Tag: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests

HEBER, Ariz. — A federal judge has limited a preliminary injunction to the Sitgreaves National Forest, ruling it no longer applies to the Apache National Forest after determining the challenged U.S. Forest Service actions were confined to the Sitgreaves. The ruling came days after the Center for Biological Diversity sought to intervene, arguing in court filings that unauthorized free-roaming horses had denuded portions of federally designated critical habitat for the endangered New Mexico meadow jumping mouse on the Apache National Forest.

The Apache National Forest and Sitgreaves National Forest are often referred to together as the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, but they remain two distinct national forests that have been managed under a single administration since 1974. A federal court is now being asked to determine whether an injunction issued in the case extends across both forests or is limited to the Sitgreaves National Forest.

Free-Roaming Arizona Horse Series: Episode 2 – Horses & Habitat in Crisis with Jackie Hughes on the Sitgreaves National Forest. Dive deep into the forest with us and discover the reality of the Heber horses, their habitat, and the delicate balance between herd health, wildlife, and the future of the land we locals call home. 

A decades-long conflict over free-roaming horses in Heber/Overgaard and surrounding areas in northeastern Arizona is reaching a turning point, as federal officials prepare to begin enforcement actions that could significantly reduce horse populations across the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests. This article examines the question now facing the region: how did we get here?