The Picket Line. Cher Bower. Howdy, Howdy, Howdy,

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1 The Picket Line I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : Volume 30, Number 9 Presidents page 1 Director Report 2 Attention 3 advertisers 4-5 Trail Boss Report 6 Legislative Report 7 Classified Ads 8 OVC Officers 9 Jhonny beauhl wow- 10 Minutes Upcoming Events 13 Cher Bower Howdy, Howdy, Howdy, Are you all hot enough! We had a very nice BBQ with burgers from Double S Meats, potluck and meeting in History Park, Tonasket. We welcomed our new member Debbie Gregorson. She joined us on the 14-mile ride. Good to have you. Also a new family to the Tonasket area, who joined after the meeting, Rob and Alissia Bell and their children Wyatt, Colton and Marley. We are looking forward to getting to know all of you. You will find out further in the newsletter about our meeting in Twisp with Dan Newhouse, concerning the letter that Dave Sunde and Trygve wrote trying to get some action from the Forest Service concerning use of chain saws in the wilderness. Also Steve filled us in on our recent work parties and ride. Cheryl Johnson, volunteer hours, presented Stan Kvistad, past president, with a gift certificate for use at Mid Way (Do It Best-Tonasket) Thank you Stan for all of your hard work in the past years, and we look forward to having you on work parties and rides in the future. Life can be so complicated some times and there is never enough time to go around. Cheryl also presented Dave Sunde and Steve McKinney with gift cards for the most volunteer hours reported. Gail Sunde won one of our club hats in the overall drawing for hours turned in. Cheryl and I want to thank everyone for being so good about turning in their hours. Please note that the Pasayten Wilderness Ride Sept 2-5 has been canceled. Hopefully this can be arranged next year if anyone is interested. Also our planning meeting for 2017 has been changed to October 25 th, 3:00 at Dave and Gail Sunde s house. There will be Pizza after and everyone is encouraged to come with ideas for rides and campouts. Our next scheduled ride is Sept. 17, the Granite Creek/Maple Mt. joint ride with Ferry County. If anyone is up for a spur of the moment ride just give Steve or I a call. We can get an out to people. Let s hope we get some cooler weather soon! Have fun and be safe! Cher your madam president 1

2 July, 2016 Dave Sunde A copy of the June BCHW Director Report is posted on the OVC website. The 3 rd quarter directors meeting is coming up on September 17 th. I ll be leaving for Ellensburg on the 16 th so if there is anything that you want me to bring up at the meeting please let me know as soon as possible. The only unusual piece of business that is scheduled for this meeting concerns a By-Law change to accommodate the members that are independent and are not affiliated with a particular chapter. There is a proposal to give that group representation on the board by having the BCHW President, with the consent of the board, appoint a director to represent these members. There may be a few more 2017 calendars available and I ll need to know if the OVC is going to want any. These make good Christmas stocking stuffers, and are big enough to write appointments down if that is how your household operates. As your representative on the BCHW Public Lands Committee I attended the recent meeting in Twisp with Representative Newhouse. He is trying to schedule another meeting with us in Wenatchee as soon as he can free up some time in his schedule. The purpose of the meeting was to educate the Representative on the deplorable conditions of the USFS trail system and to present our solution for a possible fix to that problem. When we presented him with the number of volunteer hours for the past two years I think it was an area that he had been unaware of up to that point. He was not aware of the tremendous backlog of trail maintenance on the USFS books at this point. Chapter elections are coming up at the November meeting. Nominations will be opened up at the October meeting. October is also the month for the annual planning meeting. It will be held on October 25 th. Please let one of the officers know if you have any suggestions for work projects, rides, or any other events. This meeting is open to all members and we need to hear all your ideas. That is all I have for now. Don t forget to take a good look at all the candidates so you can cast an informed vote. The General election is fast approaching 2

3 THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE MISSING FROM THE BCH CARGO TRAILER 1 Short log peeling bar 1 drill bit 1 hoe 2 pack boxes 1 Pulaski 1 nylon sling 1 impact rock drill 1 microblaster ($2,300) 1 tagging gun 1 chain 3 no parking signs 5 no smoking signs Please check you tools to see if any of these items got mixed up with yours by mistake. Give me a call if you find any Thanks Steve 3

