Sunday, August 25, 2013

Two AERC Trail Grants Approved at Mid-year Meeting

August 24 2013

AERC has more to offer than just competitions. The trail grant program is one that all trail users profit from and yet we hear very little about them.

Two grants were approved at the midyear meeting.

 One was a grant for $3,870, which will be used in Horseshoe Bend Park in Frenchtown, New Jersey. The funds (which also have matching funding) will be used to lay down geo textile fabric and gravel in low lying areas and for trail marking. This trail will connect two parks making for several miles of trail when completed. In the near future, maybe as early as 2014, the people in the area plan to host an endurance ride. There is an Endurance Clinic being hosted at the park by Meg Sleeper on September 28, 2013. The endurance riders in the area will be doing a lot of the work on this multi use trail system but all trail riders will be able to enjoy their effort and hard work.

The other trail grant that was approved was for $846.00 in the Capitol Forest near Olympia, Washington. The funds will be used for gravel and geo textile. This improvement will help in making the trails sustainable for the multi use system that the bare Bones Endurance Ride uses. Much of the work will be completed by the horse users in the area.

Let's get the word out that AERC currently has about $55,000 in the trail grant funds to help you with building sustainable trails or trail maintenance. AERC has spent a lot of  funds on campgrounds that host endurance rides.  

Connie Caudill

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