Bill > S1377

This bill establishes legal protections for the wild horse population in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, requiring the Secretary of the Interior to maintain a genetically diverse herd of horses in the park's South Unit with a specific minimum population size. The bill mandates that the Secretary develop a comprehensive management plan within a specified timeframe that ensures cost-effective horse management while protecting the park's natural resources. Importantly, the bill restricts the removal of horses from the park, allowing removals only in limited circumstances such as maintaining genetic diversity, addressing emergencies, or protecting public health and safety. Additionally, the Secretary is required to conduct annual monitoring of the horse population, assessing their numbers, structure, and overall health, and must make these findings publicly available. This legislation aims to preserve the historic horse population within the national park, which has been a longstanding feature of the landscape and an important part of the park's ecological and cultural heritage.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1377/all-info