The Senate State and Local Government Committee looked at a bill that would create a working group to save the wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The group would work in cooperation with the national park service and the United States government, providing recommendations for managing the horses.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Josh Boschee of Fargo, says they’ll work with Senator Hoven and the newly confirmed Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum. He hopes that together they’ll create national legislation to allow the state to consult the park on matters of horse management.
"We realize that the working group would not have any authority over the park or its management but at least directing the park before they make any decisions — that they are consulting a group like this for input."
A number of wild horse advocates testified in support of the bill. They say Theodore Roosevelt National Park is mismanaging the historic herd.
Frank Kuntz dedicated over 40 years of his life to try to get the park to manage the horses correctly. He says the park doesn’t recognize how significant the horses are to the state and are trying to sterilize the herd into extinction.
"The wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park need to be protected from the park's total mismanagement policies. Right now, they are managing these horses to death."
There was no testimony in opposition to the bill and the committee took no action on bill 2331 at this time.