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msar-riders - [MSAR] Certified Weed Seed Free Feed

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Subject: Mounted search and rescue

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  • From: Kate Beardsley <katebeardsley@hotmail.com>
  • To: <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [MSAR] Certified Weed Seed Free Feed
  • Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2009 07:46:56 +0000

Hi All,
I can only respond to this topic in regards to what's happening in my area, but I do believe that it is similar to many other areas.

In my area, we are forbidden to transport, store, or possess any non certified hay or straw while on any  Forest Service managed lands in the Northwest. So, in order to be legal, one must only have certified weed seed free feed of some kind with them or possess pelleted feed or steamed or rolled grains. In my area, pelleted feed is consider 'good enough', but hay cubes are not. The state or Oregon runs our certification program and the counties carry out the inspections. We have been working for years to provide hay growers motivation to go through the certification process.

I agree with those who claim that horses are not a significant source of weeds on our public lands. I also think we should do all we can to minimize the spread of noxious weeds. If I had my druthers, I would feed certified orchard grass hay year round.  Short of that, I supplement my horses with grass hay pellets on a regular basis so if we suddenly ship off, my horses experience no huge shock to their systems.

What's more effective is for all of us to groom our horses before we leave home, wash of the tires and undercarriage of our vehicles, clean our shoes, and brush our dogs.

But here's the clincher in answer to Una's question about how this impact our SAR activities:

Our Weed Seed Free Feed Program exempts those on official search and rescue business. So, it can only affect us like it affects everyone else when we are not on a mission. So, it's business as usual in SAR.
Nifty, huh?

Safe Trails,
Kate

"We are what we repeatedly do."

Kate Beardsley
...building relationships
...developing athletes
..."driven" to excellence
Central Oregon



  • [MSAR] Certified Weed Seed Free Feed, Kate Beardsley, 04/09/2009

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