“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step”
~ Chinese Proverb
Hello and Happy Wednesday to everyone!
More importantly, Happy National Day of the Horse! We featured 2023 Colt Auggie in this post. As you read on, you will see why!
We keep saying that we are in the beginning of what we believe will be a long fight for the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We know that can seem overwhelming. We also thought that in light of that and as we get ready to close another calendar year, it would be good to look at all that we have accomplished together in just this last year alone.
It has now been one full year since Theodore Roosevelt National Park announced their plans to eliminate the ENTIRE herd of horses from the Park. Their position has not changed, and they consistently show us that they have no plans to change that. This is why our advocacy work is so critical at this time.
December 12, 2022: Theodore Roosevelt National Park releases their scoping notice announcing their plans to eliminate the ENTIRE herd of horses from the Park.
Over the last year, Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates (CHWHA) has done the following, in addition to weekly talks with our legal team, ND State and Federal Legislators, American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC), members of the press, community leaders and other wild horse advocates.
December 2022:
· CHWHA alerts the media of the Park’s position and begins interviewing with reporters from across the state.
· CHWHA reaches out to local state legislators for help to save the horses. The search begins for a state legislator to sponsor a resolution asking the Park to allow the horses to stay.
· CHWHA reaches out to the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce to brainstorm ways that we can get the word out.
· CHWHA works with ND House Minority Leader Representative Josh Boschee on a letter to Theodore Roosevelt National Park requesting an extension to the current public comment period to allow the ND Legislators proper time to formulate a response. That request to our state legislators was DENIED.
January 2023:
· CHWHA continues talking to state legislators seeking someone to sponsor legislation in the upcoming legislative session.
· CHWHA works with the AWHC to draft legislation for our legislators.
· Senator Bekkedahl finally agrees to sponsor the resolution. Senator Elkin, Representative Kempenich, Senator Kessel, Senator Patten and Representative Steiner all co-sponsor the legislation.
· The resolution is given the number SCR-4014.
· The Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce discusses their “Coffee with the Legislators” – a weekly meeting with local legislators to discuss important issues with the public. It was later noted that CHWHA President Christine Kman and Dickinson Area Chamber Executive Director Carter Fong are the two people who were present at every meeting.
· Coffee with the Legislators begins on January 14, 2023. The public is invited to ask questions at the end of the presentation.
· CHWHA President Christine Kman was invited by Save Our Wild Horses to give a Zoom talk to help guide the public on how to make an impactful comment.
· Theodore Roosevelt National Park holds their virtual public meeting on January 12.
· CHWHA attends the Medora Chamber of Commerce meeting urging them to take a position on the Park’s announcement and encouraging them to submit comments to the Park.
· January 31, 2023 – Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s public comment period ends.
· While Senators Hoeven and Cramer agree the horses need to stay IN Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Congressman Kelly Armstrong had not publicly joined our fight. CHWHA started a postcard, email and phone call campaign to gain his support. CHWHA also had meetings with his DC office over the phone.
· CHWHA’s comment letter was completed by Eubanks and Associates and submitted electronically, via email and through certified mail to Superintendent Angie Richman by the January 31, 2023 deadline.
February 2023:
· CHWHA testifies at the North Dakota Senate hearing on SCR-4014.
· CHWHA meets with their local SBDC (Small Business Development Center) office to brainstorm ways to educate the public on the current plight of the TRNP wild horses.
· CHWHA has several meetings with the American Wild Horse Campaign to discuss strategies.
· CHWHA President Christine Kman is invited to speak at the Save Our Wild Horses Conference in Washington, DC.
· CHWHA’s campaign to gain Congressman Armstrong’s support continues.
March 2023:
· CHWHA continues to meet with AWHC to discuss strategies.
· CHWHA meets with a new local reporter from the Dickinson Press.
· AWHC’s billboard goes up in Dickinson.
· On March 26th CHWHA holds their first “Horse Talk” Dr. Castle McLaughlin is our very first guest.
· CHWHA’s campaign to gain Congressman Armstrong’s support continues.
· CHWHA begins communicating with the MHA Nation asking them to advocate with us to save the TRNP wild horses.
April 2023:
· CHWHA continues to hold “Horse Talks” March brings new talks with Christine McGowan, Frank Kuntz and Christa Ruppert, and Representative Josh Boschee.
