[at-l] update: www.site re: Horse Wars redux

[tmcginnis@ucclan.state.in.us (Thomas McGinnis)]

     Found a recreation study on the USForest Service site which may prove 
     helpful. Scope chapters 4 and 5. Sponsored by them!
     
     www.fs.fed.us/research/rvur/recreation/publications/outdoor_recreation/
     table_of_contents.htm
     or
     chapter4.htm
     or
     t5no.exe   zipped tables of user numbers by activity by RPA!!
     
     Best wishes!


______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: Re: [at-l] PA Horse Wars redux
Author:  Thomas McGinnis at UCCLAN
Date:    10/13/98 9:48 AM


     "...Shear force of numbers..."? Nah. In my experience, the hiking 
     crowd is unorganized, few carry the burden for many, and the 
     [SOMETIMES] much smaller horse crowd is better organized, more 
     militant to a person, and gets favorable results. Your valor in the 
     Horse Wars is commendable by all, Chris, but probably unknown to most.
     
     By the way, most of these "wars" are fought by data. If you want an 
     easy index of relative use pressure, do a count of overnight 
     accommodations for horses and/or/versus humans. Before pro-hoofers can 
     support their high trail impact, they have to explain why horse 
     accommodations are outnumbered by human accommodations by such large 
     multiples. If there is such huge hoof trail pressure, where do the 
     horsies STAY?
     
     Keep it up. What you're doing is important.
     
     
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: [at-l] PA Horse Wars redux
Author:  Christopher Vreeland <72102.3347@CompuServe.COM> at ima 
Date:    10/11/98 9:13 PM
     
     
Howdy Listers,
     
Quite some time ago, I responded to a notice in this forum and sent the PA 
Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources a letter in support of 
regulations to close all hiking trails in PA to horses, ATVs, etc. unless 
posted open.  Saturday I received a final compilation of all comments 
received and the changes made in the regs.  It appears that the language 
proposed to close the trails to horses, etc. has been deleted and the matter 
will be taken up in a "work group to be made up of interested stakeholders." 
 It looks like by shear force of numbers the hiking crowd was substantially 
outnumbered by the horse crowd and therefore the language was deleted.  The 
only bright side is that at least language wasn't inserted in the opposite 
direction.
     
So could someone explain how these regulations will affect horse traffic on 
the AT in PA?  Has the ATC taken an interest in these rules and will the 
ATC have a seat at the table for the work group?  Let me know if more 
letters would be helpful.
     
Hope everybody had a good time at the Gathering.
     
TTFN
     
Chris Vreeland
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