[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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