Did you ever think it would go this far?

[Muledeer4me]

Equestrians Face Public Lands Access Restrictions

"Negotiations for a special use permit to conduct the 9-day equestrian trail ride in the Shawnee National Forest finally succeeded and the trail ride continued this year for the 35th year in a row. Forest Service staff proposed 35 new restrictions in the permit this year. Issues concerning the restrictions were eventually resolved through the combined efforts of the American Horse Council’s Recreation Committee member Jerry Fruth, as well as the Shawnee Trails Conservancy, the Illinois Trail Riders, a consortium of Southern Illinois saddle clubs led by Brad Hill, and Don Rumsey of Congressman David Phelps’ office.

This level of advocacy is necessary if the right to recreate on public lands is going to be protected. Equestrians throughout the U.S. are experiencing additional closures and restrictions on their traditional riding areas. Recently, the California Equestrian Trails and Lands Coalition came out in opposition to Sen. Barbara Boxer’s (D-CA) California Wild Heritage Wilderness Act of 2002 because recreational stock use is not protected in this newly proposed wilderness bill. In the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee the right to ride is being severely limited. All across the National Forests in Arizona, residents who have had the right to access public lands from their private property are being told to trailer their horses to trailheads miles away. In central Oregon, the Ochoco National Forest has closed the staging area and campground of the famed Bandit Springs Endurance Ride.

All of these decisions by public land managers do not further the goals of multiple use.

ARRA will continue to monitor issues affecting all recreationists. Please let us know if there is a Regional Issue that we can post for others to see and take action on."

 

[MarlandS]

It really doesn't surprise me. A steel shod horse on timber soils does a lot of damage. They exert more weight per square inch than an ATV and by the nature of the way they walk they can easily cut grasses and plants. They dig further into the ground on slow normal travel than an ATV does in normal use.
Just more of the "ban everything" mentality.

Pretty soon I can see restrictions on the shoe treads worn by hikers.

 

[Muledeer4me]

Mars,even though horses can be harder on the ground ,you would think the nut-case inviro's could at least leave them alone,wouldn't that come under the more natural way?
If that isnt a wake up call I dont know what is.
We all better learn how to walk in the wood's with our bare feet .
We had a group here in Idaho that wanted to shut down horses on some trail's around the Stanley area,they didnt like the horse crap,and said it runed there hike to run into rider's on the trail.

 

[sdgunslinger]

I can't wait for Ithaca's first post on the evils of horse shit ............

 

[Ithaca 37]

sd, Can't you stay on topic?

 

[MarlandS]

Naww MD they can't leave anything alone. That's why I find the phrase "camo Greenie" so hysterical, in no way is that phrase even close to the radical environmentalist's agenda. They want lands to be untouched by human hands (or feet) and sit back smugly "knowing" that nature will take care of itself.
All the while the enviromentalists have been rsponsible for saving things (animals) from themselves somtimes. And, since humans are basically animals we can save us from ourselves with an environmental outlook. (does that sound right or more like Bullshit? works for me

)

 

[Washington Hunter]

If they're doing damage to the environment I don't see anything wrong with putting more restrictions on them and trying to reduce the amount of damage being done. Why would it be right to just ignore the problem? I guess I just don't get how some people think. I remember in the Bob Marshall Wilderness the trails are worn down 3 or 4 feet deep in many places. So there's no doubt in my mind that too many horses can cause extensive damage to trails. Why would we want to let this continue to happen?

 

[Ithaca 37]

Wash. Hunter, Great question! I hope someone answers it!

 

[Washington Hunter]

Thanks Ithaca. I'm sure someone with their backwards logic will come up with an answer.

 

[Ten Bears]

I'm still waiting for the out cry to ban all horses. Where's the call to make them illegal, ITHACA?

Trail are like roads, they need to be maintained, or they suffer errosion and degradation. I don't care what type of use they get they need to be maintained.

