[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 86 (Thursday, June 19, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H4071-H4072]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE SHACKLEFORD BANKS WILD HORSES PROTECTION ACT
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Cooksey). Under a previous order of the
House, the gentleman from North Carolina [Mr. Jones] is recognized for
5 minutes.
Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to share with my colleagues an
important editorial from a newspaper in my district, the Carteret
County News-Times. The editorial, titled ``Listen Up, National Park
Service,'' I submit for the Record demonstrates the importance of the
Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Protection Act, a bill I have introduced
to save a group of wild horses in North Carolina.
As the editorial says, the wild horses of Shackleford Banks are
believed to be descendents of Spanish mustangs who swam ashore after
Spanish galleons wrecked off the coast of North Carolina centuries ago.
For years these beautiful horses freely roamed the 3,000 acre barrier
islands without trouble until the North Carolina Park Service took
control of the area to form the Cape Lookout National Seashore in the
1970's.
Today, the horses are threatened by the National Park Service, which
seems to be more concerned with managing the vegetation on the island
than the horses. They have already euthanized many of these beautiful
animals for questionable reasons.
We must not allow the National Park Service to continue to destroy
these horses. The National Park Service's management plan specifies
that a representative herd of horses must be maintained, but I fear
that this vague term does not sufficiently protect the horses. What is
to keep the Park Service from reducing the horse population to a number
that may not survive one of the many storms that passes over North
Carolina's coast?
When the North Carolina Park Service first took control of the
island, the horse population was 104. According to Dr. Dan Rubenstein,
chairman of the Department of Ecological and Evolutionary Biology of
Princeton University, this number of 104 is appropriate for the overall
well-being of the island ecology and, most importantly, for the horses'
survival.
Dr. Rubenstein has been studying the herd for more than 15 years. He
is the expert on these horses for the Park Service. Even a genetic
scientist hired by the Park Service believes that the herd should
consist of at least 100 horses to remain a viable herd.
For this reason, my proposed legislation, the Shackleford Banks Wild
Horses Protection Act, would require that the number of horses on the
islands be maintained at not less than 100 horses, and prohibits the
removal of any horses unless their number exceeds 110. It also allows
public input in the management of the horses through the nonprofit
Foundation for Shackleford Horses, a group that truly cares about the
horses and their future.
Mr. Speaker, the wild horses of Shackleford Banks were on this island
long before people were. Clearly, they are a true historical treasure,
one we must protect, just as we protect other national treasures such
as the Grand Canyon.
The Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Protection Act is in the best
interest of the horses and it is in the best interest of the visitors
and residents who so enjoy viewing them in their natural setting.
As a Carteret County News-Times editorial reports, both Democratic
Governor Jim Hunt and Democratic Secretary of North Carolina Department
of Cultural Resources Betty McCain support this legislation. I urge my
colleagues to do the same.
Let us protect the wild horses of Shackleford Banks for the children
and the next generation, and let us save this national treasure.
Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the article I referred to
previously.
The article referred to is as follows:
[From the Carteret County News-Times, June 13, 1997]
Listen Up, NPS!
Some countians were skeptical when the National Park
Service announced plans last year to test wild mustangs on
Shackleford Banks for Equine Infectious Anemia, a
debilitating disease of horses.
They believed the NPS's real agenda was to remove all the
noble animals from the island, part of Cape Lookout National
Seashore.
It appeared to many observers, including this newspaper,
that those concerns were overblown, if not bordering on
paranoia.
After all, it only made good sense to cull sick animals so
that the healthy ones might thrive under improved conditions,
without fear of contracting EIA from biting insects feeding
off the sick horses. NPS said it had to cull the herd not so
much because of the disease but because the horses were over-
populating and damaging vegetation, destroying the ecology of
the island.
So the NPS plan went forward, euthanizing 76 of the 184
Shackleford horses who tests positive for the virus that
weakens horses' immune systems, sometimes leading to death.
That left 108 health horses free to roam the 3,000-acre
barrier island much like their descendants, Spanish mustangs
who perhaps swam ashore after Spanish galleons wrecked off
the coast centuries ago.
All seemed well, and fears of some countians dissipated
while the NPS spoke neighborly about maintaining the
remaining herd at about 100 or so members, chiefly through
birth control measures.
To be on the safe side, however, Third District Congressman
Walter Jones Jr., R-N.C., worked with Carteret County
officials and horse lovers whose aim was to participate in
managing the herd. It has always been and remains the wishes
of countians, with support from the scientific community, to
[[Page H4072]]
maintain the herd at about 100 horses. Bolstering this are
Dr. Dan Rubenstein of Princeton University and Dr. Gus
Cothran of the University of Kentucky, Department of
Veterinary Science, who believe the horse population should
stay at about 100 horses.
Congressman Jones introduced legislation, H.R. 875,
specifying that the herd be maintained at not less than 100
horses, prohibits removal of any horses unless their numbers
exceed 110 and allows citizen input in the management of the
horses through the nonprofit Foundation for Shackleford
Horses Inc.
Maureen Finnerty, NPS associate director for Park
Operations and Education, told the House Subcommittee on
National Parks and Public Lands April 10 that the NPS intends
``to maintain a representative herd of free-roaming horses on
Shackleford Banks,'' but if Congressman Jones' legislation
passes Congress, NPS will recommend that the president veto
the bill.
The NPS management plan turns out to be a sleight of hand
trick in that it does not define a ``representative herd.''
NPS could claim to be meeting the management plan by allowing
20 or even fewer horses to remain on the banks.
It does indeed appear that the NPS is more concerned with
managing the vegetation on the island than the horses.
This is high-handed arrogance. By law, the NPS owns the
horses, but again by law, the NPS is mandated to manage the
resources, which includes the island, its vegetation and the
horses, all for the public good, not for the good of NPS.
Consider that--
Visitors to Carteret County spend an estimated $150 per day
generating over $200 million annually in the county's
economy.
Fifteen county businesses make an annual living taking
visitors and residents to Shackleford to view the horses.
Both Gov. Jim Hunt and Betty McCain, secretary of the N.C.
Department of Cultural Resources, feel it is incumbent to
maintain ``this cultural resource'' for the future. They each
support Rep. Jones' legislation.
The underhanded recalcitrance on the part of the NPS has
caused us to rethink our initial belief that the NPS was
acting in good faith.
It now appears that the initial protesters were correct and
that the real NPS goal is to remove the mustangs from
Shackleford Banks. What other conclusion can be drawn from
the NPS' bull-headedness on this issue?
Congressman Jones will present his bill to the House
Committee on Resources Wednesday. In an effort to prevent any
citizen input in its management of the horses, the NPS is
pulling out all the stops.
For a while, it seemed the NPS favored this management plan
as well. But suddenly, the NPS objected to Congressman Jones'
legislation. Calling Congressman Jones' legislation a
``disturbing precedent that will lead to legislation being
proposed each time a management decision is questioned,''
If the NPS prevails, it will be a slap in the face to the
caring citizens of Carteret County, and possibly a looming
death warrant for the wild mustangs who have thrilled
generations of countians and tourists who trek to the island
to watch these splendid animals in their natural environment.
We strongly urge the NPS to back off and show good faith in
this matter. To do less would invite unpleasantness, given
the strong community feeling for these animals and their
importance to the vanishing heritage of down east Carteret
County.
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