Horse riders are about to be shut out of yet another trail system

[suz]

ATTENTION HORSE FRIENDS !!!

Hi, This is Dan Gruen.
I am writing because I just attended what was to be the last Public Comment Meeting about a “Multi Use” Rail-Trail corridor from Remsen to Lake Placid. The good news is one more meeting has been added. It will be in Utica, NY on December 19th. The meeting will be at 6:00 PM at the State Office Building, 207 Genesee Street, Utica, NY. The public comment period has been extended to COB January 8th, 2020.
The proposed trail surface will be 10 feet wide, stone dust over crushed stone, with a 2 foot shoulder on each side. There is lots of room for many users. The approved users groups are pedestrians and bicyclists when there is no snow and snowmobilers when there is.

Several people spoke from other user groups. I was the only one to speak for equestrians. We need a lot MORE voices added if we are to convince DEC and DOT to include us.

As it stands now horses will be EXCLUDED from this trail. DEC and DOT have gotten some negative comments from other user groups who find the idea of horse manure on their trails unpleasant. This was given as a reason why we will be excluded. If we and our horses are to be allowed to use this State built and maintained trail through the Adirondack Park we must speak up NOW!

If the Unit Management Plan as it stands now is approved we will NOT be allowed to ride this trail awesome and scenic trail through our Adirondack Park. Please get in touch with your membership and ask them to attend the meeting in Utica or write to DEC.

Please tell them to ask to have equestrians added as an approved user group for this trail. Ask your equestrians to do it today before they forget. Also, all equestrians who can attend the Utica meeting are urged to attend.

Comments may be provided at the public meeting; mailed to John Schmid, NYSDEC, 625 Broadway, Albany, NY, 12233-4254; or e-mailed to adirondackpark@dec.ny.gov
The Draft UMP Amendment/SEIS can be viewed and downloaded from the DEC website.

Dan Gruen, NYS Horse Council Central Region Board Member

[Willesdon]

It is often helpful when making the case for equestrian use of multiuser trails to offer research data about the economic value of horses to the local economy, which can be substantial but is also often unrecognised by the wider public. Stress the diversity of people who ride, the health and well-being benefits of equestrian sport, that it is predominently women who participate (so called “hard to reach” in terms of sport and exercise promotion) and stress the gender bias found in most sport facilities provision Point out that people who ride also vote: that can be useful when talking to any politician. Horse muck is a really poor reason to exclude a user group so make that obvious: is there a proposal to ban dogs for the same reason?

There is a fair amount of published research on the value of trails, of equestrian sport etc if you do a Google search - and also look outside the USA.

[suz]

I wrote my letter this am and urge all trail riders to write as well----I did stress just how much I spend on every riding trip, and that i totally support efforts to police the manure.