▁a ▁draft ▁environmental ▁assess ment ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 6 ▁and ▁began ▁taking ▁public ▁comment ▁on ▁a ▁potential ▁management ▁plan . ▁Public ▁opinion ▁was ▁sever ely ▁divided , ▁with ▁environmental ists ▁appro ving ▁of ▁the ▁management ▁plan , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁likely ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁reduction ▁or ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁her d , ▁and ▁animal ▁rights ▁activ ists ▁and ▁island ▁residents ▁protest ing ▁the ▁plan . ▁However , ▁before ▁a ▁plan ▁could ▁be ▁implemented , ▁US ▁Represent ative ▁Jack ▁King ston ▁included ▁a ▁provision ▁in ▁a ▁federal ▁appropri ations ▁bill ▁that ▁prevent ed ▁any ▁management ▁of ▁the ▁horses . ▁King ston ▁made ▁the ▁change ▁to ▁the ▁bill ▁after ▁tour ing ▁the ▁island , ▁but ▁without ▁consult ation ▁with ▁the ▁N PS . ▁He ▁initially ▁claimed ▁that ▁he ▁personally ▁did ▁not ▁see ▁significant ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁island ▁from ▁the ▁horses ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁her d ▁size ▁had ▁decre ased . ▁However , ▁upon ▁later ▁question ing , ▁he ▁refused ▁to ▁expand ▁upon ▁his ▁observations ▁of ▁the ▁damage ▁to ▁the ▁island . ▁The ▁provision ▁exp ired ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 , ▁but ▁effectively ▁halt ed ▁momentum ▁toward ▁a ▁park ▁management ▁plan . ▁The ▁study ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁recommended ▁a ▁management ▁strategy ▁that ▁reduced ▁her d ▁populations ▁to ▁environment ally - re comm ended ▁sizes ▁through ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁off - is land ▁ad option ▁to ▁private ▁own ers ▁and ▁contra cept ives . ▁The ▁research ers ▁recommended ▁that ▁contra cept ive ▁use ▁be ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁female