“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
~ Jane Goodall

I heard a snippet of a conversation on tv last week that talked about how to be happier in life. Now I am remembering that it was Arthur Brooks, a favorite author of mine, who actually teaches classes on how to be happy at Harvard! 

This suggestion he made was to write down at least 5 things you are proud of or that make you happy on Sunday and then through the week look at them in those moments when you need a boost of inspiration.

When I write blogs on here, they take on a life of their own and sometimes there are small but significant things that are left out.  Not intentionally – either it would ruin the flow, or I think I’ll talk about that next time, or my mind takes off in a different direction and I don’t make it back to that thought.

I am going to be honest – I HATE THIS PART OF THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS!!!

I hate having things “unfinished”!  I hate waiting! I hate not knowing if this will pass (even though in my heart I am sure it will)!

This is an uneasy time for me, and I am sure for most of you as well. 

Today seemed like a good day to try this new thought process and then hopefully as the week progresses and IF your stress and anxiety levels rise along with mine, maybe we can come back to this blog and remember that we ARE making a difference and we are absolutely creating much needed change in the management of the wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home. 

Let’s start with an incredible FACT that we don’t take credit for enough: WE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF A GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT INTENT ON ELIMNATING THE ENTIRE HERD OF HORSES FROM TRNP!!! I was talking to another wild horse advocate one day not too long after the October helicopter round up.  I told her that my husband especially was having such a hard time, and for the two of us, we felt like we failed.  We let these horses down.  We were not able to stop the October round up.  She told me, in a very firm voice, “Don’t either of you EVER feel like a failure!  You did the one thing that NONE of us other advocates or organizations have been able to do which was stopping the park from eliminating the herd in April.”

That was a very sober reminder for me in the midst of a really hard time. 

During our last meeting with Interim Superintendent Daniels and Blake McCann, I was pointing out to Blake how he looked me in the face and lied when they told us in a previous meeting that they “just so happened to have helicopters for the bison round up that they could use for the horses” when IN FACT usaspending.gov (a government website) shows that they received 4 bids on that contract which means that MINIMALLY they had this planned AT LEAST 30 days prior.  Remember, the public and our elected officials only received info about the helicopter round up 2 WEEKS before the round up was scheduled.  As they were denying this – Interim Superintendent Daniels said she was working at the NPS Regional Office at the time of the round up and she KNOWS that there was a lot of uncertainty on IF the round up would even go on.  The final decision wasn’t made until THE DAY BEFORE the October helicopter round up!

WE REALLY ALMOST STOPPED THE OCTOBER ROUND UP!!!

At another really low moment, after a blog I posted around the time of the October round up, another wild horse advocate friend sent me an email that started with: “Hey, “Chicago.” You got this.” That line still makes me tear up and the rest of her email was what I needed to hear in that moment.  There are so many individuals and amazing organizations rooting for us – we can’t forget that!

That friend is Kerry Ferguson, Executive Director of The Cloud Foundation. 

It is equally frustrating that the other individuals and organizations that CLAIM to LOVE the TRNP herd so very much, remain silent at the times these horses need their help the most.  Their help and cooperation on these critical things we are working on could make our impact that much greater.  In fact, they have chosen to come together to work to discredit us instead of admitting their part in the DECADES of failure in the management of these horses and helping us correct that.  It gets frustrating and the fact that they ALL helped with the October round up was equally heartbreaking.  Kerry continued in her Hey Chicago email:

“Those who criticize your work or efforts… When we stand up to help the horses, there is always a risk that it will backfire on us. Sometimes that risk is greater than others. We go into each action knowing that – or we learn quickly when we don’t. Look who we are dealing with! BLM, NPS, NFS… If there’s a way to take good intentions and twist them, it seems that is their skill set. We always have to weigh the risks and decide how/when to fight on. Wild horse lovers and advocates don’t always agree. It can be easy to throw stones (which is not helpful for the horses/burros). But we know who we are up against and who we are standing up for — and that makes us a team.

Your heart and spirit are always with the horses. No one can say otherwise. Thanks for all that you do.”

