Habitat protection task force is needed
Your article on wild horses in the Placitas Open Space raises important points that call for decisive and quick action. Apparently no county, state or federal agency claims complete responsibility for seeking resolutions that will preserve the horses and address the serious issue of over-grazed public land.
While some states are suffering record spring snowfall and rain and claiming disaster relief for flooding, New Mexico is in the middle of long and serious period of drought. As these horses overgraze to the point of starvation, there is also little left for the other wildlife in the open space. The native grasses and wildflowers that establish the food chain for small birds, reptiles and mammals — and stabilize the soil to prevent runoff — will require a stressfree period to recover.
Recently another article reported the slaughter of elk in the Bosque del Apache, based upon the argument that the Bosque is solely a bird sanctuary. The preserve’s management team have lost their perspective. All wildlife in the state are at risk from starvation during this extended drought. The danger of wildfires intensifies this risk.
The various agencies that are stewards of our public resources need to cooperate to address these issues, beginning with a rapid initiative from the governor to mobilize a multi-agency task force. Residents, conservationists and volunteer organizations such as the Wild Horse Observers Association should be allowed a role in the process. The task force should also identify other habitats in the state that require urgent attention.
In the interim, it would be prudent to provide feed and water for both wild horses in Placitas and elk in Bosque del Apache. The goal would be to lower the overgrazing impact on these areas while options are being explored. Feeding stations should be set up initially in large open-ended corrals. By establishing regular visits to feed, this would facilitate the collection of the wild horses for adoption, humane transfer of both species to other potential locations and contraception.