Sorry I missed themeeting yesterday.  I had some things come up that I had to take care of.  How did it go?  Do you need me to do anything?

I read your email about the cattle guard idea, and I would encourage you to work with the Parks Dept first in trying to establish some obvious signage and rules rather than relying on a negative reinforcement concept, such as cattle guards, right off the bat.  It will automatically put the horse people on the defensive if there aren't signