Re: AERC Trails Fund

[cberto@juno.com (connie B Berto)]

Jerrry, you are right of course about what it's going to take to keep the
decision-makers educated about horses on trails.  Dedication,
committment, and an informed base of equestrians.  Honesty and integrity
-- we can't go around denying that horses do have some impact on trails,
the manure is aesthetically displeasing to a lot of people, and when
horsepeople pull into public parking lots/staging areas, unload their
horses and leave the piles of manure/hay lying around for others to step
through...well, you get the picture.   These downsides are mostly
manageable. 
    However!   I've seen too many faces change when they find out how
many $$$ it's going to cost them to attend conferences and conventions.  
That's where the Trails Fund will come in, and it needs to be kept in a
separate account with continuing line item in future Treasurer reports.  
I see no reason why bequests can't be honored, why  a "check the box to
donate money to Trails Fund" can't be added to AERC annual membership
forms, and so on.  Angie had a terrific idea that I'll let her tell
about.
   Out here in the San Francisco Bay Area, because of pressure by the
Water Quality Control people and others, we are slowly establishing a
resource bank of  literature to refute the wilder claims of horse impacts
and  pollution.  Adda Quinn is right up front on this, working with such
people as Dr Rob Atwill of UC/Davis Teaching and Research Center in
Tulare, CA, and there are others.  We need  solid research on  nitrogen
and phosphates in manure and horse urine runoff.   All this info needs to
be centralized for better communication.   And, since the bureaucrats
seem to like titles,  yes we need people with initials after their names
to make the "proper" impression.  AERC can be significant force here.  
We need to keep thinking, "Where am I going to KEEP my horses and where
am I going to RIDE my horses?"   Thanks Jerry, let's keep going on this. 
 Cheers (;-), Connie B   (AERC Trails Com. Chair)

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