Brian Jones: “Thank you very much for the time. To the ranking member, thank you for your comments as well. As has already been…”

“Thank you very much for the time. To the ranking member, thank you for your comments as well. As has already been stated, H.R. 306 would provide for a new public- private management plan for the free roaming Corolla wild horses of North Carolina's Outer Banks--at no cost to our taxpayers. The Corolla wild horses are Colonial Spanish Mustangs that can be traced back to the Spanish explorers on the Outer Banks in the 16th century. They've survived in the wild for over 400 years and roam across 7,500 acres of public and private land in coastal Currituck County, North Carolina. Under the existing management agreement between the Interior Department, the State of North Carolina, Currituck County, and the nonprofit Corolla Wild Horse Fund, the maximum number of horses allowed in the herd is 60. Equine genetic scientists believe the number of 60 threatens the herd's existence due to high levels of inbreeding and low levels of genetic diversity. To address this issue, H.R. 306 would require a new management plan to allow a herd of no less than 110 horses and no more than 130 horses. 110 is the minimum number that leading equine genetic scientist Dr. Gus Cothran of Texas A&M University has found to be necessary to maintain the herd's genetic viability. It is important to note that these numbers are well within the carrying capacity of the land these horses call home.…”