BCHC - Mother Lode unit Newsletter

Vol. 11, Issue 6; November - December 2009

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Sunday, November 22, will be the annual Potluck, General Meeting, Election, and Raffle at the Sacramento Horsemen's Association's Memorial Building, (near the barn) 3200 Longview Drive, Sacramento. Longview Drive can be accessed from either Hwy 80 East or Watt Avenue- it sits between Hwy I 80 and Hwy 80 business (Capital City Freeway). If you are headed west on I 80, take a left on Watt Avenue and turn right on Longview. Call me if you have questions at 530-589-6914.

This is our biggest get-together of the year, so I really hope I will see you there (for selfish reasons-I miss seeing you all). We'll gather at noon to have time to visit before we eat. Mother Lode will provide tri tip, plates, utensils, and coffee. Bring a dish to share and your favorite beverage-- and clean out your tack room, closet, etc., for items for the raffle. Items can be new or used. The raffles have been very successful for us and a lot of fun, too.

This is also when we hold our annual election of officers. Nominations will be taken at the meeting, so think about what you can do to help our unit. We always need new people, new ideas and new perspectives.

Meetings have been held around our area in order to encourage attendance from our members. And it has been working. Attendance has been up and more input from members has been very helpful, especially when dealing with the forest service and their efforts to reduce public access.

BACKCOUNTRY HORSEMEN OF CALIFORNIA PHILOSOPHY AND PURPOSE

• To perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses in America's backcountry and wilderness.
  
  
• To work to insure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use.
  
  
• To assist the various government and private agencies in their maintenance and management of said resource.
  
  
• To educate, encourage and solicit active participation in the wise use of the backcountry resource by horsemen and the general public commensurate with our heritage.
  
  

MINUTES OF THE SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 BOARD MEETING

Present: Becky Wolk, Carolyn Gilmore, Carrie Johnen, Melba Leal, Claudia Ball, Dan Marus, Vic and Merrilyn Delius

President Becky Wolk called the meeting to order and asked for officers' reports.

Secretary's report. Claudia reported she had emailed the August 2009 minutes to everyone. No one reported any problems or additions.

Public Lands. Claudia reported on the 9/15/09 meeting she attended. It was held at the Forest Service Region 5, which supervises all of the National Forests in California. OHV people set up this meeting with the FS and were kind enough to invite Claudia. The meeting dealt with Subpart A of the Travel Management Rule in the Code of Federal Regulations. The FS plans to implement Subpart A to further minimize the transportation systems of each forest. The next meeting is planned for November, but no date scheduled. Due to the implications for further restricting public access to the national forests, Claudia prepared a full and lengthy report of this meeting and emailed it on 9/28/09 to Mother Lode Unit members, BCHC unit presidents and public lands officers, as well as BCHC and BCHA officers asking Backcountry to send a representative to the next meeting.

Education. Dan Marus reported that Randy Hackbarth and Kim O'Brien of the Recreational Trail Access Committee had received approval to distribute watch cards to frequent trail riders at both Folsom Lake and Auburn State Recreation Areas. The committee developed the cards to notify the parks of incidents, etc. The committee is now enjoying the support of the new director of California Parks and Recreation. Other trail groups across the country are using watch cards.

Carrie Johnen noted that the Mokelumne River Coast to Crest Trail organizers are requesting Backcountry people on both sides of the Mokelumne River to push for access from Jackson to the national forest.

Rendezvous. Will be March 19-21 at Merced. Mother Lode discussed a round pen and a pack trip for two as a prize.

The next meeting will be 10/26/09 in Placerville at Tortilla Flats Restaurant.

Submitted by
Claudia Ball, Secretary

Support BCHA

Use the group code BCHOFAMERICA every time you shop at horse.com (formerly Country Supply) and a donation of up to five percent (5%) of your purchase (except for dewormers and shipping and handling) will go to BCHA.

PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF THE MOKELUMNE RIVER

(From the Internet)

On Tuesday, November 10, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm, the Amador County Board of Supervisors will host a workshop on National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne. The workshop is to provide information and answer questions the supervisors and audience may have.

National Wild and Scenic River designation of the Mokelumne River is the only sure way to prevent more dams on the river and save the Middle Bar and Electra reaches from the proposed enlargement of Pardee Reservoir (EBMUD recently left four versions of the larger reservoir in their long-range water plan).

The meeting will be at the County Administrative Center , 810 Court Street, in Jackson.

Please come! Show the Amador County Board of Supervisors you support the National Wild and Scenic River designation for the Mokelumne River - and learn more about what the designation will and won't do. If you have any questions, be sure to ask them at the workshop.

BCHC GETAWAY

Book your vacation at ytbtravel.com/bchc and help raise funds for BCHC! For special, hot travel deals, check the website. One hundred percent of the commissions go to BCHC.

MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 26, 2009 BOARD MEETING

Present: Becky Wolk, Bob and Carolyn Gilmore, Melba Leal, Vic and Marrilyn Delius, Julie Hahn, Carrie Johnen, Doug and Lori Veerkamp, Bill and Claudia Ball, Jerry and Kathy Griffin, Cordell Van Rees, and a guest, Kate.

President Becky Wolk opened the meeting and called for reports from those officers present.

Secretary Claudia Ball read the minutes from the 9/28/09 meeting. There were no corrections or additions.

Public Lands. Claudia Ball reported that she had checked with the Forest Service, Region 5, but the anticipated follow-up meeting in November has not yet been scheduled. The meeting will continue with the subject of Subpart A of the Travel Management Rule in the Code of Federal Regulations.

