Two Trail Reports (for the price of one) --

[connie B Berto <cberto@juno.com>]

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Last month I went to Washington DC to lobby for trails, and last weekend
I represented AERC at the 16th Annual Calif. State Recreational Trails
Conference at Asilomar, California.   What follows is a summary of what
went on.
      I joined Heritage Trails (Nancy DuPont) for the DC trip (March
13-17).  The event was "Hike the Hill Week," an annual event of the
American Hiking Society.  Thanks to previous work by Nancy and George
Cardinet,  the AHS views equestrians quite favorably and we were
welcomed.  Of the 45 people gathered from across the USA, 8 were riders. 
Back Country Horsemen,  Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, and Calif.
State Horsemen's Assn. reps. were there.    AERC's own Pat Oliva
attended, and Trails Committee new member Susan Brehm joined us every day
for meetings, lobbying, and pounding the pavement.  Susan and Pat were at
the Reno convention in February, and  thank you for your support of AERC!
    AHS spent a day  training us in the fine art of lobbying by
presenting speakers and handouts to acquaint us with the state of funds
that are (and are not) going toward building and maintaining our national
trails.    Armed with pep talks and papers, we fanned out to beard our
congresspeople in their dens, to ask for secure funding and recognition 
for our recreational resources and  trails.   Our group called on Senator
Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Doolittle (we thanked the latter for his help
in getting funds for the repair of No Hands Bridge on the Tevis trail).  
We called on Tom Ross and Steve Elkinton at the National Park Service. 
And, last but not least, Susan and I had an appointment with Steve Ralls
of the American Horse Council.
    I also made a specific point of lobbying for preservation of the
three stables on federal lands  in the Golden Gate National Recreation
Area.  I'll say this about our public representatives:  when I handed out
the prepared brochures and made my spiel, I got undivided attention.  Tom
Ross (NPS)  was especially supportive of continuing the facilities.  More
on this in the future, but we are cautiously optimistic about the future
of the stables.
   When Susan and I spoke with Steve Ralls at the American Horse Council
headquarters, we brought up the Clean Water Act and how Resource
Conservation Districts (Water Quality Control Boards) are now zeroing in
on water and fluid runoffs from Animal Feeding Operations all over the
nation...hogs, beef, poultry, and horses.  Steve said this only applied
to horse facilities of over 400 animals..."Not True!" said I.     We then
made a big  pitch toward getting the AHC to help sponsor valid research
on horse science...salts leaching from manure, ammonia from urine, and so
forth.  He was surprised to learn that  WQCBs are already  looking into
one- and two-horse operations in California, and as I told him, what
starts in California eventually spreads all over the nation.   The ripple
effect from the Clean Water Act  will impact horse facilities of every
breed, discipline, focus, and size.   We must be pro-active on the issues
instead of playing catch-up.  
        Although Steve listened closely, it seemed to Susan and me  that
the American Horse Council works on the 'squeaky wheels' rather than
actively seeking out issues.   The AHC is active on projects backed by
big money (i.e., TB racing, AHSA, large breeds such as the  quarter horse
industry) and is not going to take the lead on other projects unless
pressured to do so by its member organizations. 
     Now, about the Calif. State Trails Conference in Asilomar Conference
Center in beautiful Monterey peninsula, right on the beach of the
pounding Pacific.  I was proud to represent AERC among the 250-plus
attendees, but I was disappointed that fewer than 10%  were from
equestrian organizations.  Steve Shaw was there, with maps to show the
proposed Cuesta-Sespe Trail.   Back Country Horsemen were there, plus
CSHA, ETI, and several trail riding and trail patrol groups.  A few reps.
from agencies or other outdoor groups identified themselves as
equestrians, but...where was everybody else ?  NATRC was conspicuously
absent.  No Pony Club people.  No breed groups were represented.   But,
the mountain bikers were there in force!
   The theme of the conference was "Trails and Greenways for Life." 
Panels discussed "Working Together to Protect Trails and Wildlife," 
"Railbanking," "Science and Practice of Wildlife Biology," "Trails and
Urban Planning," "TEA-21 Funding,"   etc .    Not exactly fascinating nor
horse-oriented, as I noted on my ratings sheet.  However, what made it
all worth-while was the evening  two-hour multi-media presentation by
famed nature photographer and mountain climber Galen Rowell,
"Preservation and the Spirit of Adventure."    If you've seen even one of
his superb photographs or posters, you'll know what I mean.    We were
spellbound by six carrousels of color slides on a two-screen stage.  His
talent seems to cut across the boundaries of species, as a bat entered
the auditorium and was happily chasing flying insects across the light
channels from the slide projectors!   
   The new director of Calif. State Parks system, Rusty Areias, gave the
keynote speech and received a roaring ovation.  A very positive,
energetic man, he grew up riding horses in the Los Banos area.  I found
out that  his aide, Cheryl  Lyles, is a former hunter-jumper show rider! 
I invited them both to come to Marin County and we'll go for a nice
horseback ride.    If anyone wants to contact Rusty, his address is 1416 
9th Street (P.O. Box 942896), Sacramento CA 95814  (94296-0001), phone
916-653-1570;  fax 916-657-3903; email rarei@parks.ca.gov.   Cheryl Lyles
is a Trails Specialist for CA State Parks.  She has the same mailing
address;  her phone is 916-653-0594; fax 916-653-4458;  email is
clyle@parks.ca.gov    
     So what are my lasting impressions from my two adventures?   First,
the Washington trip was eminently worthwhile.  Our nation's capital is a
beautiful city.   The contacts I made were valuable, and I think I
contributed something  to the process while lobbying to save the stables.
   I have since joined  the American Hiking Society.   On the downside, I
have less confidence now in the American Horse Council's ability or
inclination to represent trail riders (although Steve Ralls said the AHC
did write a letter about the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument
Management Plan).  If we, AERC, expect the AHC to do something for us, we
are going to have to put in a strong request for it.
     I am less sanguine  after the California conference.  I am glad I
was there to represent AERC and to help wave the horse flag.  But,
frankly, we equestrians are losing ground in the effort to be recognized
as a legitimate and continuing  recreation on public lands.   I never
realized this so clearly before.   None of the panel discussions had even
a single equestrian as a speaker, and I noted that as a minus on my
rating sheet.     While the program organizers were generous in allotting
time for special interest caucuses,  there were fewer than 20 at the
equestrian meeting.   When  Donald Murphy, the former director of
California State Parks, spoke about being "connected to the earth,"  he
used HIKING and BICYCLING for his examples!  There's something seriously
wrong here.  
       I perceive a trend  away from automatically including horseback
riding in public areas and on public trails.   This slide must not only
be stopped, it must be reversed.  We must respond to pleas for letters
and for attendance at meetings and conventions.  If we leave these
activities to "someone else," then "no one" is going to take over.  I
know the depth of my own personal commitment to  activism for
equestrians, but I also know my personal limitations of time and
presence.   Can I ask each of you to make a private pledge to get
involved, before it's too late?    
    For instance:   how many of you out there have read your County's
Trails and Recreation Plan?  or does your County even have one?  Does it
have a Parks and Recreation Department?   Do you know the key people in
it?  Could you and a friend or two make an appointment with the director
to go in and talk about horse trails?   Usually, people in agencies love
to get information that makes their subsequent decisions look good and
that satisfy the citizenry.  It's up to us to give them this information,
including what horse science reports we already have.
       Thank you for reading all this.   We riders need to know that, in
my opinion, given the present general level of equestrian apathy toward
the political process,  the future is not looking too good for us.  I
hope I'm wrong.     Connie Berto,  AERC Trails Chair  


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