A proposal is under consideration to relocate 50 to 60 Salt River Horses from the Tonto National Forest into 600 acres of Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve. While the desire to protect these horses is admirable, the plan poses significant environmental, legal, logistical, and safety risks that make it incompatible with the Preserve’s purpose and Scottsdale’s long-term priorities. 
The McDowell Sonoran Preserve was created to safeguard native desert landscapes and wildlife. Introducing feral horses, a non-native species, threatens to upset that delicate balance. Horses are large grazing animals that will consume scarce vegetation, trample sensitive soil, spread invasive weeds, and permanently degrade habitat. Scientific research shows that lands inhabited by feral horses typically suffer from reduced plant diversity, increased soil erosion, and an uptick in invasive species like red brome, which worsens wildfire risks. The claim that horses would enhance biodiversity and help reseed the land is not supported by ecological evidence. In reality, these animals are more likely to strip native trees and shrubs, leaving behind barren and compacted soil with little ability to recover.
Beyond damaging the landscape, horses would displace native wildlife. According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, feral horses compete with species like mule deer for limited food and water. Their presence at watering sites would disrupt natural behaviors and reduce access for animals that already struggle to survive in the arid desert. Supplemental hay brought in for the horses could be harmful to native wildlife, and once distributed on the land, cannot be effectively isolated. The introduction of non-native grazers would create cascading effects throughout the ecosystem, undermining the Preserve’s role as a sanctuary for Arizona’s natural biodiversity.
Water availability is another serious issue. The proposed site lacks natural water sources. Providing the 328,500 gallons of annual water needed would require either trucking it in or installing expensive infrastructure. Trucking water would degrade roads and damage the environment, while extending water lines would disrupt the Preserve and cost the city significantly. Drilling wells is likely unfeasible due to groundwater limitations and potential impacts on nearby homes. In a desert city where water scarcity is a persistent concern, adding long-term water demands for non-native animals is a poor use of resources.
Financially, the burden on Scottsdale could be substantial. Horses live for 20 to 30 years, with each new generation creating a new cycle of obligation, and the city would assume full legal and ethical responsibility for their care. Feeding must be provided year-round because the land cannot sustain grazing, especially in summer. Veterinary care, shade structures, supplemental feed storage, and fencing would all be necessary. These expenses would fall to a new nonprofit organization that does not yet exist. Its funding sources, leadership, and long-term viability are entirely speculative. If the nonprofit fails, the city and its taxpayers would be left to manage the crisis.
The creation of a non-native, grazing animal sanctuary also conflicts with the legal and intended use of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Scottsdale’s City Code prohibits this type of use. The Preserve is designated for conservation and passive recreation, not for housing domestic or feral animals. Fencing off land for horses would interfere with public access and compromise trail use. Cyclists, hikers, and equestrians would face gates and altered routes. More concerning, escaped horses could pose traffic hazards. A tragic 2004 incident on Rio Verde Drive, where a horse caused a fatal collision, is a sobering reminder of what can happen when large animals mix with city roads. There are also risks of horses behaving aggressively around people, particularly stallions or mares in heat. The Scottsdale Fire Department could be forced to divert resources to manage emergencies involving the sanctuary, including evacuations during wildfire season. In an era of increasing fire risk, adding more combustible fuel loads and emergency demands is dangerous and shortsighted. 
Creating a sanctuary would also require the construction of roads, veterinary facilities, parking lots, and supply storage, all of which contradict the Preserve’s low-impact principles. These changes would degrade the very land the Preserve was created to protect. Scarce city funds currently used to maintain existing trailheads and recreational areas might be diverted to cover the costs of this new, unneeded infrastructure.
While the effort to protect the Salt River horses is well-meaning, it is fundamentally misguided to transplant them into an area where they do not belong. Instead of compromising Scottsdale’s most treasured natural resource, efforts should focus on improving management of the herd in its existing habitat in the Tonto National Forest. That environment already has the infrastructure, oversight, and ecological makeup to support these animals in a way that does not endanger native ecosystems.
The West’s legacy is rich with the image of the horse, but the future of the Sonoran Desert must be guided by science, conservation, and sustainability. The proposed non-native, grazing animal sanctuary conflicts with the values that define the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and would do more harm than good. For the sake of Scottsdale’s desert, its wildlife, its citizens, and the horses themselves, this proposal should be respectfully but firmly rejected.
If you share our concern about the plan to relocate feral horses into the McDowell Sonoran Preserve, now is the time to speak up!
Contact the Mayor of Scottsdale and City Council members to voice your opposition and urge them to protect this fragile desert ecosystem. Let them know that introducing non-native horses threatens the Preserve’s long-term ecological health and violates its founding purpose. Your input matters. Reach out today, and help keep the Preserve wild and native.
Contact Scottsdale City Council Now!
