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S. 1377 · Senate bill · 119th Congress
This bill directs the Department of the Interior to maintain a genetically diverse herd of horses, with a population of no fewer than 150 horses, in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. Interior must develop a management plan to protect the horses while ensuring that the natural resources within the park are not adversely impacted.
The bill also prohibits Interior from removing horses from the park unless the removal is (1) to maintain a genetically diverse herd of horses, (2) in the case of an emergency, or (3) to protect public health and safety.
Interior must annually monitor, assess, and publish findings regarding the population, structure, and health of the horses in the park.
This Act may be cited as the “Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wild Horses Protection Act”.
Section 5 of the Act of April 25, 1947 (61 Stat. 54, chapter 41; 16 U.S.C. 245), is amended—
(1) by striking the section designation and all that follows through “The Administration” and inserting the following:
“5. Administration, protection, and development.—
(a) In general.— The administration”; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
“(b) Maintenance of horses.—
(1) In general.— The Secretary of the Interior (referred to in this subsection as the “Secretary”) shall maintain a genetically diverse herd of horses in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park (referred to in this subsection as the “Park”), with a population of not fewer than 150 horses.
(2) Management plan.—
(A) In general.— Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall develop a plan to provide for the management of horses in the Park.
(B) Requirements.— The plan developed under subparagraph (A) shall provide for the cost-effective management of the horses in the Park while ensuring that natural resources within the Park are not adversely impacted.
(3) Removal.— The Secretary shall not remove, or assist in or permit the removal of, any horses from Federal land within the boundaries of the Park—
(A) unless the removal is carried out as part of a plan to maintain a genetically diverse herd of horses; or
(B) except—
(i) in the case of emergency; or
(ii) to protect public health and safety.
(4) Monitoring and assessment.— The Secretary shall annually monitor, assess, and make available to the public findings regarding the population, structure, and health of the horses in the Park.”.