WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation has about 600,000 livestock grazing its lands, exceeding the 185,000 animals the terrain can support.
According to the Navajo Department of Agriculture and Navajo Natural Heritage Program, this number includes domesticated animals like cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.
Additionally, there are approximately 80,000 feral horses, tribal officials report, up from 38,000 in 2017. The Navajo Nation Fish and Wildlife Department found that most feral horses come from domestic animals left uncared for by owners.
At a Sept. 30 meeting with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Director Terry Cosby, Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, and tribal agency directors, discussed land management and sustainable solutions for Navajo producers.
“We’ve been trying to figure out how to be sustainable while respecting our traditions and culture, but the overpopulation of horses is tough on the land and natural resources,” President Nygren said.
Jesse Jim, director of the Navajo Department of Agriculture, said the Nation plans to use its Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to reduce the feral horse population. Reclaiming the land through manpower and funding is a priority, Jim told NRCS.
Keisha Tatum, state conservationist for NRCS in Arizona, noted the USDA will open an office in Window Rock to help Navajo producers by reducing bureaucratic hurdles. She said the feral horse issue is a sensitive topic at both the tribal and federal levels.
The NRCS visit included field trips with Navajo producers in Western Navajo Agency, while also addressing concerns like ways to partner with the tribe to improve grazing lands and outstanding grazing permit issues.
Jim said the Navajo Nation plans to update its agricultural resource management plan for the 17 million acres that make up the Navajo Nation, which spans Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and parts of Colorado.
