Re: RC: Highjacking Trails / Funding the Good Fight]

["B.E. Jackson" <riosanbravo@hotmail.com>]

First of all, don't panic. The best thing to do in these situations is what 
you're doing...get the word out and organize, organize, organize. After all, 
the "other side" tends to be organized by its very nature.
Try to draw on all horse groups that are interested in and use that trail. 
Endurance riders comprise just a small (albeit excellent!) piece of the pie 
when it comes to recreational riding.
Find prominent members of the community who ride and draw them in to be your 
front people. Elected officials who are equestrians are a godsend.
Get as much media exposure as possible—the historic value of the trail is a 
great angle.
Network with other horse groups and trail organizations up an down the state 
to get input on what measures they have taken. Get people to send letter, 
emails and faxes in support of keeping the trail open to equestrian groups.
I can't stress enough the need to see it through the adversary's eyes and 
broaden your support. If they can writer you off as another elitist group, 
they will.
Attend every public meeting on the trail's fate—in droves. Nothing unnerves 
public officials like a mob of well-behaved, focused, well-organized 
citizens who exercise their rights and won't go away.
I'll put an action alert in the current issue of Trail Savers (Trail Blazer 
Magazine) if you'll send me all the info you currently have.

May I just say that we build value in our trail systems by sharing them with 
other equestrians. If anyone has a great equestrian trail in their area that 
they'd like to submit to our Trailhead column, they'll be helping to 
strengthen that trail's status. (You'll also get a free one-year 
subscription to Trail Blazer if we use your submission.) Email me for a 
sample if you're not familiar with the format.

Good luck,

Bonnie Jackson, Editor
TB


----Original Message Follows----
From: Justgrassmower@netscape.net
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: RC:   Highjacking Trails / Funding the Good Fight]
Date: Fri, 2 Jun 2000 08:24:57 EDT

We are in the midst of shocking attempts by local agencies (attempting to 
get "free" grant money so that they can play), to turn the public against 
equestrians, and create trail changes which will eventually run the horses 
out.  Their ploy is, that "the only reason anyone is against unsafe trail 
changes (i.e., paving, turning narrow/sharpcornered trails into multi-use, 
etc.) is that the equestrians are selfish".  The trails proposed for paving 
are already multi-use, and gladly shared by the equestrians.  Originally, 
they were gold-miner trails.  (I am checking into historical designation, if 
anyone has any tips.)

Anyway, this has turned into a taxpayors' rights issue, based on the misuse 
of the grant money.  The local taxpayors have been forced to hire legal 
counsel, which appears so far to be successful in saving our trails.  We are 
talking about trails that are used for endurance training, AND an endurance 
ride.  While the parties protecting the trails appear to be gaining ground, 
the monetary and time cost has been high.  At this point, we are reduced to 
begging for anybody who can help, either monetarily or with helpful 
pointers.  These trails are used by all, the last endurance ride even had 
entrants from three States away.  If you can be of any help, no matter how 
small, please respond to Justgrassmower@netscape.net, for further details. 
 PLEASE, PLEASE - we are begging for whatever help you may feel generous 
enough to provide.  I have been in contact with the former head of the AERC 
Trails Committee, and will be in contact with Mr. Firth of the AERC Trails 
Committee, should you wish to legitimize this message, hopefully either 
tonight or tomorrow.   AGAIN, we are fighting a battle based upon principal, 
and gaining the grudged respect of these agencies for equestrian rights. 
 Help us to win the battle.  I plan on posting an entire page on this issue 
when the "dust" has settled, to hopefully provide and share pointers for 
others across the States.  THANK YOU for your time!  

----------
Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Webmail account today at 
http://home.netscape.com/webmail/


----------
Get your own FREE, personal Netscape Webmail account today at 
http://home.netscape.com/webmail/


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com