Sponsors (2)
The bill preserves a large, genetically diverse horse herd and increases monitoring transparency and planning, but does so at the cost of higher management expense and reduced flexibility—raising risks to park budgets and native ecosystems if the mandated herd or plan prove problematic.
Park visitors, local recreation and tourism businesses will continue to see and benefit from a maintained herd of at least 150 genetically diverse horses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, preserving a distinct visitor attraction and local tourism value.
Taxpayers, local governments, and the public will get clearer information because the Park must perform annual monitoring and publicly disclose horse population, structure, and health, improving oversight and informed decision-making.
Taxpayers, rural communities, and park managers may see fewer conflicts between conservation goals and operational costs because the required management plan must consider cost-effectiveness while protecting natural resources.
Park managers, taxpayers, and other park programs may face higher operating costs because mandating a minimum herd size and restricting removals can increase management expenses or divert funds from other park needs.
Park managers and nearby communities will have reduced flexibility to respond quickly to unexpected ecological damage or disease outbreaks because removals are prohibited except for genetic-management or emergency reasons.
Native wildlife, vegetation, and local ecosystems could continue to suffer harm if the statutory herd and management plan prove insufficient to prevent impacts from a nonnative or large horse population.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires maintaining a genetically diverse herd of ≥150 horses in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a 120-day management plan, and annual public monitoring and reports.
Requires the Interior Department to maintain a genetically diverse herd of at least 150 wild horses in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, produce a horse-management plan within 120 days that balances herd genetics, cost-effective management, and protection of park natural resources, and generally prohibits removing horses from park lands except under the genetic plan or for emergencies or public health and safety. It also mandates annual monitoring, assessment, and public disclosure of the herd’s population, structure, and health, and updates the statutory caption/opening language of the underlying law.
Official title: Ensure the maintenance of a herd of horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and for other purposes.
Introduced April 9, 2025 by John Hoeven · Last progress June 15, 2026