Hello and Happy Wednesday to everyone! Thank you for understanding the need for somewhat of a break over this last week! We enjoyed our time with family and friends! Our work to save the horses never stops despite our greatest plans!
We get a lot of questions & comments about the process we are currently in regarding the future management of the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We thought as we come back from our break, it would be a good time to answer those questions today.
Questions/comments we hear most include:
Are we still doing this?
I thought the horses were saved?
The park is going to drag this out hoping the public attention on this matter wanes!
Didn’t Governor Burgum save the horses?
Why isn’t the state of North Dakota doing anything to help?
Should I contact the ND federal delegates?
What are the ND federal delegates doing to help save the horses?
Who is authorizing this?
Can’t you take legal action against them?
WHY does the park want to get rid of the horses?
I want to start by sharing this image. This is a flow chart that explains the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) Process. I will try to explain this in the simplest of terms. As always, if you have questions, feel free to email us at info@chwha.org or send us a PM on social media.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park announced their plans in December of 2022 to eliminate the ENTIRE herd of horses (and longhorn cattle) from the park. The park cannot just eliminate the horses, the NEPA process gives a set of rules that must be followed. The park is currently conducting a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA).
From the NEPA handbook: (Note: CE=Categorical Exclusion – EIS=Environmental Impact Statement)
“This pathway is applicable to a variety of situations. Although an EA was originally envisioned as a tool for determining whether to prepare an EIS and is still used this way in some instances, in most cases the EA has become a distinct pathway. An EA is a means for documenting compliance with NEPA and assisting in the planning and decision-making process when a CE is not appropriate but an EIS is not necessary.”
We, along with other wild horse advocates and our legal team, believe that the park actually needs to prepare an EIS. The park has consistently stated that they believe an EA is sufficient.
Again, from the NEPA handbook:
Environmental Impact Statement This pathway is applicable to proposals that could result in significant adverse environmental impacts. An EIS is a detailed written statement required by Section 102(2)(C) of NEPA (1508.11). There are several circumstances that indicate an EIS is the appropriate NEPA pathway:
- the proposal is designated by the NPS as an action normally requiring preparation of an EIS;
- the proposal is expected to or has the potential to result in significant adverse environmental impacts;
- there is incomplete or unavailable information to the extent that a FONSI cannot be supported [See Section 4.7: Concluding the NEPA Process and Documenting a Decision.];
- there is a high degree of controversy over the environmental impacts of a proposed action or
- an EIS is legislatively or judicially mandated.
All of the support the horses have received is amazing – BUT it doesn’t stop the process the park initiated. The process has to be completed. According to the NEPA handbook, the NEPA process can take several months and in some cases, several years to complete.
So….
Are we still doing this?
Yes we are. As stated above, the Park initiated a NEPA process that now has to be completed. They have stated that their Draft EA will be available this summer.
I thought the horses were saved?
The horses have NOT been saved! IF the park decides to change their proposed action, they will no doubt give a press release. Until we hear otherwise, we should all assume that they are staying the course to eliminate the horses.
The park is going to drag this out hoping the public attention on this matter wanes!
As we stated above, the NEPA process is a long process that has many different components.
Didn’t Governor Burgum save the horses?
Governor Burgum offered any resources available within the state of North Dakota to keep the horses in the park. To the best of our knowledge, the park has not responded to the Governor’s offer
Why isn’t the state of North Dakota doing anything to help?
Our ND State Legislators UNANIMOUSLY passed SCR-4014 – a resolution asking that the park allow the wild horses and longhorn cattle to stay within the park. SCR 4014 is a powerful piece to our advocacy toolkit, but in essence, it is a request from the state of North Dakota asking the National Park Service to allow the horses and longhorn cattle to stay. The resolution also asks our ND federal delegates to help.
Should I contact the ND federal delegates?
Senator John Hoeven, Senator Kevin Cramer and Congressman Kelly Armstrong are all working with us to keep the horses in the park. We had several “Calls to Action” in the past as we worked to gain their support, now that they are supporting us, there is no need to contact their offices.
What are the ND federal delegates doing to help save the horses?
Senator John Hoeven is in the best position to help the horses. Senator Hoeven sits on the US Senate Appropriations Committee. Senator Hoeven recently added language to the 2024 Interior Department Appropriations Bill strongly suggesting that the wild horses and longhorn cattle be allowed to stay in the park. Please note: THIS ACTION HAS NOT SAVED THE HORSES – THE NEPA PROCESS CONTINUES! Senator Hoeven’s office – like the rest of us, is patiently waiting for the Draft EA to come out.
Who is authorizing this?
We have no idea where this action is coming from within the National Park Service.
Can’t you take legal action against them?
The process has to be completed. Once the process is complete, we will discuss any possible legal action with our legal team.
WHY does the park want to get rid of the horses?
This is the million-dollar question that the world would love an answer to!
What CAN you do now to help the TRNP wild horses?
Keep raising awareness about these horses! Keep sharing our posts! Keep talking about the current plight of these horses to everyone you know! I have to say, you NEVER know when one conversation will catch the ear of the right person! I have had the pleasure of talking to some pretty interesting and influential people lately! Please watch the Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates (CHWHA) website and social media pages. We will let you know when the Draft EA comes out and when and how to submit your comments!
Lastly, please help support our advocacy efforts! From day one, CHWHA has been leading the fight to save these horses. You may see other groups fundraising for these horses. We are NOT receiving any of that money to help with our fight. We are always transparent with where donations to CHWHA are going. Currently we need to fund our billboard beyond September. We also just had more promotional materials printed. We have monthly website and zoom expenses, just to name a few. There is a good chance that this will end up in litigation. We need to start building up our funds for that NOW. Every little bit helps support our work to save these horses! There are several ways you can donate on our website: https://chwha.org/support-chwha/
Thank you for your support and if you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us!
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.
