Hopefully a few lessons have been learned since this time last week when it was announced that the U.S. Forest Service had published a legal notice about removing the wild horses from the Salt River area.

First, this is not a new issue. The Forest Service has been mulling over what to do with the horses for more than a decade. Horse advocates might have been caught off guard by the announcement, but the concerns are not new.

Second, the Forest Service is rather limited in its options. From its perspective, something must be done with the horses. Increased traffic, as well as the increasing urban area around Saguaro Lake and the Salt and Verde rivers, have pushed this issue to the forefront. “Not touching” the horses is probably not an option for them.

Third, hopefully some kind of compromise – whether it’s through the courts or not – can be achieved between the Forest Service and the Salt River Wild Horse Management Group. The group says it has submitted a 50-page proposal for sustaining the iconic horses.

Time will only tell if some sort of compromise is possible. It would be a shame to lose the horses all together, but it would also be a shame if somewhere to happen in the future with regard to some kind of tragic accident.