They can, according to a guest column appearing today in the Pagosa Daily Post, by consuming grass and brush that carry flames to other fuels, such as trees.
The writer is described as a naturalist, author and conservationist.
A related article posted today by the Ag Information Network of the West provides additional details.
The author of the guest column wants horses removed “from areas where they are not wanted,” such as HMAs, and placed “in the mountains in an effort to reduce wildfire fuel.”
You see, many of these “remote wilderness areas are poorly suited to commercial livestock grazing due to the extensive predation of calves and lambs, poor accessibility and very difficult terrain,” so horses should live there.
Does this sound familiar?
The author is the same guy who wrote a column last month about moving wild horses into remote areas so public-lands ranchers can have full access to their food.
He’s listed as a rancher/conservationist in the Ag Info article.