Show-Me Missouri BCH – Land Manager Ride
June 8, 2011, Show-Me Missouri Back Country Horsemen held their third annual Land Manager VIP Ride.
SMMBCH invited Federal and State land management agencies to participate in a three hour equestrian trail ride at Brushy Creek Resort and Lodge, Black Missouri in the heart of the beautiful Mark Twain National Forest’s eastern Ozarks. The purpose of the trail ride is to foster a positive working relationship by getting to know various land mangers and discussing how SMMBCH can best work with the agencies to provide education to the equestrian public on riding opportunities, minimizing impact to trails, and minimizing conflict with other trail users.
Even with the temperature soaring to almost 100 degrees Land Managers in attendance were:
Missouri Department of Conservation – Aaron Jefferies, Assistant to Director
Department of Natural Resources/Div. State Parks – Kelley Brent, Park Operations and Planning Coordinator
National Park Service/Ozark National Scenic Riverways – Russ Runge, Deputy Superintendent
Mark Twain National Forest – Nancy Feakes, Resource Manager
Mark Twain National Forest – Teresa Chase, Deputy Forest Supervisor
Missouri Department of Agriculture – Dr. Jon Hagler, Director of Agriculture
Missouri State Representative – Representative Linda Black, St.FrancisCounty, MO
SMMBCH members in attendance:
Chairman, Russell Martin & wife Tammie (LNT Master)
Vice President, Mary K. Church
Education Chair, Marsha Copeland & husband Ed (Founding Members)
Public Lands Chair, Allison Schottenhaml
We would also like to thank George & Joann Becker owners of Brushy Creek and SMMBCH members for being our personal trail guides.
Russell Martin’s pack horse was ready to carry lunch, with extreme heat conditions we opted to have lunch in the rustic dining lodge and only stopped for refreshments on the trail. After lunch SMMBCH used the rare opportunity of having all the agencies together to discuss the possibility of creating a 13 mile sustainable multi-use trail. This new section of purposed trail is through the Roger Pryor Area owned by the L-A-D Foundation; a private foundation in Missouri dedicated to sustainable forest management and managed by Dept. of Natural Resources. The new section would connect to the existing Ozark Trail that traverses the Missouri Ozarks and will give Missouri equestrians the only opportunity to a long distance trail of almost 250 miles. With cooperative efforts between state and federal agencies, private landowners and trail users, this vision can become reality.
We believe this ride gave land managers the opportunity to experience our recreation in ways we could never put in words. Maybe on a more personal level agency personnel gained a better understanding of why we are horsemen and want to protect our historical heritage and traditions. SMMBCH would like to thank each agency for taking time out of their busy schedule to participate in this ride.
Allison Schottenhaml
Show-Me Missouri Back Country Horsemen