IDAHO FALLS – Garett Reppenhagen always had a love for the American wilderness.
But after serving during Operation Iraqi Freedom and having what he calls some pretty severe experiences, spending time in the great outdoors has taken on on special meaning for Reppenhagen. It was there among pine-filled forests that he was able to reflect on his experiences and cultivate a sense of healing.
Today, Reppenhagen is the Rocky Mountain director of the Vet Voice Foundation, where he advocates for conservation issues. As a conservation activist, Reppenhagen says his healing wouldn’t have been possible without a little-known piece of legislation called the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). And if you live in Idaho, chances are you’ve benefited from it too.
Established by an act of Congress in 1965, the LWCF supports recreation and conservation projects throughout the country. Its four main programs the Stateside Assistance Program, Federal Land Protection Program, Forest Legacy Program and the Cooperative Endangered Species Fund are funded by fees from the oil and gas industry and don’t use taxpayer dollars.
If you’ve ever taken your kids to a city park in Idaho Falls or rafted on the South Fork of the Snake River, you’ve probably enjoyed land preserved by LWCF. From 1966 to 2011 the fund supplied more than $1.7 million to Bonneville County alone, many of those funds going toward the development of parks and recreational facilities.
Since 1991, the fund helped protect 9,500 acres along the South Fork of the Snake River. LWCF has also contributed to conservation efforts in Salmon-Challis and Sawtooth national forests and Grand Teton National Park.
Rob Bishop “The Land and Water Conservation Fund is broken. The law has been hijacked by special interests too close to the government and must be reformed.” Congressman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, Chairman of House Natural Resources Committee
But under a new proposal put forward by Congressman Rob Bishop, R-Utah, acquiring new public land may become more difficult.
C & C Sutlery supplied hundreds of items to the Tarantino movie’s production
Movie and TV orders augment C & C’s regular business from Civil War re-enactors
Kurt Russell, left, and Samuel L. Jackson in “The Hateful Eight.”
An Emmett company provided many items of clothing for the production, but the owner said he generally can’t tell from the finished product which items came from his company. Samuel L. Jackson in “The Hateful Eight.” C & C Sutlery co-owners and spouses Charles Lox, and Ellen Knapp
BY ZACH KYLE
zkyle@idahostatesman.com
Most of the online orders for Civil War-era replica clothing and gear received by C & C Sutlery in Emmett come from Civil War re-enactors or museums and parks looking to outfit mannequins in Civil War exhibits.
But once in a while, owner Charles Lox receives orders from a different kind of deep-pocketed customer: costume and props teams for movies such as “The Hateful Eight,” auteur Quentin Tarantino’s blockbuster Western opening today across the Treasure Valley.
Samuel L. Jackson plays a bounty hunter who claims to be a sheriff in “The Hateful Eight.” Kurt Russell plays a bounty hunter named John “The Hangman” Ruth in”The Hateful Eight.”
When movie production crews call, they generally clean out Lox’s shelves, provided he can ship the orders next-day air.
“If we can get it to them, they’ll take it all,” Lox said. “They are always in a hurry.”
In the film, a motley mix of eight dangerous characters hole up in a small Wyoming town during a blizzard following the Civil War. Kurt Russell plays a bounty hunter transporting a fugitive played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Samuel L. Jackson also plays a bounty hunter.
Lox said his business shipped hundreds of garments, including shell coats, pants and belts, to “The Hateful Eight” set in Telluride, Colo., as well as cartridge boxes and other props.
Lox said he usually can’t tell which garments worn by actors in movies came from his shop.
“When you look at the movie, you might not recognize our merchandise because they really dirty it up,” Lox said. “And after that they probably throw it away.”
Lox was a Civil War re-enactor when he started the company in 1976 while living in Champaign, Ill. He was an avid Civil War re-enactor in those days, and he started supplementing the income he earned selling industrial supplies by setting up a tent at re-enacted battles full of Civil War clothing and replicas.
Lox didn’t focus on sutlery full-time until he moved to Emmett in the mid 1990s. The Internet was just coming online as a retail outlet, allowing Lox to fill orders rather than sell at events. Today, he co-owns the business with his wife, Ellen Knapp. They employ two part-time workers and contract sewing work to five seamstresses in Emmett, Middleton and Boise.
Idaho’s White Cloud Mountains seem like an unlikely place for the beginning of a positive shift in public-land management. They gleam high and cold above the seemingly endless sagebrush plains of southern Idaho, one of the most conservative states in the West. Yet it was here last year that Republicans worked with environmentalists to plant a legislative seed that may help reverse a century of decline for native plants and wildlife all over the West.
Summers last only a few weeks in the White Cloud Mountains, and with off-road vehicles and mining closing in on these once-remote expanses, environmentalists have campaigned since the 1970s for wilderness protection. Recently, frustration with congressional inaction led to a push for a 600,000-acre national monument, which President Obama seemed ready to endorse. Then the Republican Idaho congressional delegation agreed to compromise on a 275,000-acre wilderness bill that passed last August. Read More
The Kermit Chair is the premier chair in the motorcycle camping market. Most notable about the chair is its ability to be quickly and easily disassembled and packed in its carrying bag (included) to a portable size of 22” long x 6” diameter. With a well-established design that has been left untouched for over 20 years, the Kermit Chair remains the finest-built and most comfortable chair any camper can pack.
