FYI—There is a bill, the "Right-to-Ride Livestock on Federal lands Act of 2004," (HR 2966) before the Senate. If this bill is passed in its current form, it could make it difficult for agencies to close any trails to stock animals, or to limit stock numbers, even where environmental damage is documented.
This bill has passed the House, and if passed by the Senate and signed by President Bush, will become law. Locally, a fairly recent phenomenon in the Shawnee National Forest is commercial equestrian recreation. Those opposing this legislation feel if the commercial equestrian trade, or any other use, turns out to be detrimental to the environment or to other users the Forest Serve should be able to limit it. In addition to the environmental implications, many off road cyclists feel no legislation should give one use group such preferential treatment.
To see the bill HR 2966 in its entirety, visit the Library of Congress website, and type in HR2966: http://Thomas.loc.gov/ If you want to make your opinion heard and don’t know the names of your two U.S. Senators, you can find them at www.vote-smart.org
Clarification:
CRCC has one copy of Mike Magnuso’s book "Heft on Wheels" One lucky person will receive it as a door prize at the Annual Meeting. Order forms will be available for those not lucky enough to win the free copy