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6 TRAIL BOSS REPORT Aug. 18, 2016 We give a really big thanks to Nonnie Judd on the two bridges, work on the North Fork Loomis State Forest and the Johnny Beall Trail system. Nonnie brought the equipment (Ranger) that hauled Cher Bower and I, and a full load of tools into both bridges. Nonnie didn t even sign up for the job, but only through her was the job even possible-then probable. Kris Lenke, from Chimacum and an OVC member, showed up early on Saturday and Sunday. She, too, was a really good worker. Friday and Saturday we worked until about 5:30. Sunday we finished the last bridge swing rails for gravel at 1:00 pm. After cutting out about 10 miles of nearby trails, Tom Windsor helped us early Sunday so we finished a little early. On Monday DNR s Chris Marcolin hauled gravel to the North Fork B ridge and we laid out geotech cloth and spread gravel between the rails. Dave Sunde and Gail brought their loader and RTV and hauled our equipment and Cher and I in to the North Fork Bridge. Dave was able to haul gravel and load Chris so we finished in a timely fashion. We were unable to complete the Johnny Beall Bridge because of equipment failure on the motorized bucket. If we have another big job just give me a few good women---and Tom! Seriously, we need more help, such as spreading the gravel at the Johnny Beall Bridge. More people could show up for rides too. Five of us rode from 14 Mile camp in the loop through Sunny Pass just 18.8 miles. Two of the riders were drop-ins Winfrey Smith and Jodi Curry. Many of y all missed a beautiful ride, and a grind. Our new member Debbie Gregorson joined us for a good break in ride! Please consider helping and riding more. Tell us what you want. Hang tough, 6

7 OVCBCHW Legislative Report More on the Washington State Trails Coalition Conference in Richland. It would be great that as many members as is possible attend this. I mean, do we care if grizzly bear restoration impacts recreation? I think it is safe to say YES. As to Programmatic Permitting, how about Programmatic Minimum Requirements Analysis being supported where we can run chainsaws in permitted windows to clear trails in Wilderness? Being a stock user means you must constantly be pushing uphill to save trails for horses. Let up slightly, and back down the hill you go. It is our unique burden to bear since we ride the borderlands of social tolerance. Jeff Why should you register now to attend the 2016 Washington State Trails Coalition Conference, October in Richland? Here are just a few reasons: Network with hundreds of trail professionals representing a broad range of government, industry, students, and advocates. Presentations on three dozen interesting topics where industry experts will share everything from the design and build of high quality trails to making the case for trails to spotlighting unique trails in the state of Washington. Here are a few samples: o When Trails Go Viral: Responsible Web and Social Media Practices for Online Communities. o Tahoma to Tacoma: Quantifying the Health, Equity, and Economic Benefits of Trails. o Trails on Trial - Protecting Public Lands for Public Use & Enjoyment. o Trails and Critical Areas: the Costs and Benefits of Programmatic Permitting. o Trails to History - Urban History Walking Tours. o Will Grizzly Bear Restoration Impact Recreation in Washington? Evening reception at the lovely REACH museum. Enjoy complimentary drinks and hors d oeuvres with friends old and new as we host the inaugural WSTC Awards Ceremony. This is your opportunity to learn, network, celebrate, and have a great time at Washington s premier trail s conference. You won t want to miss it! To find information on registering, exhibiting, hotel accommodations and more, please click here. On behalf of the Washington State Trails Coalition Board, Glenn Glover President This is the Bill that had section under maintenance that allowed for government employees to use chainsaws in the wilderness. I think these wilderness, recreation area, monuments bills are something we should be following if we want to use the areas. GeneThe following is Jeff's statement: EMBA s stated position on S3205 to-date, basically a wait and see. Ours is a little stronger on the no side as the bill has too many uncertainties with few possibilities that wouldn t leave us in worse shape than before. Considering our respective constituencies, neither position is really that surprising. While EMBA s position is very thoughtful, many mountain bikers have commented on articles regarding S blatantly sneering at and berated horses in open resentment of our access to Wilderness (what access we do still have). Also, while we feel it was unfair for mtbrs to lose access to trails in Montana and Idaho, such changes are quite familiar to us.wilderness or not. For example, we have lost access to virtually all trails in Mt Rainier National Park while the mtbrs gained access in the Carbon River drainage. We do agree with EMBA on crafting future changes that don t block existing users. I certainly appreciate their thoughtful approach to this issue and hope we work together well into the future. Jeff 7

