“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
~  Margaret Mead

Hello and Hap – Hap – HAPPY Wednesday to everyone!

If you have not heard the news yet – Senator John Hoeven introduced legislation today calling for federal protection for the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park!!!! 

The Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wild Horses Protection Act – US Senate Bill S1377 – is a bipartisan bill that has been officially introduced into the US Senate!!!  This is the biggest thing to happen for these horses since they were accidentally fenced in the park in 1947!!!!

This is something we have been working on for YEARS now!  This moment seems very surreal! 

What does this mean?

Senator Hoeven who is a senior senator in the United States Senate worked on with members of the NPS regional office to draft legislation to protect the TRNP wild horses.   The legislation was modeled after the legislation to protect the Shackleford Banks wild horses at another national park, Cape Lookout National Seashore. 

The legislation calls for a MINIMUM of 150 wild horses to always remain IN Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  This comes from Dr. Gus Cothran’s scientific research that states that a MINIMUM of 150-200 wild horses is needed for genetic diversity. 

The legislation also calls on the park to create a management plan.  

The legislation is quite simple.  Remember, it is something that has to stand the test of time.  It also has to allow for new scientific applications to be used as needed.  For example, a point we have argued, is that when the park stated they went back to the 1978 management plan, there is NOTHING in that management plan that allows for mares to be treated with birth control.  Birth control for mares was either relatively new or didn’t exist.  Senator Hoeven also wants something that can pass to give much needed protection for this herd without having issues that will cause the bill to be rejected by other members of Congress and hurt the chances of it passing.    

Being a senior Senator, he also knows that having a precedence is important, and what he put together is born out of a precedent already set at another national park.  That means if it was allowed to happen in one national park, it should be allowed to happen in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. 

Senator Hoeven is on the Senate Committee of Energy and National Resources.  Senator Tim Kaine (D- VA) co-sponsored the bill with Senator Hoeven.  Senator Kaine sits on the Senate subcommittee of National Parks.   Both of those positions are key to getting this legislation passed.

I heard all of you even before the messages and emails started coming in – What about GonaCon?  What about the collars? 

Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates will continue to work with Senator Hoeven and members of Congress to work to resolve those issues to take timely action through other measures better suited to address specific points like GonaCon and the collars. 

The most important thing is that this legislation prohibits any future park superintendent, regional director or even Secretary of the Interior to take any unilateral action to remove the wild horses from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. 

We appreciate Senator Hoeven working so diligently to get this legislation drafted and introduced with the agreement of the National Park Service.

If you watch the “I’m Just a Bill” video – please keep in mind we are at the VERY beginning of this process the wild horses of TRNP STILL DO NOT have federal protection ~ YET! This is the park of that video where a group of concerned citizens contacted their member of Congress and said “This should be a law” and their member of congress, in this case, Senator Hoeven, agreed and started a process that is now moving forward. Refresh yourself with this video here: https://youtu.be/SZ8psP4S6BQ?si=BV_YWddCSnhLCbNx

We have committee hearings that need to happen, full Senate votes and then it all goes over to the House to start the process over again. 

There is still A LOT of work to be done by all of us at Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates.  We will have a NEW Call to Action for EVERYONE tomorrow – so be sure to check back!

For now, anyone who wants to say THANK YOU to Senator Hoeven, his staff did request that we use his website to send a thank you email.  You can find that on his website: https://www.hoeven.senate.gov/

When this legislation passes, this means that the horses will never again be at the mercy of ANY superintendent.  Wild horses will ALWAYS remain in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

We have asked for an amendment that is being considered.  We will let you know if that is added.  For now, the legislation as drafted can be read in the file below:

Thank you for your support and have a great night!

---