Hello again!
If you read our blog post earlier today, we asked that you send an email to Superintendent Richman, Regional Director Bert Frost, NPS Director Sams and Secretary Haaland.
One of our followers shared her awesome email with us that she sent to the Park! We asked her permission to share and she agreed!
Thank you Sherri and THANK YOU to all of you who have answered our Calls to Action! They ARE working! We are moving the needle for sure!
Thank you for your support and have a great night!
Congratulations! Theodore Roosevelt National Park is being widely publicized on both the National and the World stage. The notoriety of this National Park’s intentional mis-management of the approximately 200 wild horses is now gaining an infamous reputation. Let us consider what this actually means to the reputation of America’s National Park Service:
NOTORIETY: noun – the state of being known for some unfavorable act or quality
Similar: infamy, bad reputation/name, disrepute, ill repute, ill fame, dishonor
INFAMOUS: adjective – well known for some bad quality or deed.
Similar: notorious, disreputable, ill-famed, of ill-repute, legendary
Opposite: reputable
Before you toss this in the pile of negative letters you don’t want to read, perhaps you should actually consider the negative consequences this IS having on the reputation of not only TRNP but the National Park Service as a whole.
Until now, the National Park Service has enjoyed one of the most respected reputations of the many organizations in our United States government.
Since 1872, generations have grown up visiting our National Parks for spectacular experiences in the wilds of America, making cherished memories, enjoying a vast array of wildlife and glorious scenery. Until now, we felt assured that NPS was stewarding our unique natural treasures with the utmost care and trustworthiness.
Until now.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park management is brazenly committed to extirpating at least 150, if not ALL the wild horses who live and thrive in this badlands environment. National Park Service leadership is equally culpable by allowing this Park to continue this irresponsible plan.
· Despite TRNP giving zero research or scientific evidence demonstrating these wild horses have any negative impact on the wildlife or ecosystem within the boundaries of this park.
· Despite TRNP giving zero research or scientific evidence that removing the wild horses will improve this environment or the other wildlife in any way.
· Despite TRNP ignoring the logical detrimental economic impact of reduced tourism on not just this park, but the local economies and the state of North Dakota. The FACT that TRNP management intentionally misreported the results of the Brownlee public survey does not change the FACT that the horses are the overwhelming primary tourism draw to TRNP.
· Despite TRNP ignoring the FACT that other National Parks are successfully managing healthy wild horse herds as a treasured asset, demonstrating the template that could easily be duplicated in TRNP.
The TRNP management team has demonstrated time and again it has zero intention to actually consider any valid public input to keep these wild horses. We have jumped through ALL the hoops and legalities required by the NEPA process, yet it all is ignored. They have already determined to eliminate the wild horses. They are simply checking the boxes of the NEPA process with the least amount of effort to get to their predetermined goal.
Despite the FACT that the American taxpaying public fully and vocally support keeping a genetically healthy wild horse herd: Thousands of public comments, phone calls, letters, social media posts; the letters from local towns, the letters from various Tribes, the ND resolution, the letters from the ND Governor and representatives and senators – none of this has any impact on the plans and decisions of this TRNP management team. They are steadfast to extirpate the wild horses from this park FOR NO REASON.
As you are fully aware, Now national and world media are joining the fight to keep these wild horses in their home in TRNP.
The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/us-news/wild-horses-remove-theodore-roosevelt-national-park-north-dakota-e12d5fd6
The Washington Post: https://wapo.st/48yQydS
Towner County Herald: https://chwha.org/2024/01/05/towner-county-record-herald/
AND NOW: The Times (London) https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/roosevelt-wild-horses-run-out-of-badlands-america-r9t7smhjw
Readers/viewers/listeners from far and wide are outraged that the National Park Service is planning to destroy the lives of the wild horses entrusted in their care!
Exactly what impact will all this negative publicity have on the National Park Service as a whole?
This is no longer solely about one park. National public trust is being eroded. For over a century, our National Parks have been a shining example to the world of preserving our natural heritage.
UNTIL NOW.
Now the National Park Service as a whole is visibly untrustworthy.
This one National Park is a glaring example of audacious hubris taking precedence over principled stewardship of unique wildlife in a unique environment
Apparently the National Park Service leadership supports this destructive TRNP plan.
Logically, tourists from this nation and across the world wonder: what other National Parks are being degraded and damaged by mismanagement?
This irresponsible and unjustifiable plan by TRNP to eliminate the wild horses must be stopped now.
Not only for the lives of these wild horses, not just for the benefit of future generations to experience this magnificent herd in its rightful environment, but ALSO to prevent destruction of the reputation of the National Park Service as a whole.
Imagine the effect of reduced tourism to all of our National Parks? If we cannot trust our National Parks to be an environment managed and preserved with the utmost care, people will not risk going only to be deeply disappointed.
PUBLIC DISTRUST GROWS EASILY, BUT CANNOT BE RESTORED EASILY.
The National Park Service must change course and create a plan to keep the wild horses in TRNP at a genetically healthy level of 150 to 200 adult breeding age horses.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Sherri
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