Trail building equestrians of New Mexico

[Una Smith <una.smith AT att.net>]

[Forwarding.  --Una]]


NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
January 22, 2009

Contact:  Deb Balliet, CEO
Equestrian Land Conservation Resource
(859) 455-8383 dballiet AT elcr.org

National Parks Service Awards Grant to Equestrian Land Conservation  
Resource To Develop a National Equestrian Trails Organization

The National Parks Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation
Assistance Program (NPS RTCA) has awarded the Equestrian Land
Conservation Resource (ELCR) a technical assistance grant to
develop a national equestrian trails organization. The terms of the
grant include assigning an NPS RTCA staff person to facilitate the
process, identify issues and needs of trail riders nationwide,
determine an effective organizational structure to represent horse
trail users; and provide a contact point for land managers to
communicate with trail riders. The determination of the needs and
appropriate organizational structure will be developed by
conducting a series of meetings with stakeholders in 2009.

An organizing meeting was held in 2008 at the National Trails
Conference. In 2009, a series of in-person and conference call
meetings are planned. The plans also call for an on-line bulletin
board to post the meeting agendas and notes. The on-line forum will
also provide an opportunity for trail users and trail organization
representatives to share their comments. In addition to ELCR and
NPS RTCA representatives, representatives from the following
organizations participated in the process: American Horse Council,
Back Country Horsemen of America, Southeast Equestrian Trails
Conference, Ohio Valley Equestrian Trails Symposium, Pennsylvania
Equine Council, US Forest Service, and the US Department of
Transportation Recreational Trails Program.

The project goals are to increase to the number of trails open to
horses, promote good stewardship of the trails, enhance
communication with land managers, develop positive relationships
with other trail users groups, and serve in an advocacy role on the
above issues and other issues identified during the grant process.

If your organization would like to join our national efforts to
save land and trails for horses, visit www.ELCR.org, or call (859)
455-8383 for more information.