For the last hitch of the 2020 season, Lead Wilderness Steward Connor Adams – Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests – joins up with the Trail Crew to untangle blowdowns and clear brush on the #421 trail. While exploring the headwaters of East Moose Creek, Connor and crew improvise tools and attest to the necessity of brushing for Wilderness accessibility.
Priority Areas
Please check back for additional information and updates on each priority area.
- Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex & Adjacent Lands
- Methow Valley Ranger District
- Hells Canyon National Recreation Area/Eagle Cap Wilderness
- Central Idaho Complex
- Continental Divide National Scenic Trail
- Wyoming “Forest Gateway Communities”
- Northern California Wilderness Areas: Marble Mountain & Trinity Alps
- Angeles National Forest
- Greater Prescott Trail System
- Sedona Red Rock Ranger District Trail System
- Colorado Fourteeners
- Superior National Forest Trails
- White Mountain National Forest Partner Complex: “200 Years of Community Trail Stewardship”
- Southern Appalachians Capacity Enhancement Model
- Iditarod National Historic Trail “Southern Trek”
From: Randy Rasmussen
Sent: Wed, 23 Sep 2020
Subject: Re: Reminder and Update: National Directors Call
BCHA National Directors:
Regarding our conversation this evening about Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) funding, which is intended to address “priority deferred maintenance” over the next 5 years, the take-home message is this:
1. All interested BCH states/chapters should contact their local US Forest Service office to provide input on trail maintenance projects important to horsemen and that can be implemented in Fiscal Years (FYs) 2022 through 2025.
– The list of projects is more-or-less set in stone for FY’21, which starts October 1st–but they’ll need your help next field season with many of these too!
- Most, if not all, USFS District Rangers and Forest Supervisors are well aware of the GAOA and scrambled within the past several weeks to develop their lists for FY’21.
– They should be reaching out to your chapters in short order, to develop their lists for FY’22 and beyond. Plus, there should be future “public listening sessions” for such input.
– Either way, contact your local USFS officials *within the next few weeks* to let them know of your interest in providing input on specific trail maintenance needs (and how your chapter can help, including whether entering into a Cost-Share Agreement would be viewed as beneficial by local USFS officials). - As a result of the 2016 National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (aka,”Trails Act”), the USFS identified 15 priority areas throughout the nation to demonstrate progress in addressing the trail maintenance backlog.
– A map and description of those areas can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/trails/priority-areas - The priority areas were established at a time when the USFS did not have special funding to address, in a broad fashion, their trail maintenance backlog. Now that GAOA funding will be available over the next 5 years. T
– The agency will no doubt look far beyond these 15 priority areas to address priority deferred maintenance for trails. So don’t despair if your local forest is not within the current priority areas!
5. As Chairman Wallace said, for those chapters involved in trail maintenance projects with the BLM, National Park Service and US Fish & Wildlife Service, you are encouraged to also reach out to them to inquire about how you can help set priorities and engage in their use of GAOA funding.
Best, Randy Rasmussen, M.S.
Director, Public Lands & Recreation | Back Country Horsemen of America
WildernessAdvisor@bcha.org | 541.602.0713 | www.bcha.org
The culmination of 2020 Field season; showcasing the timber harvest and restoration of the Sagehen area including roadside hazard and removal of hazard trees in campgrounds for public health and safety.
WATCH VIDEO
Brenden Cronin is the River Ranger on the Payette River on the Boise National Forest. Brenden describes his job and his work duties on the river. Brenden spends time floating the river, picking up trash, cleaning toilets, and he helps people load and unload their boats from the river. There are seven river sites along the Main Payette River and Brenden maintains those by stopping at those sites and picking up trash and cleaning those toilets at the sites. Brenden spends time talking to people on the river and informing them about the use of the river and any hazards that might exist. Filmed and edited by Charity Parks. WATCH VIDEO
CONTACT US: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r4/about-region/contactus/?cid=fsbdev3_016050
Boise National Forest – 2020
Tawnya Brummett – Forest Supervisor
Kandice Cotner – Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor
1249 South Vinnell Way, Suite 200
Boise, ID 83709
208-373-4100
Lucky Peak Nursery
15169 East Highway 21
Boise, ID 837
208-343-1977
Cascade Ranger District
Jake Strohmeyer – District Ranger
PO Box 696
540 North Main Street
Cascade, ID 83611
208-382-7400
Emmett Ranger District
Katie Wood – District Ranger
1805 Highway 16, Room 5
Emmett, ID 83617
208-365-7000
Idaho City Ranger District
John Wallace – District Ranger
PO Box 129
Highway 21, Milepost 38.3
Idaho City, ID 83631
208-392-6681
Lowman City Ranger District
John Kidd – District Ranger
7359 Highway 21
Lowman, ID 83637
208-259-3361
Mountain Home Ranger District
Stephaney Kerley – District Ranger
2180 American Legion Boulevard
Mountain Home, ID 83647
208-587-7961
Today we’re relaunching #VotePublicLands, American Hiking’s nonpartisan voter education and engagement effort.
2020 has been a big year for public lands, and we’ve seen that when the hiking community uses its collective voice we can advance public land priorities. We worked hard for the Great American Outdoors Act to become law with overwhelming bipartisan support, but the work doesn’t stop there. We as hikers need to work towards equitable access to the outdoors for all.
One of the most important ways to make our voices heard is to VOTE. Through #VotePublicLands, American Hiking provides our members and supporters easy to use resources to register to vote, check registration status, and request an absentee ballot/vote by mail. 
Explore the key issues to be strong public lands advocates
Dihydrogen Monoxide is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and kills uncounted thousands every year. Cocoa knows this and has consistently refused to get anywhere near the stuff. Unfortunately her job description requires her to frequently cross bodies of the substance.
How to Teach a Horse to Cross WaterDihydrogen (H2) Monoxide (O) is of course water and water crossings are the bane of many trail riders. Cocoa and I are no exception as I discovered during one of her first packing experiences. A tiny stream that I could easily step across in one stride, and shallow enough that if I were to walk through would not touch the top of my shoes, was enough to derail the ride in short order. Thank you Cocoa, for the opportunity! Preparing a horse, or mule, to steadily and self-confidently cross water takes planning, patience, and practice. This is how Cocoa and I went from refusing puddles to confidently crossing rivers. READ MORE