The entire chair is handcrafted in Tennessee using marine grade polyurethane-dipped white oak, aluminum, and stainless steel. The finish is thicker than a spray and protects the chair for a lifetime. The cloth is 1000 denier nylon that is cut with heat to prevent raveling. The result is a product that is not only very durable and highly functional, but is beautiful and comfortable as well. Lifetime warranty. Weight: 5.5lbs. Optional leg extensions and cupholder sold separately.
http://www.kermitchair.com/
- Best Survival Tips and Tricks: Ultimate Guide List
- How to create a thick fire signal
- How to stay cool in the desert
- How to get water from trees
- Never use dirty water to wash out wounds
- How to use fungus to start fires easily
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- Fire lighting using horse hoot fungus
- How to make a wilderness torch for survival
- Collecting rain water to survive
- How to make a survival water filter [VIDEO GUIDE]
- How To Build A Fire Heat Reflector For Cold Weather Survival [Tips & Techniques]
- How to use a signal mirrors to grab attention
- How to make a rose hips tea
- How to make a willow bark tea
- Of course our goal at Authorized Boots is to provide even more value so here are few more general survival tips:
- Additional resources for you to read:
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2015 Trail Accomplishment end of season report
Wilson Corrals Reroute
District: Emmett – Trail No.135004
The Squaw Butte Backcountry Horsemen completed a half mile reroute on the Wilson Corrals trail to improve public safety and reduce resource damage. The first mile of trail goes through a very boggy meadow then continues up the creek bed for several hundred yards. The creek is habitat for Bull Trout. A suitable reroute for the creek section was surveyed by Boise National Forest North Zone Staff and was constructed by Squaw Butte Backcountry Horsemen. The meadow section is scheduled for repair in 2016.
2016 Grant Proposals (Boise National Forest)
2016 Maintenance Grant:
Funding Source: Off-Road Motor Vehicle Fund (ORMV)
Description: The intent of this project is to maintain a large amount (Rotation 2 approximately 250 miles) of the 682.4 miles of motorized trail located on the North Zone of the Boise National Forest in an attempt to mitigate resource damage, address public safety concerns, and enhancing current trail opportunities. This is the grant which has been successfully funded for many years in the past.
2016 Non-Motorized Trail Maintenance Grant:
Funding Source: RAC Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) or RTP
Description: The intent of this project is to maintain approximately 80 miles of the 230 miles of non-motorized trails located on the North Zone of the Boise National Forest in an attempt to mitigate resource damage, address public safety concerns, and enhancing current trail opportunities. It would fund a youth corps (American Conservation Experience) crew for two pay periods (four weeks) to work on the non-motorized trails that cannot be maintained through (ORMV Funding). Many of the non-motorized trails have seen little to no maintenance due to limited CMTL funding and grant constraints.
2016 Wewukiyi Trail completion grant:
Funding Source: IDPR Mountain Bike Fund
Description: The intent of this project is to complete the last section of the Wewukiyi mountain bike trail and rework previously constructed portions of trail. This trail project is located near Warm Lake on the Cascade Ranger District. This project has been worked on for many years. With limited funding available, due to grant match requirements and limited CMTL funding, this trail has been built in sections and has seen little use. Because of the limited use, the completed sections of trail are currently in disrepair or non-existent. The grant would fund a crew (possibly Lowman Ranger Districts: Crew Five) for one pay period to log out the entire trail corridor and the last section to be constructed. Additionally, the grant would fund the South West Idaho Mountain Bike Association’s (SWIMBA) Single Track Bulldozer for one pay period. Additionally it would fund the replacement of two North Zone chain saws with Stihl 391s. The North Zone would match with one pay period of crew time and SWIMBA volunteer time.
2016 Equipment Purchase:
Funding Source: Motorbike Recreation Account (MBR)?
Description: The intent of this project is to purchase two Honda CFR 230s. The current North Zone motorcycle fleet is ageing and requiring costly annual maintenance. A number of the bikes are over 12 years old and have seen hundreds of miles of trail. The purchase of new bikes would improve efficiency and safety by reducing the down time to continually repair broken or worn parts and reduce the possibility of a break down in a remote location.
Introduced in House (02/10/2015)
National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act
Directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to publish a national strategy to significantly increase the role of volunteers and partners in trail maintenance.
Requires the strategy to: (1) augment and support the capabilities of federal employees to carry out or contribute to trail maintenance; (2) provide opportunities for volunteers and partners to carry out trail maintenance in each region of the Forest Service; (3) address the barriers to increased volunteerism and partnerships; (4) prioritize increased volunteerism and partnerships in those regions with the most severe trail maintenance needs, and where backlogs are jeopardizing access to national forest lands; and (5) aim to increase trail maintenance by volunteers and partners by 100% within 5 years.
