As we see in the published research and media, Europe is ahead of the U.S. on climate and ecological issues, including implementing wildfire fuels reductions using the native herbivory.
I began sharing my experience with ReWilding Europe in 2018, after experiencing the beneficial results of wild horse grazing during the Klamathon Fire (38,000 acres, wind-driven).
I was on the Camp Creek fire-line for 9-days as the local knowledge advisor to CALFIRE and studied the behavior of the wildfire in areas of different fuel loads:
ReWilding Europe is the leader in native species wildfire fuels grazing in Europe, and they have a wildfire-focused journal called; ‘GrazeLIFE‘.
ReWilding Europe’s team of scientists requested to publish my Preliminary Study on the benefits of our local herd of wild horses here on the Oregon-California border as the inaugural article for GrazeLIFE in 2019, which they did.
https://grazelife.com/blog/wild-horse-fire-brigade-lessons-in-rebalancing-north-american-ecosystems-by-rewilding-equids/
Our local herd of wild horses (the pilot Wild Horse Fire Brigade) made CALFIRE’s suppression efforts on the Klamathon Fire more effective via the large grazed-in fire breaks and safe-zones in areas unsuited for livestock grazing. The Cascade Siskiyou National Monument and the homes and towns beyond were spared incineration as a result.
The insurance industry analytics and credit rating company AM BEST produced a TV show about Wild Horses and Wildfire, which can be seen at this Link:
https://www.ambest.com/video/video.aspx?s=1&rc=wildhorses323
Out today:
‘Spain seeks more wild horses, even as U.S. & Australia seek fewer’:
https://www.animals24-7.org/2023/07/15/spain-seeks-more-wild-horses-even-as-u-s-australia-seek-fewer/
And that new article follows on the heels of recent news from Portugal, where another wildfire was stopped by wild horses:
The YouTube video (linked below) by the European reforesting org ‘Mossy Earth’
in Portugal discusses how ‘Wild Horses stopped a major wildfire there’.
Note: If you want to skip right to their discussion on wild horses stopping a wildfire, go to the 3-min. 20-second mark in the video….
Here is their video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H11ieh0rV3E
Quote from ReWilding Europe:
“A proven solution
There is no single measure that can prevent catastrophic wildfire breaking out again in Serra da Estrela, or in any of the other fire-prone landscapes across southern Europe. But rewilding and natural grazers can both support prevention and can help fire-damaged areas recover more quickly and significantly boost their wildfire resilience and biodiversity at the same time.”
We see the success stories all-around, so why are we suffering all the foot-dragging by some of our elected officials and politicians?
In 2018, the deadly 38,000 acre Klamathon Fire approached the area where our wild horse grazing program had been underway.
When that wind-driven wildfire reached the landscape (fire-breaks) of reduced grass and brush fuels, it lost steam and CALFIRE was able to suppress that wildfire before if reached the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument and incinerated it, which was downwind from the landscape treated by the wild horse grazing. It was a huge success.
I was on the fire-line of that fire for 9-days observing the fire behavior in the areas prodigious fuels, and when it reached the landscape of reduced fuels.
AM BEST TV produced a short documentary on our wildfire fuels mitigation plan called ‘Wild Horse Fire Brigade’.
Here is the link to the video at AM BEST TV: https://www.ambest.com/video/video.aspx?s=1&rc=wildhorses323
ABC NewsWatch 12 produced a 3-min. video about our Plan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFrLJ2vashU
We have a business plan and are looking for seed capital for a large-scale pilot (100,000-200,000 acres) in the form of a tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit.
These media stories offer varied perspectives on the resulting value propositions that stem from improved management of wildfire fuels via cost-effective wild horses.
1. NPR national Science: https://www.npr.org/2022/10/30/1131042723/preventing-wildfire-with-the-wild-horse-fire-brigade
2. AM BEST TV (Insurance Industry): https://www.ambest.com/video/video.aspx?s=1&rc=wildhorses323
3. Chronicle of Philanthropy: https://www.philanthropy.com/article/letting-wild-horses-run-free-to-curb-wildfires
5. ABC NewsWatch: https://www.kdrv.com/video/more-wild-horses-equals-less-fire-fuels/video_8b3c4ab9-9e43-5c6f-ae4b-89351b795ab1.html
6. Sacramento Bee: https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article267475488.html
7. GrazeLIFE (a publication of ReWilding Europe): https://grazelife.com/blog/wild-horse-fire-brigade-lessons-in-rebalancing-north-american-ecosystems-by-rewilding-equids/
8. Horse Canada: https://horse-canada.com/magazine/equine-welfare/can-wild-horses-help-prevent-wildfires-west/
9. German Horse Magazine – Feine Hilfen: https://feinehilfen.com/der-kampf-um-amerikas-mustangs-ein-anderer-ansatz/
10. HorseTalk New Zealand: https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2022/12/16/award-volunteer-wild-horse-music-video/
11: KHON Honolulu: New Research Reveals Natural Selection Has Many Facets Affecting Genetics & Foal Survival Of Wild Horses
12. Sierra Nevada Ally: https://sierranevadaally.org/2022/03/23/blm-mismanagement-of-american-wild-horses-burdening-taxpayers/
13. Outsider Magazine: https://outsider.com/outdoors/news-outdoors/researchers-believe-wild-horses-help-prevent-wildfires-heres-how/
14. EnviroNews: https://www.environews.tv/022718-wild-horses-may-hold-solution-slowing-spread-fatal-chronic-wasting-disease-deer-elk/
Regards, William
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