In an epic year of wildfires that have devastated much of the drought-stricken western states, our government is continuing to remove wild horses and burros who can help prevent fires and restore areas that have been burned. Hazy, unhealthy smoke-filled skies still loom over much of the west as fires continue to burn for months before full containment. Wild horses, currently under attack by our government, can be an effective tool for wildfire abatement.  

In the current Bureau of Land Management (BLM) plan, wild horses and burros are subject to horrifying roundups with lethal consequences. They are then warehoused in crowded holding facilities with no shelter. With new BLM rules which bypassed Congress, the Bureau now can sell these horses in bulk to thinly disguised slaughter buyers. How much better it would be to allow these beloved mustangs to help us all with wildfire mitigation! 

Using wild horses for wildfire prevention has been proposed and discussed for some time, as shown in this scientifically referenced article.  In Oregon, informed politicians united with scientists to urge support for using wild horses for wildfire suppression purposes. In addition, wild horses are the ideal ruminant to aid in rebuilding soils damaged by fires. Because of their simplistic digestive systems, wild horses contribute undigested seed of native grasses through their manure. Ruminants such as cattle cannot do this due to their complex digestive systems. 

We must let our Department of the Interior know that the BLM must stop wasting our taxpayer dollars on roundups and holding facilities when wild horses can be valuable resources for wildfire prevention and land restoration. 

Please call the U.S. Department of the Interior office for Secretary Ryan Zinke at this number: (202) 208-3100 x3 (Zinke). 

State your name, your town or city, and telephone number. Be courteous. You may wish to say: 

Please relay my message to Secretary Zinke, letting him know that wild horses have been shown to help both prevent wildfires and restore land damaged by them. In this devastating year of fires throughout the west, please consider saving taxpayer money by releasing wild horses in holding to remote areas where their grazing can be beneficial to wildfire prevention.