Save the Trails

You can face a trail closure whether you're heading out for a day ride, weekend adventure, or horse-camping experience. As trail-oversight agencies rewrite, reevaluate, redesign, and revamp land-management plans and environmental regulations, equestrian trails are evaporating - even those that have been on maps and on the ground for years.

There are two types of trail closures - trails that close altogether due to development, an ownership or easement dispute, etc., and those that close to equestrians, because other users or an agency deems horses a trail hazard, a threat to the environment, or simply an unwelcome annoyance.

In either case, with all the "trail closed" and "horses not allowed" signs going up, how can you keep equestrian trails open? First, realize that it isn't a lost cause! But it does take work, determination, and involvement. You have to hang onto the issue like a bulldog with a steak bone. And most importantly, once you're successful and the signs are gone, don't ride off into the sunset, because the dust won't necessarily continue to settle in your favor - it's an ongoing battle.

Here, I'll give you an 11-point strategy for saving trails in your area, from finding out which trails might be next targeted for closure to how to organize a grass-roots effort to help keep them open for your riding enjoyment.

Become aware. Knowing which trails might be at risk for closure is half the battle to keeping them open. Find out whether there's a movement under hoof to lock that gate or close that trail before it happens. No one will mail you a letter telling you about trail closures. You might find "proposed trail closure" notices tacked on telephone poles, hung on gates, and/or posted on bulletin boards - and when they are, trot over and read them! But in other cases, the only closure notice hangs in an agency office. To find out about impending trail closures, read your local newspaper. Look for changes in zoning, and check the agenda of upcoming city council, county supervisor, and other government meetings. Join a local trail-riding club, read its informational materials, and keep in touch with other members.

Know the facts. If you hear a rumor that a particular trail is targeted for closure, check it out before galloping off to tell all your friends. Pay attention to the buzz, but get your facts straight before you take action. Don't assume anything. Make sure facts, figures, numbers, comments, and names are correct before you repeat them. Credibility is important. Build your integrity by knowing the facts, and you'll find agencies will be more likely to include you in their meetings.

Don't rely on the Internet. Trail-oversight agencies are posting an increasing number of documents and maps on the Internet. As they do, some well-meaning people tend to rely too much on online information. Such information isn't the last word. If you look up a trail on the Internet and can't find it, don't assume it doesn't exist. There are boxes of trail documentation that hasn't been - and probably never will be - posted online.

Dig through dusty basements and back rooms, and review actual documents. And never throw a map away. Whole trail-closure issues have been reversed because someone showed up with an old map showing a trail an agency claimed never existed. Or because someone presented a land deed for sold property "requiring equestrian easement on, in, and through open space for 100 years."

Get involved. To keep trails open, everyone who rides them has to pitch in. That's you and me. Standing around the barn and complaining won't save a single trail. Become a leader. That doesn't mean you'll need to carry the entire responsibility alone. A core group of leaders can share the burden. Or, support those in leadership positions. Make phone calls to get people to a meeting, write a letter, call an official, sit in a meeting with a button that reads, "Keep Trails Open. There's strength in numbers, so join a group that supports trails. If you already belong to a trail club, breed association, or other equestrian group, make sure it has an active trails representative, or take that position yourself. Become a member of the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (815/858-3501; www.elcr.org), a national organization dedicated to promoting access to and conservation of land for equestrian use.

Jump in quickly. You usually can't tear down a fence, dig up cement, or move a house once work is completed. Be proactive early on when there's still hope. Passivity leads directly to trail closures. Learn from these past mistakes: When a creek trail was suddenly paved, no one called the agency to ask about horse access as they watched pavers lay out forms to hold cement. When a housing development was announced, no one inquired about trail access. When another housing development was built with "equestrian estates and access," no one volunteered to sit on the homeowners association to make sure trails were kept open to horses. As a fence went up, pushing trail users into the street, no one asked about safety. Join the battle to save a trail before development begins.

Solicit help from other trail users. There are few equestrian-only trails left in this country. Most trails are now designated as multiuse, allowing riding, mountain biking, hiking, and dog-walking. But even if you're not particularly fond of sharing trails with other users, don't exclude them from your save-the-trails campaign. All users must work together to save trails. Nature photographers can take pictures of the trail for a brochure or to document conditions. Dog-walkers can gather save-the-trail signatures at trailheads, staging areas, and even shopping centers (with the owner's permission). High-energy hikers can become group leaders. Cyclists can hold clinics on trail-sharing etiquette. A mounted patrol unit can explain search and rescue in relation to trail users. All users should attend public meetings on trail conservation to show their strength in numbers, especially if the media is there.

