III 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 306 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 7, 2012 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

MARCH 21, 2012 

Committee discharged; referred to the Committee on Environment and Public 

Works 

AN ACT 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Corolla Wild Horses 

5 Protection Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WILD HORSES IN AND AROUND THE CURRITUCK 

7 NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. 

8 (a) AGREEMENT REQUIRED.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte2 rior shall enter into an agreement with the Corolla 

3 Wild Horse Fund (a nonprofit corporation estab4 lished under the laws of the State of North Caro5 lina), the County of Currituck, North Carolina, and 

6 the State of North Carolina within 180 days after 

7 the date of enactment of this Act to provide for 

8 management of free-roaming wild horses in and 

9 around the Currituck National Wildlife Refuge. 

10 (2) TERMS.—The agreement shall— 

11 (A) allow a herd of not less than 110 and 

12 not more than 130 free-roaming wild horses in 

13 and around such refuge, with a target popu14 lation of between 120 and 130 free-roaming 

15 wild horses; 

16 (B) provide for cost-effective management 

17 of the horses while ensuring that natural re18 sources within the refuge are not adversely im19 pacted; 

20 (C) provide for introduction of a small 

21 number of free-roaming wild horses from the 

22 herd at Cape Lookout National Seashore as is 

23 necessary to maintain the genetic viability of 

24 the herd in and around the Currituck National 

25 Wildlife Refuge; and 


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1 (D) specify that the Corolla Wild Horse 

2 Fund shall pay the costs associated with— 

3 (i) coordinating a periodic census and 

4 inspecting the health of the horses; 

5 (ii) maintaining records of the horses 

6 living in the wild and in confinement; 

7 (iii) coordinating the removal and 

8 placement of horses and monitoring of any 

9 horses removed from the Currituck County 

10 Outer Banks; and 

11 (iv) administering a viable population 

12 control plan for the horses including auc13 tions, adoptions, contraceptive fertility 

14 methods, and other viable options. 

15 (b) CONDITIONS FOR EXCLUDING WILD HORSES

16 FROM REFUGE.—The Secretary shall not exclude free17 roaming wild horses from any portion of the Currituck 

18 National Wildlife Refuge unless— 

19 (1) the Secretary finds that the presence of 

20 free-roaming wild horses on a portion of the Refuge 

21 threatens the survival of an endangered species for 

22 which such land is designated as critical habitat 

23 under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 

24 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 


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HR 306 RCS

1 (2) such finding is based on a credible peer-re2 viewed scientific assessment; and 

3 (3) the Secretary provides a period of public no4 tice and comment on that finding. 

5 (c) REQUIREMENTS FOR INTRODUCTION OF HORSES

6 FROM CAPE LOOKOUT NATIONAL SEASHORE.—During 

7 the effective period of the memorandum of understanding 

8 between the National Park Service and the Foundation 

9 for Shackleford Horses, Inc. (a non-profit corporation or10 ganized under the laws of and doing business in the State 

11 of North Carolina) signed in 2007, no horse may be re12 moved from Cape Lookout National Seashore for intro13 duction at Currituck National Wildlife Refuge except— 

14 (1) with the approval of the Foundation; and 

15 (2) consistent with the terms of such memo16 randum (or any successor agreement) and the Man17 agement Plan for the Shackleford Banks Horse 

18 Herd signed in January 2006 (or any successor 

19 management plan). 

20 (d) NO LIABILITY CREATED.—Nothing in this sec21 tion shall be construed as creating liability for the United 

22 States for any damages caused by the free-roaming wild 


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1 horses to any person or property located inside or outside 

2 the boundaries of the refuge. 

Passed the House of Representatives February 6, 

2012. 

Attest: KAREN L. HAAS, 

Clerk. 


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