Arizona Department of Agriculture Signs Agreement to Reduce Salt River Wild Horse Herd to 120 in Five Years

New Management Plan Targets Half the Salt River Horse Population

PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Agriculture has signed a five-year contract to reduce the Salt River wild horse herd from an estimated 274 animals to 120 horses, marking a controversial expansion of state management of the herd that has become a cultural and economic attraction for visitors.

The agreement was announced in a news release from the Agriculture Department on April 10, 2026, outlining a gradual reduction plan that balances what the department says are limited range resources with the need to maintain genetic integrity of the herd.

The plan includes new safeguards to protect relocated horses, which will only be moved to sanctuaries approved by the department. Currently, the horses live on approximately 19,000 acres around the Salt River near Phoenix.

Supporters Rally at the Capitol

On April 7, more than 50 people rallied at the Arizona Capitol to protest the management agreement and potential legislation that would offer greater protection for the herd.

Susie Bell, an advocate who is a member of the Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses group, attended the rally along with other supporters who say it is a fight they have been engaged in for the last 10 years.

"We want the governor to stand up and protect the Salt River horses like Governor Doug Ducey did when we fought for them ten years ago. She hasn't done anything yet as far as standing up to protect them," Bell said. "We're calling on her to do that as part of the effort in trying to stop the removals of over half of the Salt River wild horses with no justifiable imperative to do so at this time."

The rally came amid renewed attention to the management agreement and a new controversial proposal that would offer further protections for the herd before any removals can occur.

Department Maintains Management Authority

The Arizona Department of Agriculture said the contractor selected for the management contract was awarded in February and has seen previous success at managing the size of the herd. The group relies on natural attrition and a birth control method delivered via dart.

The herd size has decreased from 450 over the past several years, according to the department, for the sake of preserving ecological stability in the areas surrounding the river.

The department stated in an email that it has never mandated a herd reduction target and has not specified or required a herd target of 120 horses. They said the contractor, the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, proposed reducing the herd to 120 over the term of the five-year contract.

The group did not respond to a request for comment.

"AZDA is committed to preserving the health, safety, and integrity of the Salt River Horse Herd and is statutorily mandated to humanely manage the herd," the department wrote. "Humanely and sustainably managing the herd requires balancing what the ecosystem can sustain as well as the size and diversity of the herd."

The department said it considered a variety of proposals to reduce the size of the herd, including the continuation of fertility control and the gradual, humane relocation of horses.

Federal Coordination Limited

The department said it does not have authority over wild horses or burros managed on Bureau of Land Management lands and is not coordinating with BLM on the removal of horses in Arizona.

A spokesperson for BLM Arizona said they are removing some burros from Lake Pleasant and Black Mountain Herd Management Areas, but not removing horses from the herd management areas near Kingman or Yuma.

The state department said their management of the Salt River Horse Herd is vital to preventing federal management of the herd.

"AZDA's role in managing the Salt River Horse Herd came after a federal plan to remove large amounts of horses from the Tonto National Forest," the department wrote, referencing the fight to keep the horses before the 2016 law was passed. "AZDA's current approach to sustainably and cooperatively manage the Salt River Horse Herd serves to prevent future federal efforts that could result in significant removal of horses from the Tonto National Forest."

Legislative Protection Proposed

Governor Hobbs is not the only elected official advocates are counting on for support. Newly appointed Republican Rep. Cody Reim is introducing a striker amendment to provide clarity and definitions in the existing law, known as the Salt River Wild Horse Act, passed in 2016.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Reim to fill former Rep. Joseph Chaplik's seat after he resigned to run for Congress.

Bell said his appointment was a wonderful surprise because they needed a hero. The draft is still in progress and Reim said he plans to introduce it as a floor amendment.

The proposal would also provide protection for a certain amount of time while genetic diversity studies can take place, but Reim said he is still working through the stakeholder process. He said he has gotten mostly bipartisan support in the House and the Senate.

"As a constituent, it's an issue that I followed over 10 years ago," Reim said. "Apparently the interpretation of the current law that we're under now is being interpreted to favor removals, which was never the intent of the legislation."

Ecotourism Benefits

A mix of research exists in support and opposition to wild horses in general. Advocates say more peer reviewed research is needed to show that wild horses can benefit ecosystems.

While studies continue, the horses tend to attract a lot of visitors from around the country and the world. Ecotourism has become a booming business in wilderness areas even more than hunting and other traditional activities, Bell said.

She usually visits the sandy riverside area three times a week, unless she is at the Capital fighting for the horses.

