Ed Puett Thomas Firth

Transcription

1 Officers ISSUE 3 MARCH 2018 PRESIDENT Michael Lewis ribbinwoodrider@outlook.com VICE-PRESIDENT Jack Peckham jack@greytthreads.com SECRETARY Maryann Puett puett.maryann@gmail.com TREASURER Nyna Cheeks therockincranch@yahoo.com NEWSLETTER EDITOR & WEB TECH Rhonda Strickland redshank.webmaster@gmail.com NEWSLETTER CO-EDITOR Stacy Kuhns PUBLIC LANDS CO-CHAIRS Allison Renck Ali9591@aol.com Ed Puett edpuett@gmail.com EDUCATION CO-CHAIR/ STATE REP Stacy Kuhns stacykuhns@aol.com EDUCATION CO-CHAIR Thomas Firth Lecil_hadley@hotmail.com MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR Carol Schmuhl Ifeedemandleadem1@aol.com ADOPT A HIGHWAY Cathy Firth outwest39@hotmail.com RIDE COORDINATOR Cindy Hay cndhay@hotmail.com EVENT / BOOTH COORDINATOR Rosie Grindle President s Message As February fades and March approaches, I look back on past events and forward to the future. If it's even possible, it looks to be a busier year than last. There has already been two pack support trips in January, multi-agency partnership meeting in Sacramento, BCHC State meeting in Santa Nella, PCTA (Trail Gorillas) leadership meeting at Whitewater Preserve, and a BCHC saw instructors meeting (attended by Jack Peckham) in Turlock. We also have a couple of rides scheduled for this month, Eagle Rock and the muchanticipated Beauty Mountain Wilderness dedication ride. State Parks have already contacted us regarding the Fuller Ridge pack schedule and the spring log out as well as San Diego Natural History personnel regarding trips to Mojave and back to Joshua Tree. This year we have a number of our members giving presentations at the Western States Horse Expo in Pomona. Leave-no-trace, packing, Dutch oven and trail info. Come on out and join us March 9 th 11 th. Hope to see you there. On saw certification, BCHC has received a letter from the U.S. Forest Service National Saw Program Manager officially recognizing its saw program under the National Saw program as a cooperator. This is good news and allows us to continue to move forward with our saw training. Then there was the BCHC state meeting. I actually made it for the first time, (following a PCTA meeting in Sacramento the weekend before). Not sure what to expect Stacy and I headed north to Santa Nella Friday morning after a quick stop in Norco to pick up Mike Williams. 6 ½ hours later we blew into Pea Soup Andersons for the first of two Friday meetings. Stacy was part of both and I sat in on the board meeting. Saturday was the all-day state meeting with a lot of interesting info. At 4:00 that afternoon we headed home. With a few quick stops, I made it home before midnight, one tired puppy. It was good to see how the state operates and I learned that the State does business very similar to the way our unit operates. Looking forward to seeing all at our next meeting. Michael Lewis

