“These beautiful and iconic horses are an essential part of Eastern North Carolina’s heritage…”
The U.S. House of Representatives for passing, without opposition, the Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act (H.R. 126). This legislation, which was introduced by Rep. Walter B. Jones (R-N.C.), would protect the free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge in Currituck County, N.C. by increasing the number of horses allowed in the herd, thereby preserving their genetic viability.
The Corolla wild horse herd can be traced back to the arrival of Spanish explorers on the Outer Banks in the 16th century. Despite access to roam across 7,500 acres of public and private land, the current law caps the maximum number of horses at 60, a population deemed too low to maintain the herd’s genetic viability. The Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act would require the Secretary of the Interior to craft a new herd management plan with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Currituck County, and the state of North Carolina that would allow for the herd population to increase to no fewer than 110 horses, with a target population between 120 and 130 horses.
“These beautiful and iconic horses are an essential part of Eastern North Carolina’s heritage, and people travel from near and far to see them in their natural habitat,” said Rep. Jones. “We must protect these wild-roaming horses for future generations to enjoy.”
Now that the legislation has passed the House, it will be sent to the Senate for consideration.
Related Articles
- Corolla Wild Horse Recovers after Rescue from Ocean (rtfitchauthor.com)
Categories: Horse News, Wild Horses/Mustangs
Straight from the Horse's Heart 
what about HR1094?
LikeLike
Yes indeed what about the SAFE act that is supposed to protect ALL horses..I hope that passes
LikeLike
Hooray!
LikeLike
So Wonderful!
LikeLike
Now that protection for the Corolla horses has been established, how about protecting the rest of US horses from slaughter. Oh, the Farm Bureau and Big Agricultural lobby against this because of the slippery slope. If it was so easy for congress to pass the corolla bill , how about standing up for the rest of the horses.
LikeLike
The bill still has to pay the Senate. The legislation was introduced in the Senate on February 7, 2012, introduced to the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee, discharched March 21(???) and sent to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee where it was not officially read in committee until July 26, 2012.
LikeLike
Thank goodness there ARE some politicians that have their heads together, YEAH this is wonderful!!! NOW like the others here have said ALL the other horses are still at risk, lets fix this NOW, and WHEN if any time will 1094 be even heard??? This whole horse slaughter business is the most frustrating, maddening, thing I believe I have ever been through we ALL, where does Valley Meat stand as of today, I did read that N.M. Environmental Board was going to hear the suit on June 3, I believe, but then I read this could go all the way till Aug. or longer on the dates, I can’t imagine that USDA will wait that long, it is so upsetting this time line, GOD will NO ONE stand up and stop this, like the GOV. of N.M. or the President everyone is just passing the buck, what in H=LL is the matter with folks??? I still really don’t get it, are the Cattlemen and Big Agr. and Oil company’s THAT powerful that they all have the last word, guess so , disgusting……………….
LikeLike
Yes, the Cattlemen, Sheep Ranchers, Big Ag, Oil Companies, Pharmacuetical Companies, American Medical Association, Monsanto, and on and on are that powerful. And the only way we are going to return our country to a democracy is to stand tall and to protest every way we can. Two million people worldwide protested Monsanto last week and for the first time Monsanto is backing down.
It is down to Flaming pitchforks versus Fascism! Thank God for the Internet – which BTW the monied want to control – all of these fights and rights are intertwined. We need to fight against it all.
LikeLike
THe BLM need to take a lesson.
LikeLike
The BLM needs lots of Lessons in how to Protect and Preserve Icons ,The Mustangs !!!!!!! Would like to share what my friend wrote ……. \Not for the Corollas but for those in the west !!!!!
I am a citizen and a taxpayer and I object to the Proposed Action outlined in the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Adobe Town Salt Wells Creek Wild Horse Gather. America’s public lands – including those in Wyoming – must be managed for the broad interests of the American people and not for the narrow interests of a handful of local users who profit from using those lands, thanks to our tax subsidies.
The Proposed Action to remove 586 wild horses from the Adobe Town and Salt Wells Creek Herd Management Areas (HMAs) as well as to remove wild horses from all private and checkerboard (alternating public/private) lands in this 1.6 million acre complex would have devastating impacts on the federally-protected wild horses in this area.
The EA fails entirely to analyze these devastating impacts and even fails to describe the Proposed Action in sufficient detail to allow the reader/commenter to adequately understand what it entails. This is a gross violation of the National Environmental Policy Act.
The Proposed Action would unlawfully close the majority of public lands in this complex to wild horse use, and turn these public lands over to private ranchers. This is a violation of the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act (“Wild Horse Act”) and an egregious affront to the public trust.
According to the BLM’s own estimates, there are AT MOST 1,447 wild horses living in this 1.6 million acre habitat area. That is 1 horse per 1,106 acres! By contrast the BLM authorizes TENS OF THOUSANDS OF SHEEP AND CATTLE to graze in this area. Given this astounding discrepancy, the EA failed to establish that the removal of horses is necessary to restore a thriving natural ecological balance, as required by law. Therefore Proposed Action has no legal basis on which to proceed.
Specific deficiencies with the EA and proposed action include:
1. Based on census data based on a 2012 census and unsubstantiated estimates of herd growth of 20% a year that lack any scientific substantiation. Using the BLM’s faulty calculations, the Adobe Town HMA is just 14 horses over the “Allowable” Management Level (AML), meaning that the Proposed Action could result in removing horses to a level below AML. This is illegal under the Wild Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act. (“Wild Horse Act”)
2. Removal of horses from private lands in these HMAs violates the Wild Horse Act because, due to the alternating public/private land parcel pattern, the BLM cannot distinguish between horses on private land and federally-protected horses who reside primarily on public land.
