Hello and Happy Wednesday to everyone!
We always say that there are a lot of things happening even when it is quiet, and it seems like nothing is happening. Today I wanted to share progress being made on a resolution that Bice policy group drafted for us. The purpose of a resolution is to have it pass and then be sent to our federal legislators. It is a request, in this case for help, with how the park operates.
In short, we are asking for the following:
- That the Park’s new Exit and Entrance policy be immediately reversed.
- That the park immediately stop the use of GonaCon on this herd.
- That Superintendent Angie Richman and Chief Resource Manager Blake McCann be replaced with NPS staff that initiate actions that have the best interests of the public and the immediate community of Medora and our small business in mind when decisions are made.
Yesterday I started my day at the Billings County Commission meeting in Medora. This was my first time speaking before this commission. I gave my speech, and stated my case. The floor was then open to questions, many of which were directed to the commission’s legal member.
This resolution, as he explained, is NOT Billings County telling the park what to do, it is a request that our federal legislators look at concerns the county has.
They ARE concerned about the Exit and Entrance policy as that impacts tourism for the county.
They do not feel that they have the right to tell the park which drugs to treat mares with for population control. HOWEVER, they do feel that they can reiterate Senator Hoeven’s request for a genetically viable herd to remain in the park. We feel that the use of GonaCon does not allow for a genetically viable herd. We believe this is a compromise we can accept.
The Commission is also not sure that they have the right to ask that park personnel be replaced. BUT they are sending Superintendent Richman a formal invitation to attend the next Billings County Commission meeting so that she can speak to these concerns before they vote on the resolution. The Commission does agree that park management should be working with the public and especially the community of Medora.
The Commission will be drafting a resolution based on the concerns we raised, in language that the Commission is comfortable with. They will review the resolution and vote on it at the next meeting on August 6th.
Next, last night I attended the Medora City Council meeting. If you remember, I attended the meeting last month and spoke before the council. In light of elections happening and also to give them time to review the proposed resolution, they moved talks and a possible vote on the resolution to their July meeting.
They share some of the same concerns as the Billings County Commission does. They also share our valid concerns about decisions being made by the park. They have opted to review the resolution that will be drafted by the Commission and see how that aligns with their concerns. The goal is to hopefully pass something similar to what (HOPEFULLY) passes the Commission.
We agree. This will give a stronger and unified message between the county and the city.
The next Medora City Council meeting is also scheduled for August 6th.
The Medora City Council noted the hundreds of letters and emails that they received regarding this resolution. Thank you to those of you who took a moment to answer our Call to Action and sent in an email. You can read more about our initial Call to Action in our Blog: https://chwha.org/2024/06/04/we-heard-you/
Even if you already did the Call to Action – please take a moment to do it again:
You can contact the Medora City Council and request that they vote to pass this resolution. Remember to ask a friend or family member to also take action to help maximize this Call to Action!
We made this easy for you with a one click email that you can customize if you wish: https://secure.everyaction.com/3FOOSSFKrEilcvlpBhxzhg2
You can also email them directly at info@medorand.gov
Or you can mail them a letter to:
Medora City Council
P.O. Box 418A
Medora, ND 58645
Will this help?
Does it matter?
We are not fortune tellers and cannot predict the future, but we do know that these issues matter! We also know from our meetings in Washington DC that having resolutions pass on a city and county level are sometimes even more impactful and ABSOLUTELY carry weight with our federal legislators.
We also know that doing nothing absolutely does NOTHING to help resolve these issues!
There are A LOT of other things happening and I hope to be able to share more soon!
A few other notes:
We are STILL asking that you send emails demanding that 2019 Stallion Alluvium be released back into the park. We will share any updates we have or any response we get from the park. Please take a moment to answer this Call to Action and please ask your family and friends to speak up for Alluvium as well: https://secure.everyaction.com/4bIr7BLQ60SHxHhJLAI_-Q2
We are working on the grant process but are learning that most foundations do not want their grants used for anything political. That means we still need to raise funds for our legislative work. We have not received any response from any of the organizations that we have asked to help us cover these costs. American Wild Horse Campaign has offered to give us “in-kind” support and we appreciate that.
One way we are working to raise funds are by holding raffles as items are donated to us. This week, we have this BEAUTIFUL original pastel image of Thora from McCullough Peaks that was donated to us by Trish Bonnette! This image will be framed and shipped to the winner after July 15th.
To enter for a chance to win this 15×19 image, simply make a donation in the amount of $10 between now and July 14th! For every $10 donation you make, you will receive one entry for a chance to win this beautiful image! You can make a donation through any of the methods listed on our website: https://chwha.org/support-chwha/ You can also click the “donate” button on any of our social media posts and you can make a donation right now by clicking here: https://secure.everyaction.com/cBmDbRA6cUuzERpShcQOCg2
Our legislative work is our biggest focus right now and we will have some updates to share soon! There is A LOT happening and we excited about the possibilities.
There are also a lot of other things, big and small, happening! We will share some updates in the coming days!
As always, we are thankful for your continued support!
Enjoy your day!
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