2 2 REDSHANK RIDERS GENERAL MEETING MINUTES FEB 8, 2018 Little Red School House- (Draft) ATTENDANCE: Ed & Mary Ann Puett, Allison Renck, Cathy Haun-Firth, Thomas Firth, Gretchen Peckham, Jack Peckham, Lorinda Quatrale, Cindy and Doug Hay, Carol Schmuhl, Greg Bruce, Charlie and Nyna Cheek, Stacey Kuhns, Rosie Grindle, Mike Lewis and Pebbles Lewis, Brent Lance, Nikki Hock, Ron Lawson, Donna Stauffer, Ron Kalb, Mary Litch, Chuck Fredy, Gail McCreight, Jackie Hare and Laurie Stanton Next Meeting: MARCH 8, 2018 at The Little Red School House in Anza NEW FOLKS: Michelle Robinson from LRE, Donna Stauffer, Rob Kalb, Brent Lance and Nikki Hock REPORTS: SECRETARY S REPORT: Moved, seconded and passed that Secretary s report be adopted as read. TREASURER S REPORT: by Nyna Cheek; Moved, seconded and passed that Secretary s report be adopted as read. January 2018 Beginning Balance - $4, Revenue - $ Expenses Net Income - $ Closing Balance - $5, MEMBERSHIP REPORT: by Carol Schmuhl Memberships - 69 Total Persons - 99 Families - 30 Individuals - 31 Patron - 1 Benefactor 1 2 Memberships expired during January 2 Memberships will expire during February 5, 2018 No new members during January HISTORIAN S REPORT: No Activity BOOTH COORDINATOR: Rosie Grindle No report RIDE REPORT: given by Cindy Hay: 1. Goal (per Stacy) is that we always have the waivers and radios and first aide kits on each ride - SAFETY 2. Cathy Haun-Firth Dedication Ride to Beauty Mountain - Tulle Trailhead - 7 miles rated 2 to 2.5 go up 1000 feet sign posts and Tom s Camp water has been taken out for the horses bring water and snack 930 start time March 3 RSVP Members only ride 3. Greg Bruce Eagle Rock 930 start time pre-rode 10 mile ride rate 2 to 2.5 February 25 Barrel Springs start bring water and lunch 4. Mike Lewis April date to be determined scouting ride so no rating Spitler Peak ride Cedar Springs to Fobes 5. Rosie Grindle 2nd annual LRE ride May 12th - rated level 3 to Gretchen Peckham October 20th Treasure Hunt ride fundraiser PUBLIC LANDS REPORT given by Allison Renck National Trails day is JUNE 2 Write your congressional representatives on 1349 about how BCHC and all horse people need to keep bicycles out of the wilderness. Go to BCHA website to look up horse issues in the wilderness. LA Times published a great article about why bikes should not be in wilderness. Comprehensive Trail plan for Riverside County will be amended because the survey was not comprehensive. We need to work to get trails on the map now before we cannot. EDUCATION REPORT: given by Tom Firth and Stacy Kuhns: 1. LNT Providers Summit Report next meeting 2. Working on Education Day for the Pack Clinic 3. First weekend in June (6/2 & 6/3) Train the Trainer Course - Nyna 4. NEW Banner on BCHC great for events ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY REPORT: by Cathy Haun- Firth 1. Next cleanup will be Friday March 16 8 to 10 am, meet at the Chevron station in Anza OLD BUSINESS: Budget Income items include Dues Rebate, Events and Activities, donations, fundraising. Expense items include Activity Supplies, Advertising, Education, Facility Rental, Historian, Legal and Accounting, Liability Insurance, Trail Maintenance, Trailer Decals, Tool Maintenance, Cargo Trailer Maintenance, Membership, Web Maintenance, PO Box, Easy Up for Membership, Postage, Printing and Reproduction, Travel, Raffle Incentive, Donations Rendezvous (auction), Donations Scholarship, and Kiosk. Stacey moved and Greg seconded and group passed the 2018 Budget 2. Volunteer hours please submit to Stacey ASAP. Stacey explained the importance of the reporting of the volunteer hours as lobbying power. (Continued on page 3)

3 (Continued from page 2) 3. Tool/Equipment Inventory to go on a spreadsheet so we can keep track of them and keep them in good condition 4. Rendezvous Paso Robles lots of kids stuff this year in the Kids Coral Rendezvous in Norco after 2018 activities will ramp up theme has to do with youth and wilderness 6. Treasure Hunt Fundraiser main fundraiser for the year Saturday October 20th need help first meeting is Saturday 2/10 at 12: Pomona Horse Expo March - RSR has a big presence at this meeting with packing, LNT, and cast iron cooking NEW BUSINESS: 1. April meeting will be Sunday April 22 at Allison Renck s house ride our at 1:00 and dinner potluck with meeting at 3:00 2. Thank you to??? for the donation Nyna 3. Anza area Trail Town Trail Festival at Minor Park with Walk/Run on June 2, booths and food and fun - Juan Batista Trails and History of Anza highlights 50th anniversary of Wilderness Trails and PCT Ed moved to adjourn and Stacey seconded at 8:09 pm After meeting a presentation by Tom Firth and Stacey Kuhns 3 Nikki Hock Brent Lance Dennis Pinnick Donna Stauffer UPCOMING EVENTS: March 9 11 March 24 April TBA April April 22 April May 3-6 May 12 May October 20 Pomona Horse Expo Camping & Pack Clinic Cedar Springs Scouting Ride BCHC Rendezvous - Paso Robles April Meeting & Renck House in Aguanga Norco Horseweek & Rodeo Cuyamaca - San Diego Unit event Lake Riverside Estates Mule Days - Bishop Treasure Hunt Trail Ride & Fundraiser

