“This is a blatant attempt at gaslighting under the guise of transparency.  There’s only the lies and deception of those tasked with protecting the wild animals of this park.”

~ Brielle (as commented on TRNP’s Facebook page 10/18/2024)

A very long week is FINALLY over and as promised, I wanted to recap the gravity of what happened last week.  We are all now waiting for that CYA (Cover Your Ass) report Theodore Roosevelt National Park has promised us that will no doubt justify their actions last week.  Look for something similar to their CYA Facebook page post justifying 2023 Filly Aspen’s death.  In case you missed it, you can view the post here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/pwr8k1TJC3wyugT9/

Don’t forget to read the first two Episodes of this post.  You can read Episode 1 here: https://chwha.org/2024/10/20/the-view-from-this-side-of-the-fenceepisode-1/ The 2^nd Episode can be read here:  https://chwha.org/2024/10/21/the-view-from-this-side-of-the-fenceepisode-2/

To be clear: The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) REQUIRES that when an agency – like the National Park Service, embarks upon actions – like the ones that took place in the roundup last week – IF those actions will have an impacts on the park’s resources  – like rounding up mares, hand injecting all of the mares with GonaCon, putting collars on mares, microchipping each horse, and honestly, God knows what else – THE GRAVITY OF THOSE PROPOSED ACTIONS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK TO OUTLINE THOSE PLANS TO THE TAX PAYING PUBLIC IN AN ENVIRONMENAL ASSESSMENT THAT ALLOWED FOR PROPER PUBLIC INPUT – BEFORE – ANY ACTIONS WERE TAKEN.

ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES!

Before we talk about “scientific papers” and stuff – for those of us not educated in the field of “reading scientific papers” – we just want to say that just like ANYTHING, there are always two sides to every story, right?  If we want to have a pro-life/pro-choice debate, there is enough research out there for both sides to make what sounds like educated arguments.  There is SOOOO much information in our world today, we could even flip sides halfway through the debate and each of us would STILL be able to find PROOF to make valid and educated points backed up by science and research.

The same is true with fertility control for wild horses. 

I also want to say that while I may not be well versed in “reading scientific papers” I do have a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.  More than that, throughout my education, I have learned to use a dictionary to look up words I may not fully understand.  I am also not afraid to ask questions to experts who know and understand more than I do.  People like Dr. Dan Baker from Colorado State University.  He was the lead researcher for the GonaCon experiment that took place at Theodore Roosevelt National Park from 2009-2020.  We had a very interesting Horse Talk with Dr. Baker.  You can view that talk on our Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/kdLHvgVmIuw?si=1TcfDiYXAv3uBzOD

Dr. Baker shared a lot of his observations about GonaCon in this video.  Some of those observations made it into papers he has co-authored on GonaCon and the TRNP wild horse experiment, other points did not.  That does not make the lead researcher’s points any less valid. 

Let’s talk about GonaCon – in a simple format. 

FACT: Theodore Roosevelt National Park along with Colorado State University (CSU) experimented on this herd with GonaCon as a way to control the population with birth control from 2009-2020. 

FACT: In 2009, during a helicopter roundup, 24 mares were hand injected with GonaCon. In 2013, during the helicopter roundup that year, those SAME mares were hand injected with a GonaCon booster. 

FACT: When this experiment ended in 2020, 19 out of those 24 mares had STILL NOT RETURNED TO FERTILITY.

FACT: In a personal conversation with a member of the BLM last week, I was told that the BLM uses PZP on mares in HMA’s because when they take mares off PZP they can reproduce within a year.  I was told that GonaCon is ONLY used by the BLM on mares in HMA’s that are over the age of 15 who have contributed to the gene pool OR mares that are non-responders to PZP. 

FACT: Per our in person meeting this month with Dr. Blake McCann – EVERY mare in the TRNP herd has been treated with GonaCon.

FACT: Dr. Dan Baker was the lead researcher from Colorado State University.

FACT: Dr. Dan Baker had a Horse Talk with us.  Again, you can view the ENTIRE talk with him on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/kdLHvgVmIuw?si=1TcfDiYXAv3uBzOD

FACT: IN THIS VIDEO, Dr. Baker speaks very openly about how HAND INJECTING the mares gave the BEST efficacy – meaning longer term infertility. 

FACT: IN THE VIDEO Dr. Baker also expresses concerns about TRNP treating EVERY mare with GonaCon.  WHY? Just like the concerns raised in the 1978 EA about overdoing stallion vasectomies, actions like this CAN COLLAPSE THIS HERD.

FACT: North Dakota Badlands Horse, Wild in North Dakota, Deb Lee Carson Photography, Dakota Grown Photos, and others have ALL helped with this TRNP/CSU experiment over the years in some capacity – either as a volunteer or a paid tech.  They ALL seem to have a great deal of respect for Dr. Baker and believe he is a man of his word.

WHY then are Dr. Baker’s words being questioned now?  Why wouldn’t we all believe the conclusions he shared that came from his determination through his expert personal observation and extensive study?

If you are looking for an answer from me, I don’t have one.  You can ask the individuals and organizations above. 

FACT: WHEN Joseph Harris from the Bismarck Tribune called me about this roundup, his FIRST question was “How do you know they plan to hand inject every mare with GonaCon?”  and when I told him that information was shared with us during our personal meetings with the park, his very next question was “Why wasn’t that mentioned in the park’s press release?”

VERY GOOD QUESTIONS FROM A VERY GOOD INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER!

Here is another one:

WHY was this NOT mentioned in CHWHA’s personal meeting with McCann and Finley earlier this month, until 45 minutes into our planned 1-hour meeting? 