8 Classified Ads FOR SALE: The Chapter has 1/2 inch, three strand, poly-propylene rope for sale by the foot. Excellent for lead ropes, sling ropes, high line ropes or what-have-you. $0.50 per foot. Can be back braided or have a loop braided in one end for an additional fee. Telephone (509) FOR SALE: Newer decker pack saddle with plastic boxes & hooks and new ropes, nice leather. Call Steve to $ FOR SALE Collapsible round/square bale feeder. Will take an 1,100 pound round or a 3by4 square bale. It is lightly used. Free delivery within 50 miles of Tonasket. $ Home Office Please patronize the businesses that advertise in the Picket Line. While you are shopping in their businesses or utilizing their services remember to thank them for supporting our efforts to keep trails open on public lands in the Okanogan. 8

9 Okanogan Valley Chapter 2016 Officers Elected Officers for 2016 Appointed Officers for 2016 President: Cher Bower Vice President: Catherine Woodfield Secretary: Cathy Kvistad Treasurer: Ted Sharr Trail Boss: Steve McKinney Director: Dave Sunde Alternate Dir: Ted Sharr Webmaster: Dave Sunde Volunteer Hours Coordinator: Cheryl Johnson LNT Coordinator: Steve McKinney Newsletter Editor: Ted Sharr Publicity Chair: Linda Oborne Alternate Trail Boss: Steve McKinney Legislative Chair: Gene Wehmeyer Social Director: Gail Sunde Immediate Past President: Stan Kvistad Membership:Cathy Kvistad Please patronize the businesses that advertise in the Picket Line. While you are shopping in their businesses or utilizing their services remember to thank them for supporting our efforts to keep trails open on public lands in the Okanogan. 9

10 Final work party for the Johnny Beahl complex 10

11 Minutes of the August 17, 2016 Meeting Okanogan Valley Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen The meeting was called to 7pm by President, Cher Bower. There were 17 members plus 1 guest in attendance. Cher welcomed new members, the Bell family, Rob Alissia, Wyatt, Colton and Marley also Debbie and her sister, Jeanne. Minutes: A motion was made by Dave and seconded by Catharine to approve the July minutes as printed on the Web site with the following correction: Catharine nominated Steve as trail boss. The minutes stand as corrected. Treasurer s Report: The Treasurer s report was given by Cher, she reported that our total assets are $36,489 and the Chapter is solvent. The Treasurer s report stands as presented. Director s Report: Dave Sunde reported that the full report can be found on the website and there is nothing that we need to take action on at the present time. He attended the meeting in Twisp on Aug. 11 th with Dan Newhouse concerning the resolution regarding the minimum tool analysis. Legislative Report: The following is narrative of what I talked about. The portion in bold at the Maintenance section are the proposed changes. This is to allow the use of small motorized equipment. I had only written my notes, as a discussion point, on a copy of S.3205, but Congressman Dan Newhouse requested my copy and I allowed him to take it for further consideration. Okanogan Valley Chapter Back Country Horsemen of Washington August 2016 The change in Management practices resulting in the subsequent increase in biomass leads to an overwhelming increase in dead trees and down fall along and on trails causing an unacceptable safety hazard and an extensive and costly maintenance program. We propose the following change in S.3205 for maintenance. Proposal for insertions in S.3205-Human-POWERED Travel in Wilderness Areas Act Volunteer Hours Report: Cher yl pr esented Stan with a gift car d as a thank you for the year s he ser ved as Chapter President. Cheryl also presented a gift to Dave with 70 hours and Steve wit Trail Boss: Steve said that the work party at the North Fork, Salmon Meadows was a huge success. He also said that we need to complete the work for the grant at Disappointment, there s about 3-4 hours additional time needed to complete the project. It s on the schedule for the end of the month. Last weekend, he and Cher, along with Debbie, Jodi and Winfrey knocked out 18.8 miles of trail at 14 mile, they got it all done it was a beautiful day. Publicity: No report, Linda not at meeting. Newsletter: Ted reported that there s a change in the calendar of events, should read, CCC and not Senior Center. Also, the date of the planning meeting was changed to October 25 th at 3pm at the Sundes the Chapter will provide pizza and drinks. Everyone is encouraged to attend we need your input. Social Director: Gail reported that she won t be at the September meeting but we re gearing up for the next event, the Halloween party in October at the CCC, info will be sent at a later date. UNFINISHED BUSINESS Cher asked if anyone has seen the micro-blaster, she hasn t been able to find it so hopefully, someone knows its whereabouts. Cher stated that Tryg s resignation as Treasurer and Trail Boss has been accepted and Ted was nominated at the July meeting for Treasurer. She asked if there were any other nominations. Dave Sunde made the motion that we appoint Ted as the new Treasurer, seconded by Gail Sunde, the motion was approved. 11