Claudia requested that Becky and Carrie, who attended the BCHC statewide meeting in Visalia this October, report what happened at the Public Lands meeting. Becky and Carrie both stated Mother Lode's position in requesting help from BCHC to provide experienced representation at the next meeting. They reported that Jerry Ledbetter had advocated units throughout the state adopting national forests to promote public access.

Melba Leal recommended that Mother Lode Unit develop a public lands committee to attend Rendezvous to find out what other units are doing.

Melba prepared a suggestion sheet for the forest service requesting a staging area be made on Webber Mill Road in the Eldorado National Forest. This would allow equestrians to access the historic Pony Express Trail, riding all the way to Strawberry.

Old Business

October Trail Ride at Pt. Reyes. Corky Layne and Marcia Wisdom had a wonderful time.

September Trail Ride at Schneider's Cow Camp, Amador Ranger District, Eldorado National Forest. Becky Wolk and Carolyn Gilmore rode to the top of Round Top Mountain, from which they viewed Lake Tahoe. They had a great time. Becky and Carolyn will write to Amador District Ranger's Station, letting them know of the ride.

Rendezvous. BCHC has requested Mother Lode again do the raffle. Mother Lode will do the roundpen and a pack trip for two. We will also do a general raffle prize for the live auction. There was general agreement that we must have the raffle tickets by December 1.

New Business

Horse Expo will be June 11-13, 2010.. Julie Hahn showed us a large Breyer model horse. The packaging states that Breyer will donate a minimum of $10,000 from proceeds to the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource. To help, Mother Lode could either sell or raffle some at Expo.

Jerry Griffin discussed BCHC using different colored paper for membership applications to hand out at Expo. Then we would know how many new members join as a result of Expo.

October Statewide meeting at Visalia. Becky reported the accommodations were much more spacious and nicer than at Santa Nella. Becky was also very impressed with the other unit reports she heard.

Youth for Backcountry. There was a discussion on ways to attract youth and their families to Backcountry:

• Becky volunteers at El Dorado County Farm Day. She would like to have Mother Lode do a class there about handling stock and gentle use.
  
  
• Julie Hahn presented a horsemanship class two years ago at the Boy Scout Jamboree in Lodi where scouts were able to earn a badge.
  
  
• Jerry and Kathy Griffin offered their pack mule set up for events.
  
  
• Julie mentioned that Mother Lode should have its own booth ready to go.
  
  
• Mother Lode banners would be a good idea.
  
  
• Becky can donate a tent to be used for occasions.
  
  

Trail Rides. There was discussion about keeping the fourth Saturday of the month as the monthly trail ride day, as well as noting additional rides or events could be held as well. A trail ride committee was proposed to be composed of Becky and four others; Melba, Claudia, Carrie and Julie volunteered. The trail committee will propose and set a minimum of nine rides for the year; anyone is welcome to propose a ride and location. It has been determined to set up a schedule of rides for the year and to have it ready this month, to be discussed at the November potluck. Please bring your calendar to mark trail dates.

November Potluck, Meeting, Election and Raffle will be held Sunday, November 22 at Sacramento Horseman's Association.

Stewardship Council, a California nonprofit public benefit corp. Carrie attended a meeting about the land being divested by PG & E through the Stewardship Council. Mother Lode will learn if Backcountry could be a part of this. Their website is www.stewardshipcouncil.org/land_conservation/index.htm.

Melba made a motion to adjourn and Carolyn Gilmore seconded it. The meeting was adjourned.

Submitted by Claudia Ball, Secretary

AGRICULTURAL ACT BECOMES LAW

(from the Internet and Congressional Records)

The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2010 (H.R.2997) is now Public Law 111.80. It provides funding for the USDA for fiscal year 2010 and contains two provisions of interest to the horse industry.

This law directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study the status of horse welfare as it relates to the closing of horse slaughter plants in the United States and to issue a report by March 1, 2010, on the current state of horse welfare in the US since horse slaughter facilities were closed. The GAO is instructed to consider how the horse industry has responded to the plant closings in terms of horse sales, exports, adoptions, and abandonments. In addition the GAO is instructed to review the impact the closures have had on farm income and state and local government organizations.

The law also prohibits any funds from being used by the USDA to inspect horse meat for human consumption. While there are currently no plants operating in the in the United States that process horses for human consumption, this bill effectively bars any such plant from operating in the U.S. for fiscal year 2010.

MOKELUMNE COAST TO CREST TRAIL (MCCT)

From the Mokelumne Monitor Newsletter

On October 14, 2009 the newest 2.7 mile section of the Mokelumne Coast to Crest Trail (MCCT) was completed and opened to the public--making 28.1 miles of continuous MCCT available for hiking and horseback- riding on EBMUD lands!

Hikers will be able to access this new segment of trail from the Middle Bar Take Out parking lot and the Rich Gulch Trail Access Point. This section stretches between James Bar and Middle Bar Bridge, roughly paralleling the river in an elevation range between 600 and 750 feet, the trail is a less rigorous trek than some of the sections farther to the west.

Equestrians will still need to access this section from the Campo Seco Staging Area, as trailer parking is prohibited at the Middle Bar Take Out parking lot and the Rich Gulch Trail Access Point due to the limited parking and inadequate access roads.

As with all of EBMUD's trails, access must be gained through one of the staging areas and requires a valid EBMUD Trail Use Permit. Trail permits, MCCT & China Gulch map, and the latest issue of the Mokelumne Monitor Newsletter, the Mokelumne Trailbuster volunteer program is available for viewing online at:
www.ebmud.com/services/recreation/sierra/trails