Hello and Happy Monday to everyone!
First, we want to say THANK YOU to everyone who helped make our Fall Online Silent auction a HUGE success!
We raised $2,300! We are trying to raise enough money to participate in Giving Hearts Day in February of 2026. This requires us to have at least $3,000 in matching donations for the event. Giving Hearts Day has been our biggest fundraising event each year. If you would like to make a donation to help us meet our goal, you can make that donation here: https://secure.everyaction.com/YCy82yutk0GCmpk0G7q-SA2 We need to raise and at least an additional $700 to meet this goal.
Second, we wanted to thank Patrick Springer from the Fargo Forum for his article that came out this weekend about the TRNP wild horses. You can read it here: https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/aggressive-birth-control-of-wild-horse-herd-continues-with-burgum-overseeing-national-parks-department#conversations
Tomorrow, we will continue our conversation about The Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wild Horse Protection Act. Today, I wanted to spend some time to answer some questions and comments we have been getting from you.
First, the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are managed by the National Park Service (NPS) – NOT the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) like other wild horses on the western range. Both agencies ARE managed under the Department of the Interior, so there are some similarities in management style.
They are also fenced into a park that is just under 50,000 acres of land. They DO NOT have any natural predators and are NOT competing with cattle ranchers for any land. In fact, the ND Stockman’s Association came out in support of the horses staying in the park.
Since these horses are NOT managed by the BLM, they are NOT protected under the Wild and Free Roaming Wild Horses and Burros Act. When the Act was passed, the NPS went to court and was given an exemption. This means that wild horses on National Park Service lands are managed at the discretion of the current management. A few national parks, like Cape Lookout National Seashore and Ozark National Scenic Riverways, DO have individual federal protection for their wild horses.
We are trying to get similar protection for the wild horses that call Theodore Roosevelt National Park home.
Some of you have questioned the timing of this legislation. This is something we have absolutely no control over.
Senator John Hoeven introduced the legislation earlier this year. His hope is to have hearings on the legislation this fall.
The government shutdown may impact when that can happen.
I have also heard from some of you who are questioning the importance of this legislation in light of the chaos many people feel is happening in the US these days.
Again, we have no control over when the legislation has its hearings.
We also understand the overwhelming feelings so many of you have expressed.
I will offer this.
I have personally asked myself where on the hierarchy of issues we are facing today wild horses fall in. Is it right to fight so hard for wild horses when so many other issues need our attention?
As I said earlier in this year, WE are wild horse advocates. THOSE are the issues we know and the issues that we have to continue to fight for. That doesn’t mean that our issue is more or less important than other issues in our world today. It also does not mean that we cannot support other organizations that are boots on the ground fighting those other issues that are important to us.
78 years ago, Theodore Roosevelt National Park was born.
It has been 78 years of these horses being mismanaged!
We have a chance to change that with the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wild Horse Protection Act.
I heard a quote the other day:
“I have always believed that it is not a question of great leaders, it’s a question of large numbers of people participating at the grassroots level. That is in fact how change always takes place. Right? It’s not one person that changes things, it’s that the leaders follow the voice of the people.”
THAT is what we did SUCCESSFULLY over the last 3 years. THAT is what we need to do now to get the federal protection these horses deserve across the finish line.
We do hope that in a world full of chaos, knowing you helped secure the future of 199 wild horses offers some positivity to you in these crazy times.
This legislation, as written, is not perfect. Our goal is to get it as close to perfect as we can!
I asked Senator Hoeven’s office when we spoke last week:
“Isn’t the goal of the passage of this legislation to NEVER have to hear from me personally again about the TRNP wild horses?”
I CAN tell you that is my personal goal!
The legislation, as currently written, will NOT do that for any of us.
I know for many people times are very strange. I know our attention is called in so many different directions daily.
THIS is one place where we can work for positive change.
THIS is our moment, and we can’t waste it.
The 199 wild horses that currently call the park home are counting on us!
We hope we can count on each one of you!
We are breaking down the issues with the legislation into bite size pieces. It is really important that everyone understands this legislation and what amendments we are asking for and why. Please see our previous two blogs on federal legislation on our website here:
Part 2 – https://chwha.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=13529&action=edit
We will have more blogs this week and then a Call to Action for everyone, when the time is right.
We at CHWHA will continue our conversations with Senator Hoeven’s office and other members of Congress. We will also continue to update you on those conversations and any amendments to the legislation.
Thank you for your continued support and have a great week!
We still have some 2026 CHWHA calendars for sale! 100% of the profits from these calendars go to support our advocacy work. Grab yours while you can here: https://chasinghorses.com/products/chwha-13-month-2026-calendar
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