4 4 HR 1349 The Time to Act is Now! Submitted by RSR Public Lands Co-Chair Allison Renck Now that HR 1349 has passed out of the House Committee on Natural Resources, the bill could be put before a floor vote in the House of Representatives at any time. When, or in what form, the bill might be voted upon is unknown. Give the speed and relative stealth by which this bill recently moved through committee, however, BCHA members must be prepared to reach out to their representatives at a moment s notice. BCHA is monitoring the situation and will alert members once we learn the potential date of a floor vote. Yet there is nothing stopping members from reaching out to their representative at this time to demonstrate their views on HR Information on how you can contact your representative in Congress can be found here. Ask to speak with your representative s Legislative Assistant (LA) for natural resources- or public lands-related issues. Develop a relationship with the LA by speaking with them or leaving a message each week. Make sure they know you represent a broader BCH state or chapter, and tell them about the great things you do as a volunteer to keep trails open for everyone. The timing of a floor vote would have to be approved by the House leadership. HR 1349 could be voted on as a stand-alone bill or, more likely, it could be packaged with other public land bills or must-pass legislation. Given that amending the Wilderness Act is known by all involved to be highly controversial the Act has never been amended throughout the Act s 53-year history a floor vote on HR 1349 will most likely be bundled with other, less controversial or even potentially beneficial, public lands legislation. Doing so would provide some cover for legislators who don t want to be viewed as voting to undermine the Wilderness Act. Don t let them fool you. A vote to undermine the Wilderness Act is still a vote to undermine the Wilderness Act, even if your representative claims they intend to vote in favor of another bill in the package. We also are on the lookout for introduction of a Senate companion bill to HR Given that legislation must be passed by both the House and Senate before it goes to the President s desk for signature, a companion bill could be introduced at any time by anti-wilderness Senator(s) or, alternatively, should the House pass HR 1349 the bill would automatically be sent to the Senate for consideration. Consequently, it would be wise to reach out to your senators to let them know your feelings about HR Contact information for your U.S. senators can be found here. BCHA continues to work in partnership with a number of regional and national organizations to the prevent passing of HR 1349 into law. These partners include The Wilderness Society, American Horse Council, Pacific Crest Trail Association, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, American Hiking Society and the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance. The International Mountain Bicycling Association has publicly stated its opposition to HR In addition, hundreds of organizations have signed onto letters stating their opposition to HR HR 1349 was introduced on behalf of two small, Johnny-come-lately organizations that neither understand nor respect the origins and the intent of the 1964 Wilderness Act. They believe the Act should be modernized to let mountain bikes have legal access to the last remaining 2.7% of lands in the continental U.S. that are designated as Wilderness. By insisting that mechanized forms of travel be allowed in Wilderness (the original purpose of HR 1349), they naively claim that Congress will not try to further pry open the door and insert other damaging provisions into the Act. The Time to Act is Now!

