House Committee Approves Jones' Bill to Protect Corolla Wild Horses

Statement

Today the House Natural Resources Committee approved Congressman Walter B. Jones' (NC-3) Corolla Wild Horses Protection Act. The bill -- H.R. 306 -- would provide for a new management plan to ensure the future viability of the free-roaming Corolla wild horses of North Carolina's Outer Banks. Under the existing management agreement between the Interior Department, the State of North Carolina, Currituck County and the non-profit Corolla Wild Horse Fund, the maximum number of horses allowed in the herd is 60. However, leading equine genetic scientists believe that number 60 threatens the existence of the herd due to inbreeding and low genetic diversity. H.R. 306 would require the parties to craft a new management plan allowing a herd of no less than 110 horses, with a target number of 120 to 130. The Committee approved the bill by voice vote, and it now goes to the House floor for further consideration.

"These horses are very important to the people of North Carolina," said Jones. "North Carolina has designated the Colonial Spanish Mustang as our State Horse and we must make sure they survive for future generations to enjoy."

The Corolla horses can be traced back to the arrival of Spanish explorers in the 16th century. For over four centuries, they have survived in the wild and currently roam across 7,500 acres of public and private land in coastal Currituck County, North Carolina.

H.R. 306 has garnered support from, among others, Governor Bev Perdue, Corolla Wild Horse Fund, Currituck County, the Humane Society, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Animal Welfare Institute, the American Wild Horse Preservation Campaign, Saving America's Mustangs and Equus Survival Trust.

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