· CHWHA has a phone meeting with the WHAGR Institute to discuss strategies and gain new insights from them.
· CHWHA prepares folders full of information to take to Washington, DC to pass out to members of Congress.
· CHWHA President Christine Kman gave a presentation at the Save Our Wild Horses conference in Washington DC
· While in Washington DC, Christine Kman personally visited approximately 250 Congressional offices where she passed out a folder full of information about the TRNP wild horses and asked for their support.
· While in Washington DC, Christine Kman met with Senator John Hoeven to discuss his role in advocating with us to save the TRNP wild horses.
· CHWHA’s campaign to gain Congressman Armstrong’s support continues with an in-person meeting with his Chief of Staff while in DC.
· CHWHA is present as Governor Doug Burgum does a ceremonial signing of SCR-4014. Governor Burgum gives the signed copy to CHWHA President, Christine Kman.
May 2023:
· CHWHA was contacted by a company working with National Geographic on their NEW National Park’s series. CHWHA hosted a videographer who came out to visit the horses. The plan was to come out during every season and record some of the new foals as they grew. 2023 Colt Auggie (Ardena x Ollie Jr.) was the star of the weekend! Unfortunately, budget cuts at Disney cut the Theodore Roosevelt National Park segment from the series.
· CHWHA was informed that NPS Regional Director Herbert Frost would be in town in July. Planning began for the Bully Pulpit Rally to be held in July of 2023. Director Frost was invited along with other advocates, state representatives and business owners.
· CHWHA met with the Dickinson Area Chamber of Commerce and the Dickinson Convention and Visitors Bureau to brainstorm ways to make the rally a success.
· Horse Talks continued with Scott Beckstead and Ginger Fedak. The talk with Ginger Fedak was changed when Dr. Dan Baker from Colorado State University joined the talk. We also had a talk with Theodore Roosevelt himself, Joe Wiegand and Stephan Zacharias from the Moab Museum.
· CHWHA participated in Medora’s Community Night. They had a table at the event and answered questions about the current plight of the wild horses in TRNP to community members.
· CHWHA continued meeting with members of the press and local business leaders to raise awareness.
· CHWHA met regularly with AWHC on strategies that could be used to continue to raise awareness and keep up engagement with our followers.
· CHWHA’s campaign to gain Congressman Armstrong’s support continues.
· The MHA Nation votes on and unanimously passes their own resolution asking Theodore Roosevelt National Park to allow the wild horses to stay IN the Park.
June 2023:
· CHWHA’s campaign to gain Congressman Armstrong’s support continues. President Christine Kman meets with Congressman Armstrong in person while he was in town for an event. The Congressman FINALLY agrees that the horses should be allowed to stay BUT wants them to be properly managed using the best science.
· CHWHA attends the Medora City Council meeting and gets added to the schedule to discuss the City of Medora sending their own resolution to the Park. The topic is pushed to the July meeting. A suggested draft of the resolution prepared by CHWHA and AWHC was given to the City Council members.
· CHWHA walks the streets of Medora during the Flag Day parade passing out candy and stickers to kids and brochures to adults to raise awareness about the current plight of the TRNP wild horses.
· CHWHA President Christine Kman appears on the local show Studio 701 to promote the Bully Pulpit Rally.
· Horse Talks continue with Craig Downer and Erik Molvar.
· CHWHA signs a 1-year agreement and has their billboard installed on I-94.
· CHWHA meets with a National Geographic photojournalist.
July 2023:
· CHWHA attends the Medora City Council meeting. The City Council votes to pass the resolution as drafted with minor changes.
· CHWHA President Christine Kman meets with Superintendent Angie Richman, NPS Regional Director Herbert Frost and other NPS employees. Christine is accompanied by Mike Lefor, ND House Majority Leader, Mary Koncel from AWHC, Ginger Fedak from In Defense of Animals and on the phone by Eric at Senator Hoeven’s office.
· The Bully Pulpit Rally is held in Medora. The entire event was video-taped and is available to view on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/3HQYR0hzfqg
· CHWHA holds a NEW Horse Talk with ND House Minority Leader, Josh Boschee.
· CHWHA attends 4th of July Parades in Dickinson and Medora to help raise awareness about the plight of the wild horses in TRNP.
August 2023:
· CHWHA speaks with Senator Hoeven’s Office about the possibility of adding language into the Interior Department’s Appropriations Bill. Senator Hoeven added language to the Senate report for the 2024 NPS budget.
