Hello and Happy Thursday!
We thought this seemed like a good time for a recap of where we are and what we are expecting to happen as we move forward.
I was talking to a reporter yesterday with a another wild horse advocate friend of mine. We ended up talking about what we thought the Theodore Roosevelt National Park will end up doing in light of the public outcry and political support.
To recap: Theodore Roosevelt National Park announced their plans to eliminate the entire herd of horses from the park on December 12, 2022. They had a public comment period, as required under NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act), that ended on January 31, 2023. The park has stated that they are reviewing the comments and moving forward with their Environmental Assessment (EA). They told a local reporter last week that they plan to be back with a Draft EA this spring or summer.
It would seem that if they were considering our North Dakota Governor Burgum’s offer of pretty much ANY of our states resources, they would state that or at least pause their process to negotiate with the Governor. We know from conversations with one of our state senators that the governor asks him regularly if he has heard any news from the park. This strongly suggests that there is not any current dialog happening between Theodore Roosevelt National Park and our Governor’s office.
We, and our advocacy friends, believe that the park is planning to stay the course. We all expect the park to put out a Draft EA that supports the removal of the ENTIRE herd of horses from the park.
We will know more when their Draft EA comes out.
In the meantime, we are working as hard as we can from every angle to help save this herd. We are talking to the media, we have weekly Horse Talks set up to continue to educate and raise awareness about this herd, and we are advertising in prominent places. Today we spent some time walking around talking to local businesses handing out our window clings. In a few weeks we will be heading to Washington DC to meet with as many of our federal delegates as possible. We also had one of our congressional friends offer to send a meeting request with us to their contacts at the Department of the Interior! Here is hoping!
Support for these horses is growing, but that DOES NOT make them safe. Governor Burgum and our ND legislators’ support is awesome, but these decisions are coming from our federal government. Our governor and state legislators do not have any jurisdiction over the park.
We have several “Calls to Action” for you listed on our website. We are asking if you already sent Congressman Armstrong an email, that you send him another one! You can see all of our current Calls to Action on our website: https://chwha.org/calls-to-action/
As a nonprofit, our success depends on your support.
Please consider volunteering for our organization: https://secure.everyaction.com/6xS7i5nc70mzvKF-gTvjcA2
We also need financial support to continue our fight! There are a number of ways you can donate to us listed on our website: https://chwha.org/support-chwha/
As a 501(c )(3) organization, your donation is tax deductible.
Thank you for your support and have a GREAT day!
Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates is committed to advocating for a wild horse management plan and protection for these unique wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home! We are fighting for a management plan that is guided by science especially when it comes to decisions regarding the removal of horses and the administration of birth control. Many other wild horse management plans have proven to be successful with their science-based plans. We are asking for the same for this amazing group of wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home.
