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Requires the Secretary of the Interior to keep a genetically diverse herd of at least 150 horses in the Park’s South Unit, adopt a management plan within 120 days, restrict removals except for specified reasons, and perform annual monitoring with public reports on the herd’s population, structure, and health. The law creates specific operational duties for the National Park Service but does not specify new funding.
Amends Section 5 of the Act of April 25, 1947 (61 Stat. 54, chapter 41) (16 U.S.C. 245) by replacing the section designation and inserting a new heading and text (starting with "5 Administration, protection, and development").
The Secretary of the Interior must maintain a genetically diverse herd of horses in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park with a population of not fewer than 150 horses.
Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary must develop a plan to provide for the management of horses in the Park.
The management plan must provide for cost‑effective management of the horses while ensuring that natural resources within the Park are not adversely impacted.
The Secretary shall not remove, assist in, or permit the removal of any horses from Federal land within the Park except as allowed by this subsection.
Directly affected parties include National Park Service staff and the Department of the Interior, who must draft and implement the management plan, perform monitoring, and produce public reports. Park veterinarians, biologists, and resource managers will face new or clarified operational duties (population management, genetic monitoring, health surveillance) and may need to reallocate staff time or secure contractor expertise. Visitors and the local tourism industry may see changes in visitor experience and marketing tied to a maintained horse herd; annual reporting could inform visitor expectations. The wild horses themselves will be the subject of protective management with restricted removals. Because the bill does not appropriate funds, the Park may need to cover costs from existing budgets or request additional appropriations, potentially affecting other park programs or requiring supplemental funding. Overall, this is a targeted wildlife-management mandate that increases transparency and sets a clear population goal, while creating administrative and possible budgetary impacts for the agency that manages the park.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced April 9, 2025 by John Hoeven · Last progress April 9, 2025
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Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Introduced in Senate