Hello and Happy Tuesday! I was overwhelmed with questions, comments, and supportive words after my blog post yesterday. Thank you to everyone who reached out and THANK YOU to everyone who was able to make a donation.
So…questions…
Q: Didn’t we save this herd?
A: No. We stopped the process the park was engaged in that would eliminate the herd. This herd is NOT protected under the Wild Horse & Burro Act. This leaves the management of the herd up to the park itself.
There are also a lot of questions on how this herd will be managed. Senator Hoeven has said a “genetically viable” herd must remain. It has also been said that the park abandoned ALL 3 alternatives they were considering to manage the horses. Those alternatives included the 1978 plan which calls for 35-60 horses to remain. Since there are currently over 200 wild horses in the park and since it has been said that they will go back to their old management plan, there is a lot that needs to be clarified.
All of that coupled with the fact that the park is STILL using GonaCon as birth control on this herd is cause for concern.
Q: What are the next steps?
A: As I answer this question, please understand that I cannot lay out all of our plans for (hopefully) obvious reasons in our blog. There is sooo much happening in both the short term, long term and even longer-term plans that we have.
We need federal protection. That means writing the legislation and lobbying congress for sponsors and co-sponsors in both the US House and US Senate. We are working with Senator Hoeven’s office and are hopeful that he will sponsor legislation. We have to get it written and then submitted to his office.
We were asked, won’t the state and federal government take it from here?
NOPE.
Remember, and this is a lesson learned over the years, our state and federal legislators only know what they are being told. We are telling them now that we need federal protection.
Since I am not well versed in writing legislation, we have hired a government relations team to do that for us.
Who are they?
Bice Policy Group (https://www.bicepolicygroup.com/)
Why them?
They are made up of advocates that we have been working with over the last two years in a different capacity. They are the ones who drafted the ND State Resolution that we submitted and edited. That version was the bulk of what the City of Medora used for the resolution they passed. They have already been fighting alongside us for the last couple of years. They know what we have done and more importantly, what still needs to be done. They also believe in our advocacy and understand the importance of saving this herd.
They are also located in Washington DC and have congressional contacts that will be critical as we look for sponsors and co-sponsors of this legislation.
The next steps for success really demand that someone be in Washington DC working for these horses. Bice Policy Group is there and will do that.
This also is not as easy as writing legislation and giving it to Senator Hoeven and whalla! – protection! There is sooooo much more to this! We are looking at minimally a couple of years before we finish this process.
We are also working with our ND state legislators on what they can do in the upcoming 2025 session to help protect these horses. This is in the early stages so I cannot say too much at the moment, but this is a place where Bice Policy Group will also be able to help us.
Bice Policy Group is more than a lobbying group. We need more than someone lobbying. Also, I know from asking around, hiring a professional lobbying group would cost us $5,000-$15,000 PER MONTH. Bice has quoted us a much smaller number for a lot more work.
How would you like to “meet” Holly Bice, founder of Bice Policy Group? We will be hosting a NEW Horse Talk this Sunday – May 19th at 1 pm MT with Holly! She will be discussing what’s next for the TRNP wild horses, increasing our advocacy efforts, federal protections and also will be answering your questions on how to navigate the political landscape. These events are always FREE, but we do ask that you register in advance:
Q: What else is included in the $40,000 in costs you are estimating?
A: We have a number of regular costs – our subscription to Zoom and our advocacy software along with general office expenses, website fees, etc.
We also need to work on updating our website and our advertising efforts. That means a new brochure, new signs and other ad campaigns that have been successful for us both through social media and printed materials.
There are a number of other things that we are working on, and we will share details as things move forward in our different projects.
Q: How else can we help?
A: We have a VERY small board (5 members). They will all tell you that 99.9% of the work is being done by me (Chris Kman). I need help! I did have a professional grant writer reach out yesterday. I also need help with updating the website, fundraising and a long list of other things. If there are ways you can help, please feel free to email us at info@chwha.org.
We have been trying to get federal protection for this herd since 2018. It is 2024 and this is the closest we have ever come. This is why we say we cannot quit now. The world is literally watching and supporting this historic herd of wild horses. We have to use that support and momentum to keep moving forward so that we NEVER have to go through what we did the last two years again!
We hope this answers your questions. As always, feel free to send us a DM or email with any other questions you may have. We hope that we can continue to count on your support as we work to get these amazing wild horses the federal protection they deserve. There are several ways you can make a donation listed on our website: https://chwha.org/support-chwha/
Just a reminder, Heather and I will also be holding a NEW Horse Talk on Thursday 5/16/24 at 3 pm MT. We will be discussing appropriations and will have a NEW Call to Action for you! You can sign up for this Horse Talk here: https://secure.everyaction.com/j4wgnfyLo0ygwvgUxIzDLg2
Thank you for your support and have a great day!
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