Yosemite & other Parks

["otdumas" <otdumas@color-country.net>]

Yosemite is no different than the recent legislation in Zion National Park.
Our equine trails are getting closed down due to lack of action from US!  We
all must take that 5 minutes and at least write a letter.... we must
document our concerns because when the Gov't Agencies take away our equine
rights... and believe me they will... our documented letter are the only
appeal we have.  For example, after getting "grandfathered" in the Grand
StairCase Escalante National Monument in July of 1999 the GSENM then passed
their final management plan that denied the Outlaw Trail Historical
Endurance Ride its permit and its previous acknowledged existing rights!

Currently the Outlaw Trail Heritage Industry is in the process of taking
legal action, the GSENM is already being sued by two other Utah Heritage
Industries.  Our one and only hope is the documented letters on file that
were written...... over 1,500 of them!  Of these 1,500 letter JUST ONE
PROTEST letter shut down our ride as a competitive event.  The GSENM did
allow us 12 riders on a non-competitive status in return for over 25 years
of establishing, preserving and developing what is known as the Great
Western Trail in Utah and that same trail which is now managed by the BLM.
SEE WHAT CAN HAPPEN!

The OT has worked out several new loop trails on National Forest so that our
5-day ride will still occur on September 25-29, 2000.  We have in another
appeal on "existing rights" but in the interim, the Outlaw Trail Ride will
be held on the Dixie National Forest and IS NOT LIMITED.  If nothing else,
we will continue to preserve new trails in our National Forest.

The message here is simple.  If any public lands are within a National Park
or Monument the Managing Agency WILL DENY any and all competitive events.
The only equine use at all will be restricted equine trails and if we don't
voice our needs that limited use will go down the tube as well!

Thank you for your time and especially to all those who did write letters
for the Outlaw Trail Historical Ride.  We cling to that little bit of hope
and will continue to preserve whatever trails we can by continuing to host
the Outlaw Trail Historical Rides.  Our Best, Sharon and Crockett Dumas