Newsletters:
www.shawneetrailconservancy.com
OCT 22, 2001
Monthly meetings have been continuing hosted by the FS
on the master trails system. The next meeting is scheduled for Nov. 20th
at the Marion High School at 6:30 PM. The horse people and other recreationists
have been attending these meetings faithfully. Your diligence will be rewarded!
All of us are busy- but we must take to the time to attend these meetings
and fight for MORE TRAILS, MAINTAINED TRAILS, MARKED TRAILS AND THAT ALL
USER MADE TRAILS BECOME DESIGNATED TRAILS. If we don’t insist on this,
then the environmental extremists will get their way -which is to close
our trails! Make sure you attend these meetings. YOU DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THANKS! It’s ironic that only half of the campground owners attend these
and other important meetings when their livelihood depends having trails
available for their customers to ride on. Where would their businesses
be if trails were closed near them? The campground owners have the most
to lose! They should also be heading up the trail maintenance projects
so that the resource impact caused by the heavy traffic near the campgrounds
is lessened. Each campground should routinely conduct volunteer trail maintenance
days and solicit the help of their campers for this work. Most able-bodied
conscientious riders should and will help out if they value the trails
that they ride on. Cutting logs which have fallen across the trail, trimming
brush, and draining mud puddles can be a rewarding experience when done
with friends. It’s a small price to pay for the enjoyment that we all get
from our riding adventures. If everyone does their part, it’s easy!
As mentioned above, trail work is essential if we are
going to have nice trails on which to ride. STC has scheduled a work day
for this Saturday on the River to River trail from Eddyville to Petticoat
Junction. This is one of the trails that we have adopted. Meet at 9 AM
at the Eddyville Water Dept. and we’ll go west down the trail by truck
to where the work will begin in the forest. The forest service will provide
most of the tools but you may bring pruners if you’d like. We will be rebuilding
water bars which are no longer doing their job, draining mud holes, and
removing logs and brush from the trail. We will work all day so bring a
sack lunch and plenty of water to drink. PLEASE COME, HELP OUT HAVE FUN!
BRING YOUR FRIENDS!
STC held its annual meeting and election of officers on
Oct. 18th at Dolly’s Restaurant in Vienna. Don Cloud was appointed by President
Bill Blackorby to replace director Jayn Bigler who can not attend our meetings
because of work scheduling. He will fill her remaining one year term. Four
directors whose terms were expiring were re-elected to another two year
term as follows- Bob Buchanan, Joy Roy, Bill Barnett, and Cheryl Blackorby.
Sue Perina was again elected secretary and Nancy Perisho was re-elected
treasurer. Bill Blackorby declined to run for president due to serious
family health concerns but he did agree to become vice-president. Clyde
Schmidt, who was VP this past year stepped up to the Presidents job. CONGRATULATIONS
CLYDE! The officers work very hard and spend hundreds of hours and their
own money going to numerous meetings each month, making countless phone
calls, and conducting STC business every day. You have no idea how demanding
these jobs are. These people are dedicated and committed! WE THANK THEM
ALL FOR AN OUTSTANDING JOB!
Don Roy and Bill Blackorby mowed, disced and sowed wheat
on 2 three acre wildlife feed plot openings north of Eddyville this summer
as part of the FS’s approved wildlife management program to benefit wild
turkey, deer, quail and songbirds. Ladino clover will be planted in early
spring. These are two among the 33 such habitat plots which are being planted
by volunteers. Don and Bill representing the Shawnee Trail Conservancy
and IFOR (IL Federation for Outdoor Resources) have adopted these two plots
in a cooperative effort using their own equipment. The Forest Service plans
to expand this program next year. The IL. Dept of Natural Resources developed
and funded this program approximately 20 years ago but when the funding
expired the FS did not continue managing the approximately 1400 food plots
so they became weed patches. Various individuals and organizations are
now volunteering to plant and maintain these openings.
The US Forest Service recently sent out a proposed change
notice which appeared in the Federal Register concerning a change in the
Environmental Policy and Procedures Handbook (FSH 1909.15) It is extremely
important that everyone respond in support of this change regarding the
use of a categorical exclusion as a management tool to circumvent the necessity
of doing an in depth environmental impact statement (EIS- which takes years
to do) when doing activities which will have no significant impact on the
environment. Chief Bosworth told us at our Washington DC meeting that "this
was the best way to streamline the ‘analysis paralysis’ which prevents
FS staff from doing trail maintenance, giving permits for activities on
FS lands, including utility company easements and building new trails.
