wild horses will remain Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota Amid concerns from advocates that park officials will remove the beloved animals from rugged terrain, a prominent lawmaker said Thursday.
Republican US Senator John Hoeven He said he has secured a commitment from the National Park Service to maintain wild horses in the park, although the number has yet to be determined. About 200 horses now roam the park.
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Hoeven said the Park Service will drop its proposed removal of the horses under an environmental review process beginning in 2022 and will continue to operate under the existing 1978 environmental assessment, which calls for their numbers to decline.
Wild horses stand in a group on a hiking trail in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, near Medora, on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. NDUS Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., Thursday, April 25, 2024 Said to have “secured” a commitment from the National Park Service to house the approximately 200 horses that roam the south unit of the park. In 2022, the Park Service began a process that included proposals to remove the horses, which are favored by park visitors. (AP Photo/Jack Dura)
“They promised me we would have a thoughtful and inclusive discussion on how many horses they keep in the park,” Hoeven told The Associated Press. There is no time limit on this, he said.
In a statement, the park said its decision to end the review was made “after careful consideration of information and public comments received during the (environmental assessment) process.” In a text message, park officials acknowledged an email seeking comment, but did not immediately provide comment.
Visitors to the park, much to their delight, often encounter horses while driving or hiking through the colorful forests where a young, future President Theodore Roosevelt hunted and ranched in the 1880s. in what was then Dakota Territory.
“People love horses,” Hoeven said. “And where do you go to see wild horses? I mean, it’s not an easy thing to do, and most people don’t have horses, and they like the idea of wild horses. They see it as part of our heritage. America.”
Earlier Thursday, Hoeven’s office said in a statement that the decision “will allow the park to maintain a healthy herd of wild horses, support genetic diversity among the herd and preserve the park’s natural resources.” Will be done.”
Horses roam the southern unit of the park near the western tourist town of Medora. In 2022, park officials began the process of formulating a “livestock plan” for the horses as well as approximately nine Longhorn cattle in the park’s northern unit near Watford City. Park officials have stated that this process is consistent with policies to remove non-native species when they pose a potential threat to resources.
“Horse herds in the South Unit, especially at high herd sizes, have the potential to damage fences used for wildlife management, trample or overgraze vegetation used by native wildlife species, and cause erosion. and contribute to soil-related impacts … and compete for food and water resources,” according to a Park Service environmental assessment from September 2023.
Proposals included removing the horses quickly or gradually or taking no action. Park Superintendent Angie Richman has stated that the horses, even if they ultimately remain, would have to be reduced to 35–60 animals under a 1978 environmental assessment. According to Hoeven’s office, the park will continue to manage the Longhorns as before.
Thousands of people submitted public comments during the Park Service review, the majority of which were in support of keeping the horses. North Dakota’s Republican-controlled Legislature made its support official in a resolution last year. Governor Doug Burgum offered state assistance for the maintenance of the horses.
The Park Service reached out to five tribal nations in North Dakota to find out if the tribes wanted to get involved in managing the horses, Hoeven said. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe has expressed interest, he said.
The senator’s announcement comes after Congress passed President Joe Biden Recently Hoeven signed an appropriations bill with a provision strongly recommending the Park Service maintain the horses. The law indicated that funding for the removal of horses could be refused.
Chris Kayman, president of Chasing Horses wild horse advocates, said she had tears in her eyes when she read Hoeven’s announcement. She said she plans to pursue federal protections for the horses and explore possible state legislation.
“If they don’t have federal protections, they’re at the mercy of the next administration that comes in or takes down whatever policy they want and cites it the next time and tries to get rid of the horses again,” Cayman said. Said. Phone from the park.
The horses come from Native American tribes and regional farms, and domestic horses brought to the park in the late 20th century, according to Castle McLaughlin, who researched horses as a graduate student while working for the Park Service in North Dakota Was. 1980s.
