Many, many of our fellow citizens view our public lands as places intended to safeguard wilderness. Despite this, former Secretary of Interior Kenneth Salazar announced early on that he would preside over the industrialization of public lands, and among his chief targets for removal from the lands were wild horses and burros.

We must insist that current Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell rescind this ecologically devastating policy. She and other public officials must work to preserve our natural heritage — and must not continue to undermine the health and long-term integrity of wild horse and burro herds.

Wild horses and burros are excellent reducers of dry, flammable vegetation, yet our government continues to reduce their numbers even in legally established Herd Areas or Territories. Many of the major roundups that have resulted in subviable populations or no populations at all have been major factors in subsequent catastrophic fires.