Biologist's Plea for Mesa Verde's Wild Horses
Dear Superintendent Spencer,
I am a retired Supervisory Biological Technician from Mesa Verde National Park. I wish to share my observations and concerns regarding the wild horses in the park. Having worked there for 40 years, I spent countless days in the backcountry, engaged in activities such as fence repair, water site monitoring, vegetation monitoring, and wildlife monitoring. Throughout these years, I observed and admired the park’s wild horses.
During my tenure, I did not witness any significant damage to archaeological resources caused by the horses. While they used game trails near ruins, the horses caused no more damage than deer and elk, and certainly less than burrowing rodents and rabbits. Surely, there are no plans to eliminate these wild animals.
The impact of human visitors is far more concerning. Visitors have stripped the park of artifacts like sherds and flakes, especially in the Front Country. Given this, why are the wild horses, numbering fewer than a hundred, being singled out?
Is one horse per thousand acres truly detrimental? I think not. Many visitors cherish the sight of these beautiful horses in their natural bands, where their paths cross with those of park-goers.
Moreover, I have not observed any significant impact on park vegetation due to horse grazing at the current low numbers. While horses do graze, the grass in the canyons and mesas rarely shows signs of overgrazing. Water availability, however, can be a concern, as noted by an old-time cattleman during my oral history interviews.
In conclusion, historical research indicates that wild horses have roamed these lands since the late 1800s, long before the establishment of Mesa Verde Park. These horses are highly valued by visitors and can coexist with the park’s archaeological and natural resources. I urge the National Park Service to develop a humane management plan for these horses as part of the Mesa Verde landscape.
Thank you for considering my perspective.
Marilyn Colyer
Mancos, CO