Hoeven: Senate ENR Committee Approves Legislation to Maintain Wild Horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Hoeven: Senate ENR Committee Approves Legislation to Maintain Wild Horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Senator's Legislation Moves to Full Senate for Consideration

WASHINGTON - Senator John Hoeven today secured approval by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Committee of his bipartisan legislation to maintain wild horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park (TRNP). The bill, which now goes to the full Senate for consideration, would require the Secretary of the Interior to:

• Maintain a genetically-diverse herd of no fewer than 150 horses in TRNP's South Unit.
  • The Department of the Interior is prohibited from removing horses from the park except as part of a plan to improve genetic diversity, in the case of an emergency or to protect public health and safety.
• Within 120 days of the bill's enactment, develop a plan to provide for the management of horses in the park.
• On an annual basis, make available to the public information regarding the population, structure and health of the horse herd.

"Securing committee approval is an important milestone in our efforts to permanently preserve the wild horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park," said Senator Hoeven. "The horses are an essential aspect of the park's experience, capturing the imagination of visitors and helping maintain the historic scene from Teddy Roosevelt's time in North Dakota. We now bring our legislation to the full Senate, where we will continue our efforts to move the bill forward and secure its passage."

The bipartisan legislation, introduced with Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), comes as part of Hoeven's efforts to ensure the National Park Service (NPS) maintains a herd of free-roaming horses at TRNP on a permanent basis. The senator previously:

• As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, passed a provision in annual funding legislation directing NPS to maintain "the historic scene commensurate with the historic herds during the period when President Theodore Roosevelt was a rancher in the area."
• Advanced this priority with NPS officials, including Midwest Regional Director Bert Frost.
  • On April 25, 2024, NPS formally terminated its proposed removal of horses at TRNP under the environmental assessment process initiated in 2022, and as a result, horses continue to be maintained at the park.

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