Nature is for who?

[Kandhy Franklin <kfrankli@sdcoe.k12.ca.us>]

As a trail worker for the Cuyamaca Mountains here in San Diego, and
working with developers and the Nature Conservancy with regard to 4,300
acres in El Cajon, I have noticed that the NC is just a holding company
until the Dept. of Fish & Game or whoever gets the title next. Even with
high community interest in wanting to keep the area open for animal &
man (even the gnatcatcher) we have not been successful in really
communicating with the Nature Conservacy on a one-to-one basis.  Someone
always seems to   be passing the buck. 

The San Diego County Trail Council has been helpful along with
Backcountry Horseman to work with these issues, but belonging to a horse
club of some type is a helpful way to show numbers of horse people out
there.  I know that horse people aren't really joiners of clubs, but
there needs to be a unifing voice that says horses do exhist, and we the
riders are willing to help with land management and whatever else
necessary to make open trails a success.  I also have noticed that the
bicycle riders are much more  organized and they put in many hours of
trail maintenance not just riding the trail...Something to think about.
Kandhy Franklin-Collins