Directs USDA to study opportunities to improve trail maintenance by addressing opportunities to use fire crews in trail maintenance activities.
Deems a volunteer with a partner organization to be considered a federal employee for the purposes of civil claims relating to damage to, or loss of, personal property of a volunteer incident to volunteer services.
Sets forth provisions for the selection of priority areas for increased trail maintenance accomplishments.
Directs USDA to establish a pilot program to offset all or part of the land use fee for outfitting and guiding permits. Full Text Sample Letter to Congress
Write your representatives to CO-Sponsor this Bill
Trail Information
I am a member of the Selkirk Valley Chapter of the Idaho Backcounty Horsemen. and also a member of the newly established Advisory Council of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail which held its first meeting in October 2015 in Sandpoint, Idaho and the next one will be in May 2016 somewhere in western Washington with subcommittees meeting between now and then. On the Council I represent the interests of Recreational Pack and Saddle users.
The planning process of regulating the trail is just beginning and it behooves all those who desire input to become familiar with the history and background of the PNT so as to effectively participate in the meetings as all are open to the public.
Attached is a pdf file from the USFS website which gives the background to the current work of the Pacific Northwest Trail Advisory Council of which I am a member. It is also available on the USFS website below along with detailed info about the planning process. The first meeting of the Advisory Council was held in October 2014 in Sandpoint Idaho and the next one will be in Western Washington in May 4 and 5 , 2016
The planning process is described on the USFS website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/pnt/
More info is available at the website of the Pacific Northwest Trail Association:http://www.pnt.org/
—
Jim
James R. Michaud
P.O. Box 765
Sagle, Idaho 83860
Email: southsaglejim@gmail.com
Available for streaming on Netflix
Synopsis: Four young Cowboys hatch an outrageous plot to adopt, train, and ride a string of wild mustangs 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada through the wildest terrain of the American West. The trip became an epic journey of self-discovery, tested friendships, and iconic landscapes that included runaway horses, a sassy donkey, perilous mountain passes, rodeos, sickness, injury, and death. The Audience Award winner at Telluride Mountainfilm and Hot Docs Film Festival, Unbranded is a soaring tale of danger and resilience, an emotionally charged odyssey that shines a bright light on the complex plight of our country’s wild horses.
Reviews:
• “Unbranded is a journey with heart and soul.” -Examiner.com
• “You’ll undoubtedly channel your inner cowboy…” -Hollywood Reporter
• “Unbranded is a Kit Carson-esque tour through the mountains and deserts of the west with no shortage of drama.” -Outside Magazine
• “Unbranded is a compelling – and often comedic – story about friendship, adventure and our interdependence with nature.” – Reel Screen
• “Unbranded is a soaring tale of resilience and adventure that will make you laugh, cry, and develop a newfound deference for these emblematic Western creatures.” – Sedona Red Rock News
• “Unbranded will make you want to quit your job and ride a mustang from Mexico to Canada.” -Mother Jones
• “Unbranded is brimming with drama in the midst of jaw-dropping landscapes.” -Los Angeles Times
• “Visually Stunning.” -Toronto Star
• “A horse-lover’s must-see.” -Columbus Alive
• “A Gripping Story of Bold Adventure.” -Western Horseman
• “The screen is filled with verdant landscapes and a contemplative appreciation of their untrammeled majesty.”-Film Journal International
• “You would freak out too if you got a cactus stuck in your lip.” -Indiewire
• “Most importantly, we learn about the problem of land and wildlife management – a problem that is vital for us to solve if we want to leave a proper legacy for our children.” -Reel Life with Jane
Broke to ride, has been shown in 4H Showmanship, by a Junior, earning a Blue ribbon. Also shown in trail, placing every time. Safe to lead, load, trailer clip etc. Not ready for a beginner rider, unless there is a lesson program involved, but will mature into a very nice horse. suitable for trail riding, ranch work, 4H, gaming etc. Has some experience with a rope and cattle, and minor trail obstacles. Clean gaits, yields to leg and bit.
Subject: horses for sale
From: “Jerry and Lawana Stevens”
Date: Tue, November 17, 2015
To: Marybeth Conger
Thank you taking a look at our horses. Patti and Louis Miller are coming up tomorrow to get the first two attached photos and keep them until they are sold.
The first photo is Diamonds filly born in 2007 which is a grade appy. Sire is SS Bodegah Bay ApHc Reg# 487642. Diamond is out of Angel and Joseph’s Bold One ApHC Reg # 494391.
The second photo is Nikki’s Tonya Bay born 2007. She is a registered potential. Her Dam is Bold One’s Nikki ApHc Reg # 606547 Sire: SS Bodegah Bay ApHc Reg # 487642.
The third photo is the fast horse that would potentially make a great barrel racer. This filly was born in 2006. She is registered and DNA recorded. Dam is Nootka’s Nikitah (Kit) Reg # 551854 and the Sire is Still Maxs‘s Toby ApHc # 605393.
