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[RC] PA State Gameland Trail Closures - John Teeter

Please Note: This is a guest post - reply to ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx NOT johnt:) 

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From:     Ridecamp Guest <guest-source@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: guest@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date:  Mon, 14 Jul 2003 14:39:10 GMT

Diane Nelson safehavn@xxxxxxxx
The following is an email I sent to the Director of the PA Equine Council 
regarding the wholesale closure of trails on SGL #205 in northern Lehigh County 
above Allentown, PA.

The fact is this:  we have *nowhere* left to ride, except on blacktop roads 
with no posted (or ignored) speed limits.

Diane Nelson



I live directly across from SGL #205 in Lehigh County, north of Allentown, PA.  
The PA State Game Commission has posted all but a 1/2 mile of trail closed to 
horses and cyclists.  The only available route happens to go right next to the 
gun range, where semi-automatic weapons are frequently in use.  Have you ever 
attempted to ride next to a gun range with semi-automatic firing?  I would not 
recommend it.

The trails that we have been riding for 10+ years consisted of dirt tractor 
lanes, mowed 3-4 ft wide strips around fields and virtually no woods or other 
types of trails with sensitive erosion issues.  Farmers farm the fields during 
all but the winter months, with concomitant "intrusion" into wildlife habitat, 
packing down the dirt roads, and crossing streams with heavy equipment during 
hunting and fishing seasons.  

The closure effectively denies the residents in a large area access to any 
trail system at all.  We have only blacktop roads left to ride on, at extreme 
risk to ourselves and our horses due to the high speeds and volume of traffic.

The "no horses, no bicycles" restrictions apply even during Sundays.  The ploy 
of purchasing a hunting license to allow legal access also will not work.  No 
horses means exactly that...no horses.  No alternative routes were considered 
or solicited, despite a large turn-out by local riders to the ONE open house to 
solicit comments prior to the advent of the new regulations.

The PA Equine Council should have been alerted to the major "gotcha" in the 
catch-all term..."designated routes".  There may be 1000 miles of trails, but 
they are many hours drive away from those of us who live in the NE and SE 
regions of PA.  And when one peruses the allowed trails, one is struck by all 
of the 1.5-6.0 mile limits.  Who in their right mind will trailer to ride a 1.5 
mile trail?

We are considering either moving from this area or selling our horses.  This 
could mean a yearly loss of $2500 to the local farmer from whom we purchase 
hay, $1500 to the local feed mill, $300 to the local sawdust supplier, many 
hundreds of dollars to the veterinarians, tack shops and fuel suppliers with 
whom we have done business over the last 25 years - and this is for one family 
alone.

I am disheartened at the virulent anti-horse sentiment in this state.  NJ, NY, 
MD, VA all have active Horse Councils who have worked to provide hundreds of 
miles of protected trail systems, including equine camping facilities.  Why 
isn't the PA Horse Council more proactive?

Respectfully,

Diane Nelson
4972 Lowhill Church Road
New Tripoli, PA 18066



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