September 2023:
· Theodore Roosevelt National Park releases their Draft EA.
· CHWHA formally requests an extension to the comment period. This request was granted, and the comment period was extended until November 24, 2023.
· CHWHA requests documents cited in the Draft EA as required by NEPA.
· CHWHA held a Horse Talk with Ross MacPhee.
· CHWHA has regular meetings with their legal team to discuss strategy.
· CHWHA has regular meetings with AWHC to discuss the Draft EA and the possibility of AWHC signing onto CHWHA’s comment letter.
· CHWHA begins almost daily blogs explaining the NEPA process, explaining the Draft EA and giving supporters ways to make an impactful comment.
October 2023:
· CHWHA meets with Associated Press journalist Jack Dura
· CHWHA President Christine Kman holds a Horse Talk to answer questions from followers. She is joined by Matt Arnold from Eubanks and Associates, PLLC.
· Wild Horse Advocate, Carol Walker, invites Christine Kman to her podcast to help raise awareness about the TRNP wild horses.
· Wild Horse Advocate, Barbara Moore, from ECI invites Christine Kman to a Zoom meeting to help raise awareness about the TRNP wild horses.
· Barbara O’Brien from the Empathetic Trainer invites Christine Kman to her podcast to help raise awareness about the TRNP wild horses.
· Heather Hellyer from Save Our Wild Horses invites Christine Kman to a Zoom meeting to help raise awareness about the TRNP wild horses.
· CHWHA attends local Trunk or Treat events in Dickinson and Medora to help raise awareness about the plight of the wild horses in TRNP.
· North Dakota State legislators are called into a special session. CHWHA President Christine Kman meets with House Majority Leader Mike Lefor to discuss the possibility of introducing a state law to protect the TRNP wild horses.
· CHWHA drafts legislation for the special session which was introduced by Representative Josh Boschee. The legislation moved into the final committee voting round before it was decided to NOT bring this forward into the special session.
November 2023:
· CHWHA and AWHC submit their comments drafted by Eubanks and Associates via email, certified mail and through the Park’s Planning website.
· CHWHA sends a petition with just under 3,000 signatures along with supporting documentation to the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office asking that their office find the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park historically and culturally significant to the state of North Dakota as part of their Section 106 Review Process.
· CHWHA holds a Horse Talks with Craig Downer, Castle McLaughlin and Jen Britton.
· CHWHA begins talks with North Dakota state legislators to prepare for the 2025 session and ways they can continue to advocate with us for the wild horses of TRNP.
· Friends at National Geographic created videos for CHWHA to publish to YouTube and on social media to help raise awareness and get the public to comment before the November 24th deadline.
· CHWHA spent over $3,000 in advertising in the month of November alone to spread the word about the current comment period and to encourage the public to submit their comments before the November 24th deadline.
December 2023:
WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A “DECEMBER TO REMEMBER”!
We also want to thank Patrick Springer from the Fargo Forum. Patrick has written a number of articles about the TRNP wild horses and has spoken with numerous experts in different areas. You can find Patrick’s articles on the Fargo Forum website: https://www.inforum.com/
Joe contacted us today. His article was scheduled to be released TOMORROW (12/14) online BUT it has now been pushed into next week. We will keep you posted on the release of his article as soon as we hear!
We hope that as 2023 draws to a close, we want you to know that we appreciate all of the help and support you have given us this year. It has been a rollercoaster ride for sure! We do hope that you stand tall and are proud of all we have accomplished together. More than anything, remember the mountains we have moved as we continue on this journey to save this iconic herd of wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home!
Every step listed above was important to the next step or the next thing that happened. We have laid the groundwork for a very strong fight to save these horses. Remember, even when it might seem like nothing is happening, SOMETHING absolutely is happening at CHWHA! As you can see, this year has been a non-stop marathon in the fight to save these horses!
We also hope that we can continue to count on your financial support as we continue to Fight for the Spirit of the Badlands. We were told that while consumer spending is up 20% this season, donations to nonprofit organizations like Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates, is down 20%. As a 501(c)3 organization, any donation you make is 100% tax-deductible! There are several ways you can make a donation to CHWHA listed on our website: https://chwha.org/support-chwha/
Thank you again for your support and please make sure you take the time to enjoy the magic of the season!
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