To ensure the maintenance of a herd of horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Theodore Roosevelt National Park Wild Horses Protection Act
.
Sec. 2. Maintenance of horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park
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 thePark), 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.