New Bill Mandates 150+ Wild Horses in Theodore Roosevelt Park, Requires Management Plan Within 120 Days

This proposed legislation, the "Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wild Horses Protection Act," directly amends the rules governing the park, established back in 1947. The core change requires the Secretary of the Interior to actively maintain a herd of at least 150 wild horses within the park's South Unit, specifically focusing on genetic diversity. It sets a tight deadline, mandating the creation of a detailed horse management plan within 120 days of the bill's enactment, aiming for both cost-effectiveness and protection of the park's natural resources.

Keeping the Herd Together

The bill lays down specific rules for the horses already there. Under Section 2, removing horses from federal land inside park boundaries is largely prohibited. Exceptions are narrow: removals are only allowed as part of a plan to maintain genetic diversity (like swapping horses with other herds), during emergencies, or if there's a direct threat to public health and safety. To keep tabs on how this is working, the Secretary must also conduct annual monitoring and publicly report on the horse population's size, structure, and overall health.

The Balancing Act: Management and Resources

A key piece here is the required management plan, also detailed in Section 2. It has a dual mandate: manage the herd "cost-effectively" while ensuring "no adverse impact on the park's natural resources." This sets up a potential balancing act. How does the park service maintain a healthy, genetically diverse herd of 150+ horses without straining the budget or negatively impacting the grasslands and other wildlife that share the park? The plan developed within that 120-day window will need to address potential issues like overgrazing and competition for resources with animals like bison and elk.

Real-World Ripple Effects

So, what does this mean on the ground? For park visitors, it aims to ensure the continued presence of the iconic wild horses. For taxpayers, there will be costs associated with developing the plan, annual monitoring, and potentially active management interventions to maintain herd health and genetic diversity, though the bill pushes for cost-effectiveness. The biggest question mark revolves around the park's ecosystem. If the management plan successfully balances the horse population with the environment, it preserves a piece of history. If not, it could strain the park's resources, impacting the landscape and other wildlife that make Theodore Roosevelt National Park unique.