"We have countless people that come to visit the Salt River because of the horses, and they're from all over the world," Bell said. "It's a cultural and ecological attraction that we're losing, and we're losing it because of this arbitrary number that they're putting forward."

A spokesperson for the Governor's Office said: "The Arizona Department of Agriculture recently conducted a thorough procurement process to select a partner that will help manage the horses. In collaboration with the selected contractor, the state is committed to sustainably managing the herd to protect the long-term health of the horses and their habitat."

Research Gap Remains

The department noted that advocates have never produced peer-reviewed scientific studies to determine how many horses can be supported on the 19,000 acres around the Salt River.

Currently, the horses live on about 19,000 acres around the Salt River, but advocates said there are no peer-reviewed scientific studies to determine how many horses can be supported on that amount of land.

The department said it has never mandated a herd reduction target and has not specified or required a herd target of 120 horses. They said the contractor, the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group, proposed reducing the herd to 120 over the term of the five-year contract.

The group did not respond to a request for comment.

"AZDA is committed to preserving the health, safety, and integrity of the Salt River Horse Herd and is statutorily mandated to humanely manage the herd," the department wrote. "Humanely and sustainably managing the herd requires balancing what the ecosystem can sustain as well as the size and diversity of the herd."

The department said it considered a variety of proposals to reduce the size of the herd, including the continuation of fertility control and the gradual, humane relocation of horses. The department said it does not have authority over wild horses or burros managed on Bureau of Land Management lands and are not coordinating with BLM on the removal of horses in Arizona.

A spokesperson for BLM Arizona said they are removing some burros from Lake Pleasant and Black Mountain Herd Management Areas, but not removing horses from the herd management areas near Kingman or Yuma.

The state department said their management of the Salt River Horse Herd is vital to preventing federal management of the herd.

"AZDA's role in managing the Salt River Horse Herd came after a federal plan to remove large amounts of horses from the Tonto National Forest," the department wrote, referencing the fight to keep the horses before the 2016 law was passed. "AZDA's current approach to sustainably and cooperatively manage the Salt River Horse Herd serves to prevent future federal efforts that could result in significant removal of horses from the Tonto National Forest."

Hobbs is not the only elected official advocates are counting on for support. Newly appointed Republican Rep. Cody Reim is introducing a striker amendment to provide clarity and definitions in the existing law, known as the Salt River Wild Horse Act, passed in 2016.

The Maricopa County Board of Supervisors appointed Reim to fill former Rep. Joseph Chaplik's seat after he resigned to run for Congress. Bell said his appointment was a wonderful surprise because they needed a hero.

The draft is still in progress and Reim said he plans to introduce it as a floor amendment. The proposal would also provide protection for a certain amount of time while genetic diversity studies can take place, but he is still working through the stakeholder process. He said he has gotten mostly bipartisan support in the House and the Senate.

"As a constituent, it's an issue that I followed over 10 years ago," Reim said. "Apparently the interpretation of the current law that we're under now is being interpreted to favor removals, which was never the intent of the legislation."

Ecotourism Benefits

A mix of research exists in support and opposition to wild horses in general. Advocates say more peer reviewed research is needed to show that wild horses can benefit ecosystems.

While studies continue, the horses tend to attract a lot of visitors from around the country and the world. Ecotourism has become a booming business in wilderness areas even more than hunting and other traditional activities, Bell said.

She usually visits the sandy riverside area three times a week, unless she is at the Capital fighting for the horses.

"We have countless people that come to visit the Salt River because of the horses, and they're from all over the world," Bell said. "It's a cultural and ecological attraction that we're losing, and we're losing it because of this arbitrary number that they're putting forward."

"We want the governor to stand up and protect the Salt River horses like Governor Doug Ducey did when we fought for them ten years ago. She hasn't done anything yet as far as standing up to protect them." — Susie Bell, Friends of the Salt River Wild Horses

A spokesperson for the Governor's Office said: "The Arizona Department of Agriculture recently conducted a thorough procurement process to select a partner that will help manage the horses. In collaboration with the selected contractor, the state is committed to sustainably managing the herd to protect the long-term health of the horses and their habitat."

Sources

• Arizona Capitol Times, April 11, 2026: https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2026/04/11/agreement-aims-to-reduce-salt-river-horse-herd-to-120-in-5-years/
• Arizona Capitol Times, January 9, 2026: https://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2026/01/09/gov-katie-hobbs-affordability-education-and-water-in-2026/