These horses have good conformation and are easy to work with. They need to be trained and loved.
We also have three registered stallions for sale is you know someone who would be interested.
Thank you,
Jerry & LaWana Stevens
Phone 208-963-0650 (cell)
jnls@frontiernet.net
Scott, Bill and Terry
As Presidents of the three chapters in the Boise area, would you ask your members if they would be willing to attend the Idaho Horse Council meetings along with me, representing BCH interests? They can attend as BCH members or if they want to become BCH Directors, they would then have the right to vote on issues.
In the past, BCHI has had the majority of Director votes on the IHC Board. Due to age and/or number of years on the board, we have lost the majority of those Directors.
Two years ago BCH did gain Janene Townsend (Squaw Butte) as a Director. Bonnie & Jim Fox (Boise) also joined but Bonnie said they planned to do more traveling & would cut back on meetings.
Attached is an agenda & registration for the IHC Annual Meeting on Nov 21st. If anyone would like to attend just the meeting, & not have the expense of the banquet, that is fine. There are also IHC meetings in January & June that are just meetings. However, the only time someone from a member organization can be voted in as a Director, is at the Annual Meeting. If anyone does want to attend & become a Director, please let me know.
They will have to be nominated by a standing Director & I would be happy to do that, but need to know who they are.
I hope the three of you will consider joining as well. Thank you, Raenette
Agenda for annual 2015
registration 2015
Our Chapter had another very good year!
In the fall, in the Northern Hemisphere, whitish-yellow flecks commonly appear on the chest, belly and upper front limbs of horses. These flecks are eggs laid by the Bot Fly, a bee-like insect whose life cycle requires the horse as a host. These eggs contain a substance irritating to the skin, and horses often bite at them.
When swallowed, the larvae attach to and live on the lining of a horse’s stomach. Vets often see these larvae when performing endoscopy on horses for stomach ulcers. They are orange to red grubs about 3cm in length.
Bot flies themselves are common and can be highly annoying, sometimes causing horses to stampede but they are not harmful otherwise. You will see them repeatedly depositing their eggs on the skin with their long ovipositor.
WHAT TO DO
Recognize that bots generally do not cause horses much harm and so it is not necessary to completely eliminate them. The eggs are difficult to remove but can be scraped off with a specially shaped bot egg knife or combed out to reduce the number a horse ingests. Soaking the affected hair in hot water may help to loosen the eggs.
In late fall, after a few hard freezes the adult bot fly is inactive. This is a good time to try to remove the eggs. Talk to your vet about the necessity to de-worm your horse in the winter with ivermectin or moxidectin to kill the larval stages in your horse’s stomach. Talk to your vet if you have any additional questions or concerns.
WHAT YOUR VET DOES
Your vet considers bot management as part of a good general parasite control program.
http://horsesidevetguide.com/drv/Observation/57/bot-eggs-yellow-white-flecks-on-hair-or-skin/
Remove Bot Fly Eggs
Bot flies lay sticky pale yellow eggs on horse’s hair, usually on the forearms belly and chest. Adult bot flies lay their eggs on horses in the fall in the northern hemisphere. The flies do this instinctively.
A basic part of the bot’s life cycle requires that the horse bite at and swallow the eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae that over-winter attached to the lining of the horse’s stomach.
Bots are not thought to be very harmful to horses unless they infest a horse in high numbers. However, bot eggs that pepper the hair coat is aesthetically undesirable.
In late fall and winter moxidectin and ivermectin dewormer treatments kill bot larvae in the stomach, an important means of control. However, it is preferable to remove bot eggs before they are ingested, to reduce the number of larvae in the stomach.
PROCEDURE
Bot eggs are notoriously difficult to remove. They are extremely sticky and adhere well to the hair.
I recommend removing bot eggs in two steps. First, use hot water and a sponge to loosen the eggs. Then use a bot knife to scrape them off. A bot knife has a rounded, serrated edge. When it is firmly run down the limb, it scrapes off the bot eggs.
ICL—The Many Things We Do! The Idaho Conservation League is Idaho’s leading voice for conservation, protecting the air you breathe, the water you drink and the Idaho you love. Benjamin Earwicker photo. The Idaho Conservation League is Idaho’s leading voice for conservation. With offices in Boise, Ketchum and Sandpoint, we work hard and smart to protect the air you breathe, water you drink and wild places you and your family love.
We are a conservation community working to keep Idaho the kind of special place you experienced as a child—and to protect it for the next generation of children. Since 1973, ICL has connected people like you—people interested in conservation—to decision makers and to each other.
From the high desert of southern Idaho to the rainforest in northern Idaho and to the mountains and rivers of central and eastern Idaho—we’ve been working vigilantly for more than 40 years to protect what you love about Idaho.
