Re: trail preservation

[vanhove@unavco.ucar.edu (Teresa Van Hove)]

>  ....
> What ever happened to the AERC Trail Foundation?  We will not HAVE an AERC if
> we don't have trails!!!! <snip>
> 
> Teddy
 
What is the status of the AERC Trail Foundataion?  I have read a few
articles in EN saying get involved in your local area and heard a few
things on ridecamp but that is it.  I am one of the "silent majority" type
people - I am not going to do the research myself to find out what trails
may be in jeapordy - especially since my local area is mainly good about
allowing horses on most trails.  But I do support nation wide trail 
preservation. I would be in favor of having some of my AERC dues go to
(or contributing voluntarily to) a special committee for trail preservation.

This commmitte would then be notified of trails in jeapordy and send out
form letters (snail mail and/or e-mail) to us (AERC +?) requesting that the
recipient sign the letter and send it to the appropriate agency, public 
official,etc. (This method seems to work for many special interest groups)
I'm sure it is labor intensive, thus I would support a fund being set up
to hire staff to do the mailings and handle incoming requests asking 
for support in keeping specific trails accessible to horse people.

(just a thought - I have more spare cash than time myself and honestly am
not going to get very involved in trail preservation unless it is either
made easy for me or it has a much more direct effect on me than it does
right now) 

Teresa


BTW Teddy if you e-mail a form letter that I can print out and sign;
with general relavance for all national forsests, and the address of the 
appropriate federal agency. I will be glad to join you in requesting 
to the USFS that all our national forsest lands be kept open to horse 
back riding.