Since the park continues to lack any transparency and has proven themselves to be incapable of telling the truth, we are left to KNOW that Theodore Roosevelt National Park PURPOSELY and WILLFULLY left out that tiny, small you know – little minuscular detail – that EXTREMELY PERTINENT DETAIL ABOUT THEIR DECEITFUL PLANS TO RENDER THIS HERD INFERTILE. 

As yourself, why would Theodore Roosevelt National Park make ANY decisions on which mares should receive GonaCon BEFORE they had the results of the herd’s DNA?

Based on the FACTS above – Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates believes that the WHOLE Purpose of this roundup was to attempt to permanently sterilize this herd.  If that was NOT their intent, then why were they NOT forthcoming with the full scope of the planned events?

Let’s play the devil’s advocate: MAYBE they are NOT planning to PERMANENTLY sterilize this herd.  MAYBE they plan to allow this herd to reproduce again in 5 years when the GonaCon they hand injected our mares with last week possibly wears off – IF ANY mares CAN return to fertility.

THAT is why CHWHA has been asking for YEARS for the records on who was getting GonaCon and when.  We have a right to this information – this is OUR federal government, using OUR tax dollars, on OUR public lands. 

Superintendent Finley PROMISED me in 3 different meetings that I would have that information. 

To Superintendent Finley: MY HANDS ARE STILL EMPTY!

To be clear, this request was made several times through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process over the last 5 years. Superintendent Finley PROMISED several times during our 3 meetings over the last few weeks to look into why that reasonable request was denied and get me that info. 

We also asked to know WHO they were taking off GonaCon – as was PROMISED to Governor Burgum and Senator Hoeven.  We also wanted to know WHAT their past GonaCon vaccination schedule was. 

Why?

We wanted to know BEFORE the actions started – IF the mares they agreed to take off GonaCon had ANY chance in returning to fertility. 

ALL of this information SHOULD HAVE BEEN made available to the taxpaying public BEFORE ANY GonaCon was administered to ANY mares.  CHWHA also made our organization’s concerns known to the park.  IF we were wrong, and IF TRNP was in ANY WAY interested in repairing relationships with the public, they would have been TRANSPARENT BEFORE the roundup.  TRANSPARENCY does NOT come after the fact. 

Did the park take the original 19 of 24 mares OFF GonaCon?  If so, we have NO CHANCE IN HELL of ever having a reproductive herd again.  Based on our less than positive interactions and communications with Theodore Roosevelt National Park – we would NOT put it past them to choose those 19 mares to be released from GonaCon treatment. 

McCann also told us in the meetings that they KNEW the GonaCon was wearing off some of the mares.

Ask yourself, HOW do they KNOW that?

They know that from collecting fecal samples. 

How do they collect fecal samples?

Well…

Collecting fecal samples requires someone who can positively identify the wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  We know from the roundup last week that TRNP park personnel are NOT able to identify the horses entrusted to their care, that is why the park NEEDED volunteers to identify the horses.  This is nothing new.  They have used volunteers throughout the CSU experiment in similar ways for years. 

Those observers find a band and then watch and wait for mares to poop.  The observer would then collect the poop and label the bag with the mare’s name on it and give that sample to the park. 

Next, I want to talk about the way NDBH President Marylu Weber described the view from her side of the fence: “I was able to be at the handling facility and help firsthand moving horses into the chutes. Everyone was quiet, respectful, careful, and compassionate about the horses.”

Frank Kuntz, who was on the other side of the fence with my husband, observed the following:  

1. The Park has NEVER done a horse roundup this late in the year
2. The roundup was carefully planned to start on a Sunday – when no federal action could be taken.  The following day was a federal holiday – again carefully crafted plans by the park. We noticed this too before Frank brough it to our attention.
3. Frank said he was concerned about a gray mare who had a lot of blood on her.  He said she was not bleeding from a wound; it was more like the blood was wiped on her.  Frank said that this became even more concerning to both him and my husband Gary when they saw NPS vehicles start showing up to be let into the other side of the fence with a load of 2×6 boards.  Frank’s observation was “This tells me things are getting out of hand in there, damage is being done to the facility and horses are getting hurt.”

What REALLY happened inside the closed off facility, we will NEVER know.  Theodore Roosevelt National Park staff knows.  Those who signed away their rights to share information know.  WE, the taxpaying public, will NEVER know.

From our side of the fence, what we witnessed was not “professional or compassionate” in any way. 

There certainly was nothing professional or compassionate about the way 2023 Filly Aspen was treated.  She lost her life during the senseless events that took place last week. We cannot let her die in vain!

The time for TRANSPARENCY has passed.  Theodore Roosevelt National Park needs to be held ACCOUNTIBLE for their heinous actions against the wild horses in this park! 

We have 2 Calls to Action for you to speak up for the wild horses of TRNP and demand ACCOUNTIBILITY for their heinous actions. 

This one is a petition to DEMAND that these collars come off OUR horses!

Please sign just ONCE and share!

https://secure.everyaction.com/x-5WrjPo20Cb4LGbj5PD-A2

This one is to send an email to elected officials DEMANDING TRNP be held accountable for their heinous actions against our wild horses!

You can send this as many times as you like! https://secure.everyaction.com/brPfquNQ2EqN-6XVh-16Rg2

Please share!

We also hope that you will consider making a tax deductible donation to help us with our critical advocacy work! You can make your tax deductible donation here: https://secure.everyaction.com/cBmDbRA6cUuzERpShcQOCg2

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