See more at: http://www.idahoconservation.org
Monday, November 09 7:00PM – 9:05PM
at Country Club Reel Theatre
4550 Overland Rd, Boise, ID, US, 83705 (map)
$11.00 General
Four young Cowboys hatch an outrageous plot to adopt, train, and ride a string of wild mustangs 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada through the wildest terrain of the American West. The trip became an epic journey of self-discovery, tested friendships, and iconic landscapes that included runaway horses, a sassy donkey, perilous mountain passes, rodeos, sickness, injury, and death. The Audience Award winner at Telluride Mountainfilm and Hot Docs Film Festival, Unbranded is a soaring tale of danger and resilience, an emotionally charged odyssey that shines a bright light on the complex plight of our country’s wild horses.
Laurie starts cutting a wedge
DO NOT go into the woods without it!
The Idaho Department of Lands is pleased to announce the FY 2017 Request for Project Pre-Proposals for the Landscape Scale Restoration, Western Fire Managers and Community Protection Program Grants.
Grants, valued at $240,000 each, are available to help organizations protect, enhance and conserve forest resources. Non-profit organizations, local and state agencies, tribes and educational institutions are eligible to apply by submitting pre-proposals that support local or state initiatives and address issues identified in Idaho’s Forest Action Plan or County Wildfire Protection Plans.
Within each grant program, a limited number of project pre-proposals will be selected for full development and western competition. The attached contain relevant information and criteria for each grant program. More information about these grants along with examples of past projects can be found at: http://www.idl.idaho.gov/grants/index.html
A webinar on the types of projects that qualify and how to build successful project pre-proposals will be held October 27, 2015. To sign up for the webinar email Tyre Holfeltz tholfeltz@idl.idaho.gov
For questions, contact:
• Landscape Scale Restoration Grant: Dave Stephenson dstephenson@idl.idaho.gov or phone 208-666-8621
• Western Fire Managers or Community Protection Program Grants: Tyre Holfeltz tholfeltz@idl.idaho.gov or phone: 208-666-8653.
Please note, use the attached 2016 WFM and 2014 CPP for the pre-proposal.
Funding for this program is made possible through the US Forest Service State and Private Forestry branch.
Please forward this announcement to potential applicants.
Project pre-proposals are due January 22, 2016
2017 Request for Project Pre-Proposals
Community Protection application
IDL Budget Development Guidelines
Due to deteriorating health, I must sell all my packing equipment & 2 mules. Bernice, my personal saddle mule, rides & packs like a pro. Jake Lemon [shadowpacker@gmail.com]
http://boise.craigslist.org/grd/5239513506.html
http://boise.craigslist.org/grd/5240836399.html
High Quality Packing Equipment For Sale, New & Used-Well Maintained
Riding Saddles
Circle Y Flex 2 (like new) 1300
Rigging for above 300
Circle Y Treeless Bob Marshall Sports w/ rigging 700
Circle Y Pad for Treeless Saddles 150
Kids 1950’s Retro Saddle 65
SEE MORE
If you’re using a chainsaw and you don’t wear chainsaw chaps every time you fire up your saw then I have to say that you’re a fool. Yes, you read that correctly. Far too many homeowners underestimate the risks of using a chainsaw and as a result, they put their life in danger. I’m not going to show you any pictures in this article, but believe me, the injuries that occur from chainsaw accidents are hideous.
Lucky for you there are many quality chainsaw chaps to choose from and I’m going to show you some excellent options that I hope you will consider for your own health and peace of mind.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) website states that “Each year, approximately 36,000 people are treated in hospital emergency departments for injuries from using chainsaws.” Please, be proactive and wear the proper safety gear. Here are additional pieces of chainsaw safety gear that will prove their weight in gold over time: Read More
2016 Calendar Flyer
By Rob Adams
Want to make a group of young girl’s day, pull into a trail head they are camping at with a couple of horse. That is exactly what happened to me on Sunday September 6, 2015. I wanted to get some trail time on my back up horse Tucker and I also wanted to finish up work I had started at Wilson Corral. Read More
Chainsaw Safety – National Interagency Fire Center
Danger! Chain Saw Safety – Training Video
Sharpen a Chainsaw Chain – Tool Tip #10 Making Sawdust? How to hand sharpen a chainsaw chain
BLM Chief Commits To Rehabilitate Soda Fire Damaged Land
Southwest Idaho’s nearly 300,000 acre Soda Fire is the largest this year in areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Most of the burned area was habitat for the sage grouse, the bird whose status as a contender for the Endangered Species List could affect ranching, recreation and energy production in 11 western states. That is why the national director of the BLM was in Boise Wednesday to talk about rehabilitating that land.
Neil Kornze says his agency has to quickly start re-seeding the Soda Fire burn scar to keep invasive species like cheatgrass from overwhelming native plants like sage brush. But more importantly the BLM director says, they have to keep working on that land for the decades it could take to bring it back to full health.
Kornze says the bureau has often planted seeds in burned land and called it quits. He says the BLM is shifting its priorities to focus more on land rehabilitation.
Fly Over The Soda Fire: Rehabilitation Teams Already Making Plans To Reclaim The Landscape
The Soda Fire was officially contained this week, at 445 square miles. Now thoughts turn to reclaiming the landscape southwest of Boise.