12 Cher stated that Steve McKinney was nominated as Trail Boss, she asked for any other nominations. Dave Sunde made the motion that we appoint Steve, it was seconded by Catharine Woodfield, the motion was approved. NEW BUSINESS Dave Sunde talked about the upcoming wine ride put on by the BCHW, it s there annual fund raiser. The date is Oct. 20 th and they re looking for volunteers, they re expecting riders. Gail said it s a great event and everyone should attend there s lots of wine purchased. Steve s pack trip up the Middle Fork on Labor Day weekend has been cancelled. Dave Sunde said that we have 2017 calendars for sale if anyone is interested they make great Christmas gifts. h 56 for the most field hours for the past month. Gail s name was drawn from everyone who did work last month. Catharine said that we need a work party to refurbish the trailhead signs how about this fall? FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER Stan gave Cher a bill from Tibbs for the sanican at Whistler Canyon. It was suggested that we pay the bill this year since it was for such a short period of time and then have the County pay for it next year. Catharine made a motion that we pay the bill this year, it was seconded by Ted, motion approved. Dave Sunde talked about the Carter Mountain project and asked if we should continue with the $7,000 grant since Jason did not include the use of motorized equipment in the SEPA report, which means that all work would have to be done by hand. After some discussion about the trail it was decided to table until a later date. Jerry Downs talked about a few different fund raising ideas from Ken Carmichael, such as a scavenger hunt and a GEO cash, game of skill. Stan made a motion to adjourn, seconded by Ted meeting was adjourned at 8:21. Respectfully submitted, Cathy Kvistad, Secretary 12

13 Upcoming Activities Okanogan Valley Chapter BCHW P.O. Box 812 Tonasket, WA Phone: To perpetuate the common use and enjoyment of horses in Americas Back- Country and wilderness. Okanogan Valley Chapter & Ferry County Chapter 2016 Chapter Events September 2nd 5th - Pasayten Wilderness Ride Canceled 7th FCC Membership Meeting at Freckles 5:00 PM Dinner 6:00 PM Meeting 17th BCHW BOD Meeting: Ellensburg 17th OVC/FCC Joint Ride: Granite Creek/Maple Mountain/ Sweat Creek - 9:00 AM - Granite Creek trailhead; George Young, Ride Leader 19th OVC Board Meeting: 7:00 PM - you and me pizza, Omak 21st - OVC Membership Meeting: 7:00 PM South, location Triangle Park-Omak October 5th FCC Membership Meeting at Freckles 5:00 PM Dinner 6:00 PM Meeting 8th OVC Ride: Whistler Canyon/Wilcox Trailhead ride through 9:00 AM, WC Trailhead, Catherine Woodfield, Ride Leader 15th OVC Annual Planning Meeting: 1:00 PM dave and gail sunde, Tonasket 17th OVC Board Meeting: 7:00 PM The Kuhler, Tonasket 19th - OVC Membership Meeting and Halloween Party: 7:00 PM Tonasket CCC 29th - BCHW Wine Ride Zillah, WA November 3rd - FCC Membership Meeting at Freckle s 5:00 PM Dinner 6:00 PM Meeting 11th OVC Veterans Day Ride: Carter Mountain Loop Ride: 9:00 AM - South CM Trailhead, ride Leader 14th - OVC Board Meeting: 3:00 PM The Kuhler, Tonasket 16th OVC Membership Meeting South, location El Pasario December 2nd - BCHW Public Lands Meeting 3rd Fourth Quarter BOD Meeting 10th OVC Christmas Party: 6:00 PM, Tonasket Senior Center 17th FCC Christmas Party- Location TBA 19th OVC Board Meeting Cancelled 13