[at-l] FYI

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

Michael Martin Murphey Continues to Blaze Trails With Continental Divide =
Excursion
Famed Pop/Country Artist and Outfitter Leads Public Policy Makers and =
Journalists On Horseback Through Stretch of Continental Divide Trail to =
Raise Public Awareness for Its Completion
BURBANK, Calif.--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2001-- Over the weekend =
of August 11-12, cowboy singer/songwriter Michael Martin Murphey and his =
outfitter partner Willard Forman led a group of over forty public policy =
makers and journalists from throughout the nation on horseback up a =
stretch of the Continental Divide Trail.=20

Murphey, Forman, and the Continental Divide Trail Alliance have joined =
forces to help raise public awareness about securing its completion.=20

Hosted by Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) and his wife, the event =
was organized by the Continental Divide Trail Alliance to introduce =
invited senators, members of the Departments of Interior and Agriculture =
and others to the trail firsthand, in the hopes of building a =
constituency to help complete construction by 2008 -- the 30th =
anniversary of Congress' decision to designate the trail running from =
the New Mexican border to the Canadian Border in Glacier National Park.=20

Murphey performed selections from his new ``Playing Favorites'' album on =
Saturday and Sunday nights. Murphey and Forman also led the Sunday trail =
ride up the trail in the Searle Pass area of the Copper Mountains (near =
the Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Central Colorado) through their =
outfitting company, Rocking 3M/Summit Trail Adventures.=20

Sunday began with a Chuck Wagon breakfast; after three hours up the =
mountain, two hours on top and two and a half hours down, the group of =
VIPs dined at The Ranch at Keystone restaurant.=20

Invited guests included Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton, Secretary =
of Agriculture Ann Veneman, Steve Fausel (CDTA Honorary Board Chair) and =
Stan Sours (CDTA Board, Round Up Riders of the Rockies), Chief of the =
Forest Service Dale Bosworth, Senators Craig Thomas, Wayne Allard and =
Ted Kennedy, Adam Aron (National Forest Foundation), and members of the =
Murphey Western Institute.=20

With the support of 46 environmentally concerned groups from both the =
public and private sectors -- who are each assigned to cultivate and =
maintain approximately 100 mile segments along the way -- the =
Continental Divide Trail is about 70 percent complete; the majority of =
the work to be completed is in Wyoming and New Mexico.=20

U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis (R-Grand Junction, CO) introduced a bill in June =
1999 to amend the National Trails System Act. The Willing Seller bill (S =
1069), which would allow the federal government to purchase land from =
willing sellers along the Continental Divide Trail, passed quickly =
through the House of Representatives; the Continental Divide Trail =
Alliance is currently seeking to gain support for the bill in the =
Senate.=20

If it passes, the bill will play a critical role in the effort to =
complete the trail by the set target date. Eight other national scenic =
and historic trails in the United States would also benefit.=20

``People become very polarized by so many environmental issues, but =
projects like the Continental Divide Trail are different,'' said =
Murphey, who has been an activist for conservation issues, property =
owners, ranchers and farmers since his 1972 breakthrough hit =
``Geronimo's Cadillac'' became a rallying cry for Native American =
rights. His non-profit Murphey Western Institute has a public trail fund =
division which has raised money for the Colorado Trail.=20

``This is a very American, a very Western event that will truly benefit =
everybody. I'm privileged to be able to help create a greater awareness =
of the issues involved in bringing this project to completion.''=20

Murphey is one of the few Americans who have been awarded the Department =
of the Interior's ``Golden Smokey'' award for creating awareness of =
forest fire issues. Past recipients have included President Dwight David =
Eisenhower and Walt Disney.=20

David Addleton
vocate atque non vocate deus aderit
http://dfaddleton.home.mindspring.com
http://dfaddleton.50megs.com


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