A team of 40 specialists spent five days in the field, surveying the burned area. Their goal is to find and fight threats to life, property and resources over the next three years.
T.J. Clifford is the Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team Leader for the Soda Fire. The team is working for the Bureau of Land Management but is made up of people from multiple agencies.
Wild Horses That Survived The Soda Fire To Be Rescued
Wild horses that survived the Soda Fire now face another threat: starvation, after the fire burned their food supply. The Bureau of Land Management plans to rescue those animals and feed and house them until the landscape can recover.
Three horse herds – the Sands Basin, Hardtrigger and Black Mountain herds – live on the 445 square miles burned in the Soda Fire. Twenty-seven horses died in the fire, but those that survived now face this new peril, says the BLM’s Heather Tiel-Nelson.
“These horses of course need enough forage to sustain them and there simply isn’t enough out there right now to get them through much longer, which is why we’re doing this emergency gathering of those horses,” says Tiel-Nelson.
Feds Publish Final Plan For Southwest Idaho Wilderness Areas
Federal authorities have made public the final management plan for six wilderness areas and 16 wild and scenic river segments in southwestern Idaho.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Monday published on the Federal Register the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Management Plan.
The process allows for appeals to be made within 30 days concerning the state’s newest wilderness areas that include about 518,000 acres and 325 miles of wild and scenic river in Owyhee County.
The six rugged areas became federally protected preserves in 2009 after Republican U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, organized a coalition of ranchers, wilderness advocates, outdoor enthusiasts and others in an effort called the Owyhee Initiative.
The 99-page federal document contains rules ranging from floating rivers to grazing livestock.
In a huge and long-awaited win for conservation, Congress just passed legislation to permanently protect Idaho’s stunning Boulder-White Clouds region as wilderness.
The bill, which was first introduced in the House by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), passed the Senate on Aug. 4, designating more than 275,000 acres of snowy peaks and gorgeous lake-filled terrain as wilderness in the Boulder-White Cloud Mountains, one of the largest intact roadless areas in the country that lacked permanent protection. Soon it will head to President Barack Obama’s desk to be signed into law.
Victory! Thank Congress for protecting Boulder-White Clouds as wilderness!
The Wilderness Society has worked for decades with partners both locally and nationally to secure permanent protection for this truly exceptional stretch of wildlands. We would not be celebrating this victory without years of advocacy and generosity from you, our supporters. Thank you!
“The Wilderness Society is incredibly grateful for the stalwart work of Congress to work together for a remarkable place like Idaho’s Boulder-White Clouds,” said Jamie Williams, president of The Wilderness Society. “Legions of Americans can visit this wild landscape for years to come and it will remain unchanged—and for that we have countless local advocates to thank and the dedication of elected leaders like Congressman Mike Simpson, who led his colleagues toward bipartisan agreement. This is truly a time to reflect on the value of the Wilderness Act, fifty years since its passage, and the good work it continues to deliver for nature and the American people.”
READ MORE – Lots of great pictures
READ More
This horse is going up in price by $400 at the end of the week (August 9, 2015) because she is being tuned up and ridden in the hills by Jeff Spencer.
Ellen Knapp
Spirit Horse Ranch
208-365-0737 (c)
spirithorse208@gmail.com
www.SpiritHorseEnterprises.com
July 27, 2015
BOISE, Idaho — A compromise bill put forward by Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho to create a protected wilderness area in central Idaho has passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
The wilderness plan advanced Monday that now heads to the U.S. Senate would protect about 300,000 acres in three different areas in the rugged Boulder and White Cloud mountains.
“I don’t think there are really any big objections in the Senate, so it should pass with ease,” Simpson told the Post Register. “The problem is the procedures in the Senate to actually get it to a vote. We’re working on that. It’s procedural more than anything else.”
Simpson’s bill would create three new wilderness areas, the Idaho Statesman reports. They are the 138-square-mile Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness, the 142-square-mile White Clouds Wilderness and the 183-square-mile Jim McClure-Jerry Peak Wilderness.
“Congressman Simpson’s leadership on protecting the Boulder-White Clouds is something sorely needed in Washington right now and we commend his ability to move this bill cleanly through the process,” Craig Gehrke, Idaho director with The Wilderness Society, said in a statement. “It’s now up to the U.S. Senate to demonstrate that it can finally resolve this decades-long debate.”
A previous plan by Simpson to designate a wilderness in the area has failed for years. Groups dismayed with the lack of results are asking President Barack Obama to use his executive power under the Antiquities Act to create a 592,000-acre national monument instead.
Athan Manuel, director of the Sierra Club’s Lands Protection Program, in a statement said passage of Simpson’s bill in the House was a testament to Simpson’s years of hard work pulling together a coalition of wilderness advocates.
“However, if the Senate fails to act this week, the Sierra Club will be forced to support the use of the Antiquities Act by President Obama to protect this region,” Manuel said.