Last week I shared the words of one of our legislators and his message “Keep doing what you are doing!”  I spoke with him yesterday and he shared with me that he met with Governor Burgum before he left office.  As he bid him farewell, he took the opportunity to say to him, “Don’t you forget about our horses!” He said Burgum assured him he would not!  It means a lot that we have kept our horses at the forefront of our legislator’s minds so that when opportunities like this come up – to talk to the new (hopeful) Secretary of the Interior – they can take advantage of them. 

Shortly after Doug Burgum was nominated for Secretary of the Interior, our friend Erik Mulvar, Executive Director of Western Watersheds Project, called me.   We were talking about our hopeful thoughts about Burgum as Secretary of the Interior.  He asked my thoughts and in the midst of that I shared my concerns about the “drill baby drill”.  I told him that I hope that we don’t save the horses in exchange for protecting our public lands.  Erik said “That’s NOT your job.”  He explained that there probably will (continue) to be public land battles – but that is NOT CHWHA’s fight.  He encouraged us to stay laser focused on doing everything we can, with the new tools we are receiving with appointments being made, he said first and foremost your job is to keep doing what you are doing to save and protect the TRNP herd.  I can’t tell you the weight I felt lifted in that simple conversation. 

Yesterday, while we were at the Coffee with the Legislators, we stayed late talking to our state legislators.  The event started at 10 am – we were there at 9:40 to talk to legislators before and even though the event ended at noon, we didn’t leave until almost 1 because we made our rounds talking to legislators before we left.  As we were talking to one senator, who reads our blogs and understands and shares our concerns about how much of a reproductive herd we have left at TRNP, I told him that Hoeven’s office said the horses remain a priority for him.  I told him about our meetings with Burgum’s office before he left and meetings a couple weeks ago with Governor Armstrong’s office. 

He said the horses remain a concern and an issue to all of those offices – BECAUSE OF YOU.  Because of the information you share, that you keep us informed and all the tireless work that you do. 

It is important for me to say that whenever anyone says “You” to me – TO ME, that means every single one of you who make up Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates. 

I have never been prouder to be a part of something in my life as I am to be a part of this wonderful organization.  I love that THOUSANDS of people from all across the WORLD have come together to join us in our fight to save the historic herd of wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home.  It is TRULY the elevated voices of each and every one of you that is making POSITIVE changes happen for this herd we love so much. 

I feel like we have been pushing a boulder uphill for 3 years now. 

I AM SO TIRED BUT STILL EXHILARATED!

We can’t let go!  We are really SO CLOSE!  We just need to get past a few speed bumps! 

We can’t let this boulder fall back down and crack open.  There is too much being held within that boulder.  YEARS of sweat, blood, tears and countless hours from ALL of us who are truly advocating for this herd. 

I am so thankful to the HUNDREDS of you who take a moment to send an email and share your kind words, support and thoughts.  I wish I had the time to share all of those with you.  For me, they do always come at just the right moment!  I am grateful to each one of you who donated to support us no matter if it was $1 or $1,000 or items donated to our auctions!  I absolutely loved opening the card from the person who sent us a donation of $6 in the mail recently with a note of support and a wish that they could do more.  I appreciate every single one of you who takes time to do our Calls to Action, share our posts and even send us your thoughts and ideas on what might work next.

More than ANYTHING – and I say this in many conversations with others – hands down my favorite part of advocating with all of you is when I see each one of you becoming empowered to be a stronger advocate and find your own voice.  Nothing makes those warm fuzzies in my heart warmer! 

Here we go into a new week with new meetings and new obstacles to tackle.  Including an introductory meeting with our NEW Congresswoman’s office. 

No sweat, right?  They KNOW who WE are 😉

I hope this helps give you a little lift as we move into a new week of Fighting for the Spirit of the Badlands! 

This fight will continue until these horses have the federal protection they deserve.  We are sooo close!  I do need all of you to help me get this boulder to the finish line.  I have no doubts that we will!

REMEMBER: BECAUSE OF YOU: THERE ARE STILL WILD HORSES RUNNING WILD AND FREE IN THEODORE ROOSEVELT NATIONAL PARK!

Thank you for your support and have a GREAT Sunday!

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