“One cannot and must not try to erase the past merely because it does not fit the present.”
― Golda Meir

Hello and Happy Happy Happy Tuesday to everyone!

We have A LOT to share today through what will be multiple blog posts, so be sure to check throughout the day or even better – go to our homepage and subscribe to our website to be notified of updates!

Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates has promised to fight for the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park from EVERY ANGLE.  Sometimes it gets quiet here as it feels like so many balls are up in the air, and we are waiting for them to come down so we can see where they land!

There are also A LOT of moving parts involved in saving this herd.  Each is a piece to the puzzle that makes up the whole picture of saving these horses.  I hope that the information we share with you today shows that more clearly.

I am not going to go into detail today about The National Historic Preservation Act or The Section 106 Review process.  If you are interested in learning more about that topic, (and we do hope you are!) please be sure to check out the Horse Talk we had with our friend Steve Martens we have uploaded the video to our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/vU1RKBPGNBY

You will remember that we asked that you send letters to the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Bill Peterson to weigh in on the Section 106 Review process that his office is currently conducting.  Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates also sent in a petition with just under 4,000 signatures asking that his office find the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park historically and culturally significant. 

In our communications with his office, we have learned that Theodore Roosevelt National Park, in their efforts to be compliant with The Section 106 Review process, sent in documentation to the SHPO stating that their plans to eliminate the ENTIRE herd of horses from Theodore Roosevelt National Park would have “no adverse effect”. 

Staying in communication with the SHPO, we learned that they sent a letter back to the park last fall stating that the documentation that they submitted to the SHPO was not enough to support their claims that these horses were NOT historically and culturally significant. 

We also know from listening to the little that the park does say to the media, that Superintendent Richman has been quoted as saying that they were working on being compliant with The Section 106 Review process.

For clarification, The Section 106 Review process is NOT optional.  This is federally mandated, and the Park has to be compliant with this process.

Also, the NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) process they are currently engaged in states that the Park has to resolve all “controversy” before they make a final decision.  Controversy in this context means – for example – that if someone like The North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office finds that the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park ARE historically and culturally significant, THAT is in direct controversy to the Park’s statement that they are NOT.

If you watched the Horse Talk last week with Steve Martens, you heard that the State Historic Preservation Office was planning to send a letter to Theodore Roosevelt National Park to remind them about this Section 106 Review process. 

We have a copy of that letter to share with you today!

Fun Fact!

In 1974, TRNP Superintendent John Lancaster sent a letter to the then Governor Link of North Dakota.  It seems that there was an issue of ownership regarding the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  That letter is also included in the SHPO’s letter to the Park for you to read in its entirety.  Just a tidbit for you: Note – the “animals” he refers to are the wild horses in the park.

“As we indicated some years ago, the animals will now be managed in a manner similar to other wildlife within the park.  We will disturb them as little as possible, leaving nature to take its course.”

AND this gem from the same letter:

“We wish to thank you for your interest in the horses over the years and hope these animals continue to serve as an attraction and as an incentive for people to visit the North Dakota Badlands.”

WOW, huh?!

Quite the change in tone than what we have seen over the last few years especially!

I read the SHPO’s 4-page letter with tears streaming down my face.  Happy tears for sure!

I will leave you with the last part of his letter that just sends goosebumps throughout my body! 

EVERY LITTLE THING MATTERS!

Frank and Leo Kuntz’s fight in 1993 to make the Nokota horse the State of North Dakota’s honorary equine MATTERS TODAY.  Our fight last year to get SCR-4014 passed MATTERS TODAY.  Superintendent Lancaster’s promise to the Governor and the State of North Dakota in 1974 MATTERS TODAY!

All of you who took time to send the SHPO a letter or sign our petition – THAT ALSO MATTERS TODAY!

All of these seemingly small steps we have all taken together over the last 2 years in our fight to save these horses MATTERS TODAY.

AND TODAY

The North Dakota State Historic Perseveration Office pulled it all together for Theodore Roosevelt National Park. 

Before we end – PLEASE REMEMBER – THIS IS NOT OVER!  The Park still has to give us their final decision and then we see what that is and go from there.  Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates is not done until we have federal protection for this amazing historic herd of wild horses that call the Park home.  We STILL have A LOT of work to do. I also hope this part of the letter we are sharing here shows you just how long this fight has been going on and why our fight has to continue until these horses have federal protection so that we never have to go through this again.

For today, a reason to smile and another reason to have HOPE in our fight.

I am truly honored to be in this fight with each one of you.  I cannot thank you enough for your continued support!

“The State of North Dakota, through its elected officials, has been in discussions with the National Park Service talking about the importance of the feral horses to the citizens of North Dakota for over 50 years.  As early as 1965, the entire North Dakota congressional delegation wrote letters to the park superintendent in support of keeping the horses (McLaughlin 1989).  In 1974, Governor Link worked with the NPS to transfer ownership of the horses to the park, ensuring long-term management for the benefit of North Dakotans in perpetuity (see attached latter; Harmon 1986).  Additionally, the State of North Dakota passed two pieces of legislation discussing the importance of the TRNP horses to the history of North Dakota.  First, in 1993, when the state made the Nakota horse its State Honorary Equine, citing its history as a fundamental characteristic.  More recently, in 2023 the legislature passed Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 4014) imploring the NPOS to keep the herd in TRNP, once again citing its historical importance.

The importance of the horses and TRNP to North Dakotans has been noted throughout the decades of cooperation between the park and the state.  Given the history of collaboration between the park and the State of North Dakota, we need to work as long-term partners in the management of the horses now and in the future.  The nature and history of the park, including the horses, needs to be honored just as we honor the legacy and history of conservation and ranching.

As an advocate for the historical resources for North Dakota and a consultation partner under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the State Historical Society requests that the NPS continue decades of cooperation with North Dakota’s elected officials to honor the commitments made to Governor Link in 1974 and consider the impact of the horses on the cultural landscape of TRNP as a biotic cultural resource.” 

You can read the entire letter and see the supporting documentation here:

Have a GREAT day and don’t forget!  We have more to share!

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