Custer County Commission Chairman Wayne Butts is an opponent of wilderness protections in the area, contending an influx of visitors would cost the county money and might disrupt the way of life for locals.
“For those of you who don’t feel like stepping in a cow turd — this is our way of life,” he said. “I don’t feel bad for you even a little bit. I don’t care if you come here or not, frankly.”
July 25, 2015 Rob Adams
Eight members of the Squaw Butte Chapter signed up for a trail project on TR-131 North (West Mountain Trail, or Squaw Creek as it is also known). New members Madison Seamans and his wife Annette had not been to West Mountain yet, and were a bit unsure of the driving directions. I needed to make this a day ride with other commitments on Sunday, so we planned to meet at the triangle at 08:00. Janine and Lou Ann also planned to go up Saturday morning, planned to meet up and go together. By 08:30 three trailers were cruising up the newly chip sealed Sweet Ola highway. All went well until we got to the hwy 618 turn off. Another truck and trailer had gotten between me and the group and was heading to Sage Hen. Janine and Lou Ann were talking and not navigating and followed him through the intersection. 
Janine quickly figured out they were on the wrong road, so they got their and Madison’s rigs turned around and we were off again. By 10:15 we were pulling up to the turn off to the trail head and Jon Seel flagged us down. He said the parking lot was pretty full up there. Janine and Lou Ann planned to camp so turned off into the camp ground and hooked up the Linda and Devon. Jon got his stock together and rode to the trail head, while Madison and I drove to the trail head and found a spot for our trailers. 
By 11:00 we were saddled and Jon had joined us, but no sign of the others. I expected quite a bit of work to do, so the four of us with the equipment started down the trail. It was not long before we hit the first of eighteen logs we removed from the trail. They ranged in size from six inches in diameter to one that was over twenty-eight inches. We were working on our sixth set of down fall when we heard Janine and Lou Ann talking as the rode up the trail. Devon said they could hear the saw running so knew we were not far ahead, and just took their time catching up. They caught up just in time as that is where we starting running into the bigger stuff. For the next three hours we kept three saws working steadily as the nipper crew cleared brush. The huckleberries are starting to ripen and there were a good number along the trail. Linda picked some so I expect they made it into Sunday breakfast.
At 13:00 we stopped for lunch at one of the big granite out cropping and give the stock and ourselves a bit of a rest. We than continued up the trail until 15:30. We were where the trail crosses the creek from north to south where we give the stock a much deserved drink. We also stopped at Lou Ann’s waterfall, for a group picture, which has become a tradition when riding this trail. The trip back to the trail head was quicker than the ride up had been. The lead horse changed a number of times on the way down, often precipitated by a wrong turn, or a horse unsure about the section of trail to be crossed. By 18:00 the group was back at the camp ground, horses feed or in trailers for the trip back. Most of the group stayed for the night and planned to ride Poison Creek on Sunday. It was a successful project, that was enjoyed by all!
World Trails Network (WTN) http://worldtrailsnetwork.org/
The World Trails Network strives to connect the diverse trails of the world to promote the creation, enhancement, and protection of outstanding trail experiences. The World Trails Network brings trail associations, trail advocates, walkers, hikers and people passionate about the outdoors together from around the world to foster global collaboration and networking for the betterment of the world’s trails.
Vision and Philosophy
The World Trails Network envisions a globally active network of diverse, high quality, environmentally sustainable trails that work in their own regions to further the interests of the trails industry for the benefit of all.
The World Trails Network fosters global collaboration and networking among all trail types that serve to connect people with nature, the outdoors and cultural heritage around the world. The Network encourages: care for the environment; sustainable development practices; sharing best management practices and trail research; a commitment to quality experiences; connections with communities; accuracy of information; promotion of cross-marketing opportunities; and through sharing the common values of world trails, promoting active lifestyles in the outdoors and nature.
Forest Trails Bill
We need your help. Now is a critical time for our “Forest Trails” bill. A hearing has been scheduled this week on the bill before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry.
The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 EST on Thursday, July 16, in Washington DC.
Please contact your senators today. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202.225.3121 and ask to be connected to the office of one of your senators. Or you can locate contact information for your senators here.
Once connected, ask to speak to a staff person who handles public land issues for the senator. Then describe your support for Senate Bill 1110, the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act. Consider using some or all of the talking points, below.
1. I am a resident of (state) and a member of Back Country Horsemen of America;
2. I support Senate Bill 1110, the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act;
3. The bill is important to trail riders and all trail users in the state;
4. The bill will improve trail maintenance without adding to the federal deficit;
5. The bill is bi-partisan and supported by a wide range of public land trail users; and
6. I would like the Senator to please co-sponsor Senate Bill 1110.
Background
You’ll recall from previous alerts that BCHA, along with partners American Horse Council and The Wilderness Society, are working diligently to persuade Congress to move forward on the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act. In the House of Representatives the bill’s number is H.R. 845. Your earlier calls and letters have been effective, as the bill now has 52 co-sponsors in the House!
