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Re: trail preservation



> What ever happened to the AERC Trail Foundation?  We will not HAVE an
AERC if
> > we don't have trails!!!! <snip>
> > 
I am sorry to say that a committee or foundation is only as good/effective
as the effort that people are willing to put into it.The AERC Trails
Committee has 11 members scattered through out the entire United States.
Those 11 people SHOULD BE SUPPORTED by at least 1100 additional persons. I
am willing to bet there is not 110 members willing to support the effort as
the committee members have.

To explain, here in our area we have a number of National Forests and also
BLM  Districts where we ride. Each NF District and each BLM District is
under almost autonomous control. If an issue come up caring people must
attend several meetings in each district. As an example we are having a
DEIS done for the Frank Church Wilderness. I will be attending three days
straight in February for the "preliminary" explanation of the document.  
Then the BLM will have a hearing on the Owyhee Management Plan shortly
after that. In the whole of Idaho, not just my area,  there are not over 50
non-commercial people willing to devote the time it takes to attend these
hearings. And the policy of the Agencies is that if you do not attend or
make your self known early in the process you cannot intervene at a later
date. Fighting for trails can become a full time job if you really care. 

Do not slight the Mt. Bikers, the 4x4 drivers, the ATVers, the snowmobilers
and the hikers. They are our allies not our foes. We all need the trails
and need to promote multi-use of those trails we have. Look into other
organizations like the Blue Ribbon Coalition. They were instrumental in
getting the Symms Fund passed and then extended.

Make the Agencies aware that you are using the trails. Map them and then
give the agencies the map and bother them until they recognize that the
trails are there and being used. 

None of this can be done with out the help of people PEOPLE PEOPLE AND MORE
PEOPLE. fill the meetings write the letters and one word of caution, FORM
LETTERS, at least in this part of the country, are worse than nothing. The
agency people have advised me that a form letter is the quickest turn off
they can imagine. They put them all together and if you are Lucky they
count them as one response. I said if you are lucky. Being there and
voicing your opinion, you may have to get a bit rough at times, is more
effective than money or a committee. 

I could go on for gigabytes on this subject, have been in the trenches for
over 15 years now, but still fighting. Might win one in the next ten.

Bob Morris
Morris Endurance Enterprises
Boise, ID

----------
> From: Teresa Van Hove <vanhove@unavco.ucar.edu>
> To: RUN4BEAR@aol.com; ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject: Re: trail preservation
> Date: Friday, January 30, 1998 2:15 AM
> 
> >  ....
> > 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.
> 



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