—and it's a sad reality—that there are too many horses and too few acres," said Dr. John Mack, the founder and president of the nonprofit organization Salt River Truth. 

Dr. Mack said because more acres isn't an option, the humane removal of some of the herd is the only way to go, stressing the horses would be adopted.

"We can't pretend that the monsoons are coming like they used to come, because they are not," he said. "We can't pretend that it's not getting hotter, because it is. And it's not fair to those horses to insist that they stay in a place that cannot sustain them."

The other side:

Simone Netherlands, president of the Salt River Horse Management Group, who has managed the horses through fertility control and other means, said she could not talk about the process of the RFP that is going on at this time because it's against state rules. She also disputed the idea that horses negatively impact the environment.

"We want the positive benefits of the wild horses considered as well as the negative benefits," Netherlands said. "And both species have both negative and positive effects."

As for Fitzgerald, she hopes this sight is one she can enjoy for all her days. 

"I want to enjoy this beauty for as long as I can," she said. "We have to have nature! We have to have beauty! That’s what life is all about—therapy."

What's next:

Mayor Borowsky has suggested some of the horses be moved to the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Map of Salt River location.