The Forest Trails bill was introduced in the Senate in late April. It was forwarded to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, whose membership is listed here.
It’s critical you call your senators prior to Thursday.
More information regarding the bill can be found on BCHA’s website, for your reference. Thank you for taking action to support forest trails!
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Get to Know BCHA’s New Chairman
Click here to view a short article about BCHA’s new Chairman, Don Saner, who was voted in during BCHA’s National Board Meeting in late April. The article appeared last week in the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, News & Guide. We’re proud of the story this article conveys about BCHA, the chapter that Don founded, and the passion for volunteer service shared by Don and Karen!
Out-going BCHA Chairman, Jim McGarvey, was term-limited. But he happily signed up to serve as BCHA’s Executive Director–on a volunteer basis, no less–for up to two years. Jim and his wife, Cindy Mitchell, have accomplished much in terms of elevating the profile and professionalism of BCHA. We’re thrilled that this dynamite duo will remain heavily engaged in BCHA’s day-to-day affairs (Cindy maintains BCHA’s Facebook site, among things).
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View Public Land Fact Sheets on BCHA’s Website
Take a look at BCHA’s website for new fact sheets on congressional actions that could affect your use and enjoyment of federal public lands. We recently added fact sheets regarding the need to promote:
• The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act,
• Reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund,
• Keeping public lands in public hands by opposing attempts for large-scale sales or transfers of federal public lands to the states.
Lastly, we added to our website an informative slideshow presented during BCHA’s National Board Meeting (April 2015) by Dr. Rob Atwill, University of California-Davis, titled “Science and Research on Packstock and Waterborne Pathogens: Misconceptions, Realities and the Way Forward.” Check it out.
Dr. Atwill’s presentation contains some eye-popping statistics that help us push back against the (largely baseless) accusations that horses and packstock serve as vectors for the introduction of waterborne pathogens.
Thank you! Please call your senators today in support of S.1110.
Randy Rasmussen, Advisor for Public Lands & Recreation
Back Country Horsemen of America
Back Country Horsemen of America | | peg@bcha.org |
P.O. Box 1367
Graham, WA 98338
Posted by Lou Ann – July 2015
My farrier/equine podiatrist, Melissa Smith, pointed me to this article: http://www.gravelproofhoof.org/. She mentioned a woman in Emmett who had 3 minis that foundered (out of her 4). After a bunch of research and Melissa talking to the vet listed below, they are making a connection between diet/nutrients and hoof health (and health in general), specifically magnesium chloride. Magnesium chloride, among other things, seems to be one of the important links to healthy hooves. Read the article and if you have questions or questionable horse hoof issues, contact either Melissa or Madison and they may be able to help you. I know Melissa continually studies so she’s on top of the latest and greatest in the equine podiatry scene. If you have pasture, you can have your soil tested at Western Laboratories (Ellen and Charles have had this done) to see what may be missing in your soil.
Seamans, Madison MS DVM
Veterinarian
Cornerstone Equine Medical Services
Specialty: In Depth Podiatry
madisonseamans@gmail.com
208-365-4085
Kuna, ID
Smith, Melissa NT
Certified Equine Podiatrist,
Pathology Rehabilitation,
Instructor
barefoottrim@msn.com
208-880-1667
Wilder, ID
Soil testing (Parma): $50
http://www.westernlaboratories.com/
It is time for America to come together to celebrate this symbol of the American spirit to help ensure that it will survive and thrive today and for generations to come. Through education we will be able to better understand the needs of the mustang. Through interaction and personal contact we can see and experience their beauty and spirit. Through competition we can fully realize their talents and understand why they played such a critical role in creating the America we know today. America’s Mustang
The America’s Mustang Campaign is focused on raising awareness, providing education, and increasing the placement of wild horses and burros into private care. The campaign involves a series of events and activities organized to help educate the public on how we can all take action to preserve our mustangs and our lands that support them. The national effort will better educate Americans about who Mustangs are, where they are located, what resources they need, and how they can impact the resources they share with other species.
Get Involved: Idaho Celebration
BLM Idaho in partnership with the Idaho Mustang Club invites you to bring your horse and join us on July 19th for an America’s Mustang trail ride through the Hardtrigger Wild Horse Herd Management Area. This is a great opportunity to celebrate America’s Mustang and visit the horses in the areas where they roam on the range!
Ready to ride at 9:00 a.m.
Bring water for your horses
Idaho Mustang will provide the hot dogs, please bring a side dish!
Bring your own beverage and chairs
RSVPs are welcomed: Becky 208-463-0656 or email: idahomustang@hotmail.com
Directions from Nampa: Take Hwy 45 until you cross the Snake River. Follow the signs on to Givens Hot Springs, which is Hwy 78 toward Marsing. Go about 6 miles until you see the Wilson/Murphy fire station on the right hand side (red building). Across from the fire station are signs to the Wilson Creek Feedlot, follow that road past the two cattle guards to the parking lot for the Wilson Creek Trailhead, signs will be posted at all major turns.
