Mesa Verde National Park looking to remove ‘trespass horses’

CORTEZ, Colo. – A national park in Colorado is looking to remove free-roaming horses and cattle from its interior.

The Cortez Journal reports about 80 “trespass horses” and 12 feral cattle roam the backcountry of Mesa Verde National Park. The animals are not considered wildlife, and the park does not allow livestock grazing under its management policy.

The park prefers to remove all livestock within five years, and improve the park’s boundary fencing over the next 10 years to prevent livestock from re-entering the park.

A Livestock Removal Environmental Assessment was released Friday for a 30-day public comment period on the issue.

The public can comment on the issue on the National Park Service’s website until May 13.

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Information from: Cortez Journal, http://www.cortezjournal.com/