5 How to Tie a Half Hitch Knot A camp staple for securing anything that needs to stay in one place, the half hitch along with the bowline, power cinch, and prusik loop will most likely be regulars in any camp that you set up. The half hitch is a basic starter knot with a myriad of uses ranging from securing a high line system to tying a horse to a post. The friction caused by the wraps of the rope is the magic that holds this knot in place. The half hitch is a simple overhand knot, where the working end of a line is brought over and under the standing part. Insecure on its own, it becomes a very valuable component of a wide variety of useful and reliable hitches, bends, and knots. For use around camp and pack stock using a double half hitch combined with a quick release is a prudent measure. The basic tying of a half hitch knot is simple in the extreme: 5 The Basic Half Hitch Wrap the rope around the object. Pass the working end around the standing portion of the line and back under the loop. The Double Half Hitch with a Quick Release Pass the end around the standing part and through the second formed loop to create two half hitches. Before tightening the knot, pull the end back through the last loop made to create a quick release. Shared by permission of TrailMeister Link to more knots at TrailMeister.com: utm_source=mailinglist&utm_medium= &utm_campaign=feb+mid+month+2018+general+newslette r

6 Rendezvous California Mid State Fairground in Paso Robles, 2198 Riverside Ave April 12, 14 & The BCHC Rendezvous follows a tradition of gathering together of outdoor enthusiasts. Our event features equine training clinicians, scores of vendors, horse and mule packing seminars, Gentle Use/ Leave No Trace classes, Western Art Show, Awards and Accolades, Dutch Oven Cook-off, Trail Challenge, Beer and Wine tasting, Cowboy Church, Youth Classes, Raffles and Auction. There is always lots to learn, lots of fun, and plenty of horses and mules at the Backcountry NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS This newsletter is for you, our members. If you would like to share some photos or a story please send them to your newsletter editor, Rhonda at redshank.webmaster@gmail.com (Please note that items submitted may need to be OK d for publication by the current unit president and will be used as space allows.)

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8 8 Have you ever thought you d like to travel on horse or mule back and camp out, with or without pack stock? Are you ready to take your riding to the next level, where you can stay out overnight with your human and animal friends? Have you already thought about it, but just weren t sure how to get started? The San Diego Unit of the Backcountry Horsemen of California is offering a learning and packing experience you will never forget, beginning with four all-day clinics to teach you and your equine all the skills you will need to travel and camp safely in a remote setting. After the clinics there will be an overnight trip where you will pack in to a primitive group camp in beautiful Cuyamaca Rancho State Park accompanied by experienced men and women stock packers and outdoors teachers that are there to help insure that everybody has a great time safely. Registration will be limited to 6 participants and a waiting list will be established in case of cancellations. You must be a BCHC member of any unit in the state to participate. You can join with your registration if you are not currently a member. You do NOT need to have a pack animal to take part in this class, but you will need a riding animal that is comfortable out on the trail. Our intent is to work together to help both you and your animal get ready for this trip (and hopefully many more to come). Training clinic dates will be March 24 th, April 14 th, May 12 th, and June 9 th with the pack trip on June 16-17, You must attend all 4 training clinics to participate in the pack trip, and those people on the waiting list will be expected to attend the clinics in the event there is an opening for the pack trip. Complete the registration below and mail to: Ray Spence, Highland Valley Road, Ramona, Ca with a deposit of $ The balance of $ is due at the first clinic. Total cost for the 4 clinics and the overnight trip is $ No refunds will be given. Name: Address: Phone: Cell Phone: ; For any questions please contact Ray Spence at (858) or eandrqualityfeed@gmail.com

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10 10 Redshank Riders BCHC P.O. BOX 383 Aguanga, CA Objectives and Purpose of the Backcountry Horsemen of California from the BCHC Bylaws To improve and promote the use, care and development of California backcountry trails, campsites, streams and meadows; to advocate good trail manners. To promote the conservation and utilization of our backcountry resources in concert with livestock transportation. To keep current information before the Corporation membership and its local Units regarding new legislation or management plans related to government regulations of the backcountry. To support or oppose new proposals, plans and restrictions as related to the interest of horsemen and those persons interested in recreational stock use and enjoying the backcountry. To promote the interest of people who, due to health or physical factors, need transportation other than by foot on backcountry trails.