3. Removal of horses from all checkerboard lands will “zero out” a large portion of the Salt Wells Creek HMA. The HMA boundaries were established under the Wild Horse Act and BLM Land Use Plans; they cannot be changed by an EA on a roundup plan.
4. Proposed Action is illegal attempt to implement a backroom deal between the government and the Rock Springs Grazing Association (RSGA), which filed suit against the government at the suggestion of the Interior Department. The public has been left out of this backroom deal, which the government agreed to settle the RSGA lawsuit. The Proposed Action is an attempt to unlawfully implement this settlement and will result in numerous violations of numerous wild horse protection and land use planning laws. This is unacceptable.
5. EA failed to consider a range of alternatives to the Proposed Action, including reducing livestock grazing to accommodate current wild horse populations and avoid removals, as well as land swaps that could result in contiguous public land habitat for wild horse and environmental protection and private lands for grazing sheep and cattle.
6. EA failed to examine the impacts of the Proposed Action on recreational users of this land. The action will essentially “zero out” the majority of the Salt Wells Creek HMA, including the area nearest to Rock Springs, which is most accessible to the public and frequently enjoyed by wild horse watchers and photographers. The proposed Action will essentially close this area of public lands to these important users.
7. EA failed to examine the economic impacts of the proposed action, particularly the impacts of adding nearly 600 wild horses to a holding system that already warehouses 50,000 wild horses and burros in holding facilities. In fact, the EA wrongly and arrogantly claims that issues related to the long-term stability of the BLM program are “outside the scope” of analysis!
8. The EA failed to provide any monitoring data to justify the removal of horses, to account for changing range conditions or to delineate range impacts caused by wild horses vs. range impacts caused by livestock.
For all the reasons stated above, the Proposed Action is UNJUSTIFIED, and the EA is INADEQUATE. This roundup plan should be cancelled and the wild horses of the Adobe Town and Salt Wells HMAs should be protected and preserved, as federal law requires.
Sincerely,
ROSALYN BURKETT
330-273-2464
LikeLike
Brilliant letter! Brava! I sure wish everyone would send one like this to the clowns at the BLM!
LikeLike
Precedent setting legislation. Horse herds can be too small in number and finally Congress has gotten their collective heads out of their collective a-ses and seen the light. With the release of the NAS report tomorrow I do hope that Sally Jewell will take this science of genetics to heart and explain to the Wild Horse and Burro Program that their thinking of reducing numbers to protect the range is ludicrous at best.
The wild horses of Corolla don’t have massive herds of cattle to compete with nor the big money oil and gas lobby’s. For some reason there is a different mindset about the islanders vs the range rovers. The islander’s are cute and draw in tourist dollars. The range horses are out of sight therefore out of mind for most American’s.
Everyone tweet the Secretary today
@secretaryjewell congress protected Corolla horses you need to uphold the law passed unanimously in 1971 and protect those on the open range
LikeLike
Steve, the genetic science is already there. Interior has contracted for it since the 1970’s. The rule then and now for healthy, self-sustaining herds was a total herd population of 150-50 (too old or too young) divided by 2 to get to a effective population number of 50, the number of females capable of reproducing a healthy foal.
For herds that are managed by humans following scientific protocol the total doesn’t need to be quite as high. There are other factors such as the diversity of the mare lines, whether the hed is isolated or continguous to another herd, climate, available forage for the mother so she can nurse, predators or the absence of them, what season the foals will be born in, etc.
LikeLike
A HUGE YAAAAA HOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
Sorry Alll I thought she wrote it !!!! Only comments at the bottom !!!!!!
LikeLike
This is one step forward with a huge ball of momentum from horse advocates to keep it moving. The SAFE Act needs to pass as well as the re-instating of the rights for all the wild horses still roaming and in holding facilities. Seriously, enough is enough. Our voices WILL be heard and these legislators WILL do what they were hired to do. We will no longer tolerate their corruption and greed and their dismissive and arrogant approach to serving our country. Now is the time. Enough waiting and passing the buck. We’re running out of patience and our horses and our country deserve so much more!
LikeLike
Let’s hope and pray that the Senate shows the same common sense and passes this.
LikeLike
How about Nevada?? They want to round up 1500 horses in NE Nevada. Thats to many.
LikeLike
and they have no rights to do this.. LEAVE THEM ALINE.. let them be.. they are free.. like WE ONCE WERE…
LikeLike
Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LikeLike
Hope this means they will not allow anymore building/development taking up the horses land!!!
LikeLike
This is wonderful news. Nice to know that they care.
LikeLike
Dear R.T. Finch, It may lighten your heart to know that our newly formed organization is geared to taking legal action to stop horse slaughter http://www.noequineslaughter.org. When Sec. Vilasak issues any permit to open up a horse slaughter facility we will be there with a lawsuit to stop it. Spread the word! Thanks for all you do! Best Lorna Moffat Director
LikeLike
Please call, email, write, or send a post card to your Senator and ask them to pass this important legislation for the state of North Carolina. These horses have been present on the Outer Banks for at least 500 years and are important to the people of our state.
LikeLike
what about all horses… and why o they have to keep the number s down to 110.. these horses have been here for hundred of years.. what right do you have to say where they go or how many or what they do.. a man told us on the ride one year they give shots to mares to keep the numbers down.. what right do you have to do this.. they have been protected for years, you have no right to change any of this.. leave them alone.. and just protect them the way it should be..
LikeLike