UPDATE – JAN. 27, 12:10 P.M.

The resolution has been introduced and can be found right here.

ORIGINAL STORY – JAN. 26, 5:52 P.M.

MEDORA, N.D. (KXNET) — We elect our state legislators to represent the people, and to many North Dakotans, the future of the wild horses in Teddy Roosevelt National Park is an important issue.

“The call to action is for people to go to the Theodore Roosevelt Park website, their park planning website, and make comments before January 31. The park is looking for comments that give different alternatives to what they’ve offered,” said Chasing Horses Wild Horse advocate, Chris Kman. 

After countless news articles, phone calls, and letters sent.

The attention has reached the right desk and has gotten our state legislators’ attention after all.

“I responded to some of the advocates who reached out, and then I connected with the western area legislators who have Theodore Roosevelt national park as part of their district. They, of course, have been supportive,” said District 44, Rep. Josh Boschee.

“We’re limited as the state because these are horses that are within the national park system so I first off drafted a letter to the superintendent, asking to extend the comment. But, we are currently working on a resolution that will be introduced today in the Senate with Senator Brad Bekkedahl, out of Williston who will provide leadership on that,” said Boschee.

Representative Boschee says the wild horses at the park are a part of the attractions that bring many to North Dakota, the badlands experience.

“I think anytime someone gets to visit North Dakota is a great opportunity. It’s a beautiful state and as I’ve learned from folks that these horses bring in a lot of different people that are coming for a variety of reasons, and as we look at expanding western North Dakota as a tourist destination to keep these horses as an asset will continue to contribute to our opportunities here,” said Boschee.

As mentioned in our most previous coverage, the park’s denial of the extension does not stop the fight at all, it will go on.

“The denial of the extension of time doesn’t impact our ability to move a resolution forward, with the 60-day extension that would allow a resolution to be introduced into the record, so with the comment period closing next week we won’t have that opportunity, but we’re still moving forward with our process so we can make sure that the park district knows what the state is feeling as well as our congressional delegation,” said Boschee. 

He says if there are additional comment periods in the future for the parks, supporting legislators, like himself will certainly engage in that conversation.

Especially, if the resolution is successful. 

“What the resolution says is that we’re asking the national park service and Congress to act and make sure that we keep those horses as the national treasure that they are,” said Boschee. 

The resolution will be introduced to the public by 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 26.

People still have 5 days to submit opinions and proposals to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

We will update the story when we have access to the bill.