RALEIGH, N.C. (WAVY) — A North Carolina senator has introduced a bill this week designed to protect the wild horses of Corolla.
The bill from Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) seeks to ensure Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt collaborates with state and local authorities on the management of the wild horses.
Tillis said in a statement, “This legislation will take the necessary and proper steps in protecting the health and safety of the wild animals and their habitat, while encouraging continued tourism and economic investment for our local coastal communities.”
The senator’s bill comes weeks after the Corolla Wild Horse Fund expressed concerns over the possibility of an outbreak of a fungus-like disease known as “swamp cancer” — which claimed the lives of seven ponies on Chincoteague Island.
Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC) has introduced similar measures in the House of Representative over the years.
With each bill introduced, Jones sought measurs that would require the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of North Carolina, Currituck County and the Corolla Wild Horse Fund to craft a new management plan to care for the horses.
Jones’ bills have called for a target population of of between 120 and 130 wild horses in Corolla.
The bill Tillis introduced was referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works on Jan. 28.