– CHWHA current initiatives –
How we’re working for the wild horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park
right now.
We’re STILL fighting for the spirit of the badlands!
1.
Action Alerts & Advocacy
Our latest initiative: On September 27, 2024, TRNP announced via press release that they will be rounding up all wild horses, treating some mares with a potentially permanently sterilizing fertility control, and permanently removing additional mares from the park forever.
2.
Securing Sanctuary
We have a long-term vision of building and operating a wild horse sanctuary in Southwestern North Dakota to provide a permanent home for horses that the park deems necessary for removal from the herd. *Learn more on Page 12 of our 2023 Annual Report.
3.
Legislation & Lobbying
The 2025 North Dakota Legislative Session is also fast approaching. We are working with our state legislators on legislation that will also help ensure that a genetically viable herd of wild horses always remains in the park. We believe this work will assist in paving the way for federal legislation.
2024 Progress
On April 25, 2024, Theodore Roosevelt National Park announced that they were abandoning their plans to eliminate the entire herd of wild horses from the boundaries of the park. This came about after 2 long years of tireless advocating by Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates (CHWHA) to save this historic wild horse herd.
Our fight isn’t over
Wild horses in our national parks are not protected under the 1971 Wild Horse & Burro Act. Their management is left to the discretion of the current park administration.
So, just as we did for the last two years, we are continuing to work with our local, state and federal legislators. CHWHA’s ultimate goal is to gain federal legislation that will protect this herd – INDEFINITELY!
More on our 2024 work and need for support!
To help us meet this goal, we met with local legislators over the summer months. Those meetings led to BOTH the Billings County Commission and the Medora City Council passing their own individual resolutions asking that a genetically viable and healthy herd of wild horses always remain in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
“The horses of Theodore Roosevelt National Park bring tourism to the state and the City of Historic Medora, and the elimination of a genetically viable herd poses economic concerns for the local businesses and negatively impacts preservation and appreciation of our state’s and community history.”
As stated in the Medora City Council Resolution No 01-2024:
The 2025 North Dakota Legislative Session is also fast approaching. We are working with our state legislators on legislation that will also help ensure that a genetically viable herd of wild horses always remains in the park. We believe that what we are working on with our state legislators will assist in paving the way for federal legislation.
To guide us as we navigate through this extensive legislative process, we have hired Bice Policy Group to help us draft legislation and lobby Congress to rally support for federal legislation.
We expect this process to cost CHWHA $20,000.
We have raised half of this money during our Giving Tuesday Campaign and hope to raise the rest through Giving Hearts Day February 13, 2025. Early giving for Giving Hearts Day begins January 13th! You can make your Giving Hearts Day donation here: https://app.givingheartsday.org/?_gl=1*12s621c*_gcl_au*ODI2NzE5NzIuMTczMDkwNzY4OQ..#/charity/1669
Donations can also be mailed to us at:
Chasing Horses Wild Horse Advocates
P.O. Box 3562
Dickinson, ND 58602
