Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Roger Taylor and AERC Members Recognized by BLM for Trail Work

April 3 2014

The Southwest region's Roger Taylor and AERC members have been awarded the BLM Director's Four C's Award and the Department of the Interior's Take Pride in America Award.

Taylor and crew have, over the past 14 years at the Fort Stanton Snowy River National Conservation Area in New Mexico, helped develop a renowned camping area and many miles of trail, and helped create multi-use trails and facilities. Volunteers have donated over 10,000 hours, and have provided additional support through grants and in-kind donations.

"It is AERC with the Trail Grant program that makes this all possible," Taylor said. "Member donations to the trail program for trail grants, and trail master courses continue the needed trail work."

To see the BLM letter, click here.

AERC has grant funds available for projects. "With so many budget cuts in these tough economic times, it is more important now than ever before to get involved with trail improvement," the AERC website states. "Whether you organize a project or volunteer on a project every effort counts and will go a long ways to making sure we have miles of trails to ride with our wonderful equestrian friends."

For more information on the AERC Trail Grant program, see
http://aerc.org/TrailsGrants.aspx.

AERC sponsors Trail Master classes across the U.S. "In addition to teaching endurance riders the proper way to design and build new trails -- and maintain and improve existing trails -- we invite two land managers to attend the class with riders. Mornings are spent in the classroom. A written test follows at lunch, and afternoons are set aside for field work and getting one's hands dirty. Those who graduate from the four-day course are certified crew leaders, and can go anyplace to lead crews in the proper way to maintain, build and design trails. By working together with our land managers we can build sustainable trails for the future."

For more information on the AERC Trail Master Program, see
http://aerc.org/TrailMaster.aspx






No comments: