[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 85 (Friday, June 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1149-E1150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ADJUSTMENT IN NUMBER OF FREE ROAMING HORSES PERMITTED IN CAPE LOOKOUT 
                           NATIONAL SEASHORE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. WALTER B. JONES

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, June 14, 2004

  Mr. JONES of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the 
House Leadership for scheduling H.R. 205 for floor consideration. This 
bill would adjust the number of free roaming horsed permitted on 
Shackleford Banks in the Cape Lookout National Seashore. Shackleford 
Banks is a barrier island off the coast of North Carolina that has been 
home to a herd of wild horses for over three centuries. In fact, 
experts believe the herd descended from Spanish stallions that were 
shipwrecked on the island during colonial times.
  Over the years, the Shackleford horses have become an integral part 
of the natural and cultural fabric of Eastern North Carolina. They are 
treasured by the local community and adored by the many visitors who 
come from across the country to see them.
  To protect these beautiful creatures, in 1997 I introduced the 
Shackleford Banks Wild Horses Protection Act which the President later 
signed into law. The Act directed the Department of the Interior to 
enter an agreement with a non-profit group--the Foundation for 
Shackleford Horses--to manage the herd. It also required the Department 
to allow a herd of 100 free-roaming horses in the Seashore, and it set 
out terms under which horses could be removed, including a prohibition 
on removal ``unless the number of horses . . . exceeds 110.''
  As the National Park Service and the Foundation began to implement 
the Act, disagreement erupted over the law's requirements on the size 
of the herd. The Park Service interpreted the Act to mean that the 
herd's population should be kept between 100 and 110. However, as the 
author of the legislation, I can tell you this interpretation was 
inconsistent with Congressional intent--which was to allow the herd to 
hover above 110.

[[Page E1150]]

  The Park Service's interpretation also conflicted with the 
established scientific consensus on the size of the herd. Studies by 
world-renowned genetic scientists Dr. Daniel Rubenstein of Princeton 
University, and Dr. Gus Cothran of the University of Kentucky, confirm 
that in order to maintain the herd's long-term viability, its optimum 
size is around 120 animals. The experts also agree that the population 
should not dip below 110 and that it should be allowed to expand 
periodically to numbers at or above 130 in order to sustain the proper 
genetic diversity in the herd. It's important to note that these 
numbers are well within the island's carrying capacity.
  After years of disagreement on the herd size issue, the Park Service 
met in the fall of 2002 with the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, Dr. 
Rubenstein, Dr. Cothran and other stakeholders. After two days of 
meetings, the parties emerged with an agreement that largely mirrors 
the scientific understanding of how the horses should be managed.
  H.R. 2055 seeks to codify this scientific consensus into law. It 
would allow a herd of ``not less than 110 free roaming horses, with a 
target population of between 120 and 130 free roaming horses.'' It 
would also clear up confusion on when horses can be removed from the 
island by mandating that removal can only occur if ``carried out as 
part of a plan to maintain the viability of the herd.''
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation is supported by the Park Service, the 
scientific experts, and the local community. It is a legislative fix 
based on sound science, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

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