[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 7809-7811]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   COROLLA WILD HORSES PROTECTION ACT

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 126) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to enter into 
an agreement to provide for management of the free-roaming wild horses 
in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 126

       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 ``Corolla Wild Horses 
     Protection Act''.

     SEC. 2. WILD HORSES IN AND AROUND THE CURRITUCK NATIONAL 
                   WILDLIFE REFUGE.

       (a) Agreement Required.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary of the Interior shall enter 
     into an agreement with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund (a 
     nonprofit corporation established under the laws of the State 
     of North Carolina), the County of Currituck, North Carolina, 
     and the State of North Carolina within 180 days after the 
     date of enactment of this Act to provide for management of 
     free-roaming wild horses in and around the Currituck National 
     Wildlife Refuge.

[[Page 7810]]

       (2) Terms.--The agreement shall--
       (A) allow a herd of not less than 110 and not more than 130 
     free-roaming wild horses in and around such refuge, with a 
     target population of between 120 and 130 free-roaming wild 
     horses;
       (B) provide for cost-effective management of the horses 
     while ensuring that natural resources within the refuge are 
     not adversely impacted;
       (C) provide for introduction of a small number of free-
     roaming wild horses from the herd at Cape Lookout National 
     Seashore as is necessary to maintain the genetic viability of 
     the herd in and around the Currituck National Wildlife 
     Refuge; and
       (D) specify that the Corolla Wild Horse Fund shall pay the 
     costs associated with--
       (i) coordinating a periodic census and inspecting the 
     health of the horses;
       (ii) maintaining records of the horses living in the wild 
     and in confinement;
       (iii) coordinating the removal and placement of horses and 
     monitoring of any horses removed from the Currituck County 
     Outer Banks; and
       (iv) administering a viable population control plan for the 
     horses including auctions, adoptions, contraceptive fertility 
     methods, and other viable options.
       (b) Requirements for Introduction of Horses From Cape 
     Lookout National Seashore.--During the effective period of 
     the memorandum of understanding between the National Park 
     Service and the Foundation for Shackleford Horses, Inc. (a 
     non-profit corporation organized under the laws of and doing 
     business in the State of North Carolina) signed in 2007, no 
     horse may be removed from Cape Lookout National Seashore for 
     introduction at Currituck National Wildlife Refuge except--
       (1) with the approval of the Foundation; and
       (2) consistent with the terms of such memorandum (or any 
     successor agreement) and the Management Plan for the 
     Shackleford Banks Horse Herd signed in January 2006 (or any 
     successor management plan).
       (c) No Liability Created.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed as creating liability for the United States for any 
     damages caused by the free-roaming wild horses to any person 
     or property located inside or outside the boundaries of the 
     refuge.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Wittman) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. 
Napolitano) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Virginia.


                             General Leave

  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Virginia?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In 2007, the State of North Carolina, the County of Currituck, the 
Corolla Wild Horse Fund, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed 
a comprehensive wild horse management plan for the colonial Spanish 
mustangs that live on 7,500 acres of private and public lands in North 
Carolina. This plan expired last year, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service indicated that it will not sign a new agreement.
  H.R. 126, authored by Congressman Walter B. Jones, requires the 
Secretary of the Interior to enter into a new agreement within 180 days 
of enactment. It will also cap the number of horses to no more than 
130, allow the introduction of a small number of Shackleford Banks 
horses to improve genetic diversity, and will ensure that the Corolla 
Wild Horse Fund, which is a volunteer organization, will continue to 
pay for the cost of caring for and managing these horses in the future. 
These horses are living symbols of our colonial history. H.R. 126, 
which is a similar bill to one that passed the House by a voice vote 
last year, will ensure their survival at no cost to the taxpayers.
  I urge adoption of the measure and compliment the author for his 
tireless leadership and his passion for this issue and reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 126 directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter 
into an agreement with the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, as well as local 
and State authorities, to provide for the management of the wild horses 
in and around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. The agreement 
will increase the cap on the herd size and specify that the privately 
funded Corolla Wild Horse Fund will cover the cost of managing the 
herd.
  This refuge was established in 1984 to preserve and protect the 
native coastal barrier ecosystem. The refuge provides habitat for the 
migrating wild fowl and for the endangered species, such as piping 
plover and sea turtles.
  It is unusual to protect a nonnative species such as these horses in 
a wildlife refuge. Extra effort and resources are needed to ensure that 
the herd does not impair the ecosystem for the native animals and 
plants.
  H.R. 126 is an imperfect solution, though a solution, to a very 
difficult problem. We must continue working with Fish and Wildlife 
Service and with the local community to achieve balance between the 
needs of the refuge and these wild horses.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield as much time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Jones).
  Mr. JONES. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and the ranking 
member for their words today, and I'll take just a few minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, as has been said by both, this is a plan to maintain and 
protect a part of North Carolina's history. As Mr. Wittman said, these 
horses have been traced back by genetic experts to the Spanish mustangs 
that swam ashore in the 1600s. They are really part of our heritage.
  These beautiful little horses roam, as has been said by both sides 
today, over 7,500 acres of public and private land. This is in 
Currituck County out at Corolla.

                              {time}  1700

  These little horses are so special that the citizens of our area 
decided that they should try to create a foundation where they could 
work together with the Federal Government, the State government, and 
the county government; and it's known as the Corolla Wild Horse Fund. 
It is a nonprofit. These people are absolutely convinced and committed 
to making sure that for years to come down the road that these little 
horses will still have the ability to reproduce. And that's been part 
of the problem, Mr. Speaker, is that if you allow this herd to get down 
to about 60 horses, you will not be able to maintain the diversity of 
the herd.
  That is why an expert, Dr. Gus Cothran of Texas A&M, as has been said 
in the comments by both sides, has said that you have to have a minimum 
of 120 horses but no more than 130. We are of the firm belief that H.R. 
126 will do what is necessary to continue to make sure that we have a 
viable herd of these horses that have been traced back to the Spanish 
galleons that came to the coast of North Carolina and wrecked and these 
horses swam ashore. They've been able to live for that many years.
  This is very close to legislation, and I want to thank the House in a 
bipartisan way, in 1998 we did the same thing that we are trying to do 
in Corolla down in Currituck County down at Shackleford Banks. And what 
was interesting, President Clinton was President at the time, and 
Erskine Bowles was Chief of Staff to President Clinton, and Erskine 
Bowles got behind the legislation, and that's exactly what we're trying 
to do. It was the Park Service down at Shackleford Banks; this is Fish 
and Wildlife, but thank you for your comments.
  I want to thank the chairman for his comments because there's no 
reason that we cannot make both sides happy to do what needs to be done 
and to protect what, to me, when you look at this beautiful little 
horse, it is God's gift to the world. So thank you so much, Mr. 
Chairman and ranking member. Thank you for giving me this time to speak 
on behalf of these horses. I hope that we can pass this legislation.
  Mrs. NAPOLITANO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WITTMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by

[[Page 7811]]

the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wittman) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 126.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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