 

[Ithaca 37]

Ten, Where ya gonna get the $ to maintain all the trails? FS can't even maintain their roads (remember the two billion dollar backlog of road maintainance)? I wouldn't want to ban horses, but what's the solution for deteriorating trails or roads for anything?

 

[MarlandS]

I think there's only one solution and it ain't great. That would be an "adopt a trail" type program where the users maintain them. It just really takes effort to keep trails usable but thats the hardest thing to get from people. You can talk anyone into writing a check but putting sweat in is hard to convince someone to do.

 

[Elkhunter]

Mars, that isn't all that far fetched. There is a group called Backcountry Horsemen that actually does some of that. One of the things they do is maintain trails. Not that horses are not hard on the land, but anymore those same trails are used by bikers and they tear up the trails more than the horses do. This may not be the case everywhere but it sure is a contrubuting factor for bad trails also.

Idaho Statesman file photo
Biking in the Foothills while the area is muddy can damage trails and lead to more regulations.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/Extras/IdahoOutdoors/story.asp?ID=32276

 

[tmsander]

If our government would spend a little less money on militarily bullying other countries, promoting welfare mothers, providing cell phone service to urban areas, etc.... there would be plenty of funds to maintain trails.

 

[MEATHEAD]

If a horse is doing this much damage. What about the damage that the cattle are doing.

 

[Michaelr]

What a bunch of crap!!
If you want to be able to get into the back country you are probably going to have to live with it. So there are some rough trails used by horses, BIG DEAL!!
Ever seen the trail a herd of elk can leave?
I can show you trails that are 3 feet wide, 6 inches deep of nothing but powder. Lets ban the elk

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-10-2003 08:23: Message edited by: michaelr ]</font>

 

[1_pointer]

Elkhunter- I'll challenge you on the bikes are harder on trails than horses. There was some research done here at USU that quantified the relative impact of use by different means of travel on lands. Horses were ranked higher than bikes primarily for two reasons; weight and distance traveled. A horse+rider weighs much MORE and it is easier to travel farther on slopes with a horse. Also, I'd agree to your assesment for certain areas as some places see much more bike activity than horses, but on a per capita basis I can't agree.

I know in some areas of UT there is a use fee for certain segments of Natl Forest. It was supposed to be an experiment, but it's been going for some years now. I'm hoping that all goes for maintenance of said forest, but I'm not sure.

tmsander- I too wish we'd focus more on internal issues than global ones.

 

[sdgunslinger]

Now ya got it Mike ! Let's wipe out all those elk and mule deer . After all , they have been using those same migration routes for centuries and those trails are likely worn more than 4 feet deep in some places. Why should we let this horrendous enviromental damage continue ? ..........

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-11-2003 00:48: Message edited by: sdgunslinger ]</font>

 

[Elkhunter]

pointer, it is also a proven fact, based on a study done by the FS some years ago, that an ATV does less damage than a horse, if used in a responsible manner. Same goes for bikes. The problem is that there are abusers on bikes, just as there are on ATVs and just about anything else you can think of. Up here is is like bike heaven and what used to be pack trails are now rutted, washed out, wider and deeper than ever. There will always be trails used in our forests and we just have to make the best of it. The forests are multible use and as a result these conditions will always be there and are not going to go away.

 

[Muledeer4me]

That's the point, these people get sooooooooo far out there and see any use as abuse.
When it comes to talking about banning the use of horses it has gone to far.
The NUTs wont be happy intill we have NO USE!!!

http://www.nohvcc.org/flash/index1.htm
There are alot of org. that help take care of trail's .
It should be about bring people together not trying to exclude people.
We have owned both horses and motorcycles at the same time and taken both on the same camping trip's.
Our son got into motorcycles while Steve and I still were into the horses so we loaded up the horses, then put our son's motorcycle in the back of the four hores trailer and when riding & camping.
Why is it people think that what they are into is the only thing that should be allowed?
Im totally for multiple use.