Expand your horizons. Further, when working to save a trail, don't just include trail regulars in your efforts; expand your pool of trail-saving talent. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, 4H'ers, Future Farmers of America members, and school kids can all work energetically to help save a trail. Hold a "Trail Day," and invite scouting groups to earn heritage-related merit badges. Hold a special Fourth of July rally, complete with horses and flags. Hold a "Meet a Horse Day" to introduce yourselves to other trail users in a nonthreatening environment. Have a fund-raising bake sale. Sell T-shirts with your rally cry printed on the front to raise money for promotions, then ask everyone to wear the T-shirts to meetings and events. And always invite the media!

Question "scientific data." Some trails are closed due to development. Others are closed to equestrians for environmental reasons. Environmental damage caused by trail horses is often a perceived problem rather than one based in reality. For instance, if a horse mucks up a trail in wet weather, a hiker might think that trail is damaged beyond repair. But in the springtime, that same horse going down the same trail will break down dirt ridges and smooth out the footing.

Determine which environmental reasons, requirements, and/or regulations underlie a drive to close a trail to horses. How do they relate to trail riding? Take photos to document trail conditions. When an agency says "scientific data" were used to determine a trail closure, ask to see the data. If there isn't any, ask why. Ask the agency where it obtained information it used to formulate the basis of a trail closure. Ask for the dates of data collection, and who wrote the report. Then dig into the data yourself. Keep in mind that much so-called "scientific documentation" isn't true scientific data at all. It could be what one ranger saw or heard.

To qualify as scientific data, testing and observation must be done at specific times on specific days under specific conditions. For instance, a person can't just take a jar of water from a stream, test it, find "bugs," then declare a trail closed to horses because "they're the source of contamination." Water samples must be taken in specific locations, with specific distances between each location, and documented on a map. Then the water has to be dipped with a sterile dipper, ladled into a sterile jar, sealed, and taped. Next, a lab must perform specific tests under sterile conditions.

Question "conflict issues." If you hear there are "conflict issues" regarding a trail targeted for closure, ask for details regarding the complaint. Find out who raised the issue, when it was raised, the nature of the conflict, and the trail in question. Then have face-to-face meetings with the individuals or groups involved. Ask them how they think the conflicts might be resolved in such a way that would keep the trail open to equestrian use. Then research the problem, and provide your own solutions based on facts, rather than speculation.

For instance, say a person complained that horse manure on a paved trailhead parking lot was creating a health hazard, so horses should be banned from the trails. First, provide scientific data on the alleged hazards of horse manure. Then offer to build a manure bunker to keep the lot neat and tidy for all users.

Challenge Environmental Impact Reports. If an Environmental Impact Report has been written, obtain copies, and address every section of the report. Gather a pool of talented helpers to aid you. Watch for such words as "shall," "will," "may," and "could," which indicate speculation.

Question the report's conclusions. For instance, if a sentence reads, "Horses will step on endangered frogs crossing the trail, so the trail should be closed to horses," ask for supporting data. Has anyone witnessed a horse stepping on a frog - and if so, when? How many dead frogs have been found on the trail? Which lab verified that any dead frogs found were stepped on by a horse? What scientific data was accumulated to verify number of horses stepping on frogs? How many days did observers watch horses on trails? What time were they there? What were the weather conditions?

Always question. Never answer a statement with another statement, such as: "I've never seen a horse step on a frog." The dialog will stop, and you'll have a hard time regaining momentum.

Another benefit to asking questions: The agency involved will have to spend time and money to research and answer them - and many agencies are short on both. If an agency spokesperson replies "no comment," ask him or her how accurate the report can be if it doesn't address issues raised. Remember to be that bulldog with a steak bone - never let go!

Prepare to expend time and effort. Often, a trail issue can take many months or even years to resolve. Agency personnel change. Volunteers burn out. Funds run out, then suddenly reappear years later, putting your beloved trail back on the closure list.

But if you're persistent, you can keep trails open! It took 12 years to keep Mission Peak Regional Preserve in Fremont, California, open to trail users. Dozens of clubs and associations and individuals were involved. Thousands of man hours were expended attending meetings, gathering signatures, holding events, talking to the media, researching documents in basements, etc. More than 125,000 T-shirts were sold. Such sales, along with donations, raised $300,000 to fund the conservation effort.

Saving trails takes time and effort. But when you pull your rig into a staging area, unload your trail horse, saddle up, open the gate, and ride on the trail you helped save, you'll realize it was worth every hour and every bit of energy spent.

Bonnie Davis of Fremont, California, is an internationally published equine journalist and The Trail Rider's consulting editor. She gives presentations, lectures, and workshops on horse camping, multiuse trail development, and gentle-use trail management.