Back
Country Horsemen of America Supports USDA's Public Access Program
By Sarah Wynne Jackson
Back
Country Horsemen of America, the leading organization in saving
public lands trails for equestrian use, strongly supports the United States
Department of Agriculture's new program called "Open Fields" or
Voluntary
Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program
(VPA-HIP).
An Innovative Step
USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced
this effort to encourage
owners and operators of privately held farm, ranch, and forest land to
voluntarily provide public access for recreation under programs
implemented by
state or tribal governments. Such access will offer new opportunities
for
enjoying open spaces through a variety of activities such as hunting,
fishing,
mountain biking, hiking, bird watching, and, of course, horseback
riding.
Open Fields is the first federal incentive
program designed to
encourage best management practices and sportsman access to undeveloped
land.
Instead of creating new federal programs, it relies upon existing and
new state
programs to protect landowners from liability and reward them for doing
the
right thing with their land.
Back Country Horsemen of America realizes that
the majority of the
existing programs have limited scope and budgets, with most programs
having an
annual budget of under a million dollars. Open Fields will provide up to
$50
million through fiscal year 2012. This funding will help states and
tribal governments
address many issues that can greatly increase access and recreational
experiences.
Funding priority will be given to proposals
that line up with the
program's objectives such as maximizing participation by landowners;
ensuring
that land enrolled in the program has appropriate wildlife habitat; and
providing information to the public about the location of public access
land.
Sharing and Caring
Back Country Horsemen of America notes that the
benefits of the Open
Fields plan are numerous. In these times, undeveloped land is becoming
harder
to come by, and public lands managers are working with increasingly
small
budgets that cannot cover the maintenance costs required to keep trails
open.
This is where hard working folks like BCHA members fill in the gaps with
strong
volunteerism.
For a variety of reasons, horses are now being
banned from more and
more trails, properties, and whole wildernesses. Back Country Horsemen
of
America feels that, as a nation, we are in danger of losing our heritage
as a
people who traveled by horseback, who depended on the sturdy backs and
generous
nature of their pack and saddle stock.
The Open Fields program is a positive against
those negatives,
increasing the number of undeveloped acres available for recreation, and
increasing our opportunities for enjoying America 's
beauty the way our forefathers did, by horseback.
BCHA sees that this program will also promote
conservation and
appreciation of our undeveloped private lands, which compliments BCHA's
role of
preserving opportunities on public lands. Property owners will be
rewarded for
managing their lands to provide recreational opportunities while
sustaining a
diverse and healthy ecosystem. Recreationists will learn how to tread
lightly
on the land, as well as gain a new appreciation for nature.
Additionally, there is the potential for the
Open Fields plan to
stimulate local economies and support job growth. As folks come into the
area
to recreate, they purchase a variety of goods and services such as fuel,
food,
supplies, and lodging.
Private landowners may have concerns about
liability protection when
opening their land to the public for recreational purposes. All fifty
states, however, have enacted some degree of liability protection for
these
landowners through statutes know as "recreational use statutes".
A Step in the Right
Direction
Back Country Horsemen of America sees the Open
Fields program as a step
against the tide of a growing trend that is making our public lands
unavailable
for pack and saddle stock use. Not only does it promote the protection
of
undeveloped land by rewarding private owners for maintaining best
practices,
Open Fields also encourages the appreciation of those lands by the
general
public.
About Back Country Horsemen
of America
BCHA is a non-profit corporation made up of
state organizations,
affiliates, and at large members. Their efforts have brought about
positive
changes in regards to the use of horses and stock in the wilderness and
public
lands.
If you want to know more about Back Country
Horsemen of America or
become a member, visit their website: www.backcountryhorse.com,
call 888-893-5161, or write
PO Box
1367 , Graham , WA
98338-1367 . The future
of horse use on public lands is in our hands!
