Hello and Happy Monday!

I am sorry for not posting yesterday, but it was a very long day.

We did add videos to our social media pages.  We are back out there today and will be joined by our friend Frank Kuntz, who has DECADES of experience dealing with Theodore Roosevelt National Park and their senseless mismanagement of OUR wild horses that roam the park.

When I talked to some advocate friends and said “They put ALL of these horses in such a small area!  Stallions are fighting, horses are running.”  They were shocked that I was shocked. Their response: “The BLM does the same.”  Both agencies fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, so it is time to stop saying this is NOT the BLM.  It doesn’t matter BLM/NPS, they are all using the same playbook. 

Yesterday, the park said they brought in 144 of the 198 wild horses yesterday and said they would be back out today trying to bring in the rest. 

We DO know from followers that were INSIDE the park while we were at the pens that as Flax’s band was being chased by helicopters, Mare Kat was separated from the band.  The helicopter apparently stopped chasing Flax to focus on getting Nicols and Teton to the pens.  Kat was reported to be running around frantically looking for her family.  Hopefully they reunited last night. 

We also got reports that it a horse that looks like Mare Ruby from Stallion Teton’s band was separated from her family and is with Stallion Cagney at the moment.

We also mentioned that sometime in the scuffle, Dolly’s girls – Starlet and Summer, ended up leaving Stallion Illinois and have been reunited with their mom in Stallion Anzar’s band.  Anzar, like several other stallions, was fighting with other stallions in an attempt to protect his band most of the day yesterday.

We witnessed stallions trying to snake their mares somewhere, with nowhere to go.  Some stallions, like Half Moon, Anzar & Illinois, were kicking, rearing and biting anyone who came near their band. 

The horses are still anxious and uneasy this morning. 

So today, the park plans to fit 15 horses with GPS collars to monitor their movement.  We have no idea how long these will remain on the horses.  They are monitored and controlled by satellite, so, they have told us, if something happened and a collar needed to be released, it can be done remotely at any time. 

They also pushed some horses into the chutes yesterday, so it would appear that they started some sort of process last night, but that was not mentioned in their Facebook post this morning.

Today they will also start taking blood and hair samples and hand injecting mares with GonaCon. 

The park also keeps saying they have agreed to NOT treat some mares with GonaCon.

Our questions are the same as yours:

How many mares will be hand injected with GonaCon and WHO are they?

How many mares will be released from GonaCon treatments and WHO are they?  When was the last time they were treated and how many treatments have they had?

We sent those questions in our email to both Senator Hoeven and Governor Burgum’s offices yesterday.  Governor Burgum’s office said they would try to get those answers for us.

We should have those answers BEFORE any injections start.  THAT would be part of the TRANSPARENCY that Senator Hoeven’s office is calling on the park to have with the public. 

The park said on the news last night that it will take them about 12 months to analyze all of the data collected and that there would not be any planned roundups again before that. 

They also said that in an effort to keep bands together, they will attempt to release entire bands at the same time, “as soon as possible.”

What can you do?

You can call Senator Hoeven’s office and leave a message – 202-224-2551.  How coincidental is it that today is a federal holiday?  You can also tag Senator Hoeven in public posts and comments.

As to how long the horses will wear their GPS collars, when we can expect horses to be released, or any other questions you have, please contact TRNP’s Chief of Resource management, Dr. Blake McCann: Blake_McCann@nps.gov

You can also go to the park’s Facebook page and ask your questions: https://www.facebook.com/TheodoreRooseveltNationalPark

Word around the rumor mill is that Nancy Finley will be heading back to the regional office in Nebraska next week as a NEW temporary superintendent comes in for 3-4 months while they figure out who will be the new face of TRNP long term.

Nancy Finley was here to do a job, and what a job she did! 

We are hoping that the impacts of this roundup are reversible with time, but only time will tell just how deceptive the park was during this week that only adds to TRNP’s long history of mismanagement of OUR wild horses.

As we continue to say, it does not matter if it is Angie Richman, Nancy Finley, or whoever is coming next sitting in the Superintendent’s chair at TRNP.  It doesn’t matter who is sitting in Blake McCann’s seat.   Unless we get NPS policies changed, NOTHING stops this from happening again – in 12 months, as the park stated to our local news station last night. 

Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates (CHWHA) is working with our state legislators for legislation to be introduced in the 2025 North Dakota legislative session. Our long term goal is federal protection for this herd because THAT is the ONLY thing that will help ensure that THIS HERD is healthy and has longevity for future generations to enjoy as we do today.  We are working with Bice Policy group to draft legislation and also lobby Congress when the time comes. 

This comes at an expense to CHWHA of about $20,000.  We are a very small grassroots nonprofit organization and need your help to make this legislation a reality.  If you are as appalled at the park’s recent actions, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to help support our critical advocacy work as we continue to Fight for the Spirit of the Badlands! You can make your donation here: https://secure.everyaction.com/FbY2_tNxQU6Ehc9K2RsjZw2

We will share more updates on social media throughout the day and will post a recap here later tonight or tomorrow.

Thank you for your support!