The same amount of environmental analysis is required to build 200 ft of
trail as it does to build a nuclear plant." FS funds and staff man hours
are wasted with unnecessary paperwork. Environmentalists have bogged down
FS management activities by suing the FS each time they make a decision
to do something without an EIS. This is the primary reason why maintenance
can NOT take place on most FS trails SINCE MOST TRAILS DO NOT HAVE AN EIS
ON THEM and why the FS can not grant an outfitter-guide permit or grant
a permit for a trail ride or other event with more than 75 participants
if they are going to use trails without an EIS on them. With the use of
a categorical exclusion, a local FS official can approve these activities
with a much less detailed analysis. I have prepared a form letter which
is enclosed that has been approved by attorney Paul Turcke, which we recommend
that you sign and send into the forest service at the address on the top
of the letter. Please make extra copies and have your family, friends and
riding buddies INDIVIDUALLY sign a copy to mail in. The environmentalist
will be flooding the FS in an effort to stop the use of the categorical
exclusion proposal. Comments must be received by the forest service by
Nov. 19th. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO SIGN THIS LETTER OR PREPARE YOUR OWN
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE. EACH LETTER COUNTS AS ONE RESPONSE SO THE MORE LETTERS
THE GREATER THE IMPACT.
At the Sept. STC meeting, former president Bill Blackorby
stressed the importance of all trail users being respectful and appreciative
of those private land owners which allow horse riders, hunters, hikers
and ATV riders to access their property. Because there are a number of
land owners who allow riders and others to cross their property, we ask
that everyone, especially the campground owners, show appreciation to these
land owners by sending letters of thanks and giving them gift certificates
or other forms of gratitude annually for their generosity. Some land owners
have closed or threatened to close their trails because riders were not
staying on existing trails and abusing their riding privileges. Bill, as
STC president, handled several such instances this past year and was able
to keep these trails open. Riders can not afford to lose riding areas since
many of them are necessary to access other areas of the forest. Please
be courteous and respectful of private property when riding on it by staying
on the existing trail and do not make new trails. Dick Manders, Bill Barnett,
David Flanders and Bob Buchanan have been appointed to this important committee
which will deal with building better land owner relationships.
Last month, STC director, Mary Jean Jones, informed us of several local trail riders receiving a $100 warning citation from the site ranger, for parking their horse trailers at the Johnson Creek horse camping area near Lake Kincaid because the road to the day parking area was severely eroded and unsafe for horse trailer travel. Bill Blackorby contacted Bill Mathis, president of the Duquoin Saddle Club, whose club mows the campground. He also expressed concern about the condition of the road going to the day parking area but had been unsuccessful in getting the forest service to return his calls. Bill Blackorby subsequently called Bruce Slover, the FS’s new recreation resource planner, who visited the site and agreed that the road needed repair and the day park needed mowing and gravel so that trail riders could once again use the area. In the meantime, day riders can park at the one side of the campground and out of the way of any overnight campers. The ranger will no longer be harassing anyone about not parking in the day park. Hopefully the FS will complete the work soon.NATURAL AREAS EIS STILL NOT COMPLETE
It’s been well over a year and the forest service still
has not got the final draft of the EIS finished concerning equestrian trail
locations in the 7 natural areas which may have horse trails. The report
has been delayed month after month and we are now being told that it will
be out for public comment before Christmas. We’ll believe it when we see
it! However, if and when, the draft EIS report is released, I will prepare
a response for your consideration or you can prepare your own individual
response.
To the Tony Hornbeck family, Max Williams, Jerry Boedeker
and John McIlroy for their generous donations to STC. We appreciate their
financial support and we appeal to you to renew your membership today.
The date of your membership expiration appears on the top line of your
address label. Check it out. WE NEED EVERYONE’S SUPPORT AND MEMBERSHIP!!!
Cheryl Blackorby, newsletter editor, 618-672-4768 E-mail- blackrby@shawneelink.com
UPCOMING STC MEETING DATES
NOV. 14TH, DOLLY’S RESTAURANT, ON RTE 146 AT THE EAST EDGE OF VIENNA, 7PM
DEC. 20TH, COMMUNITY CENTER, EDDYVILLE, CHRISTMAS POTLUCK DINNER, 6PM, BRING A DISH TO PASS & YOUR OWN TABLE SERVICE. MEETING- 7PM
JAN. 17- DOLLY’S RESTAURANT, VIENNA, DINNER OFF THE MENU AT 6PM- MEETING 7 PM
SAVE OUR SHAWNEE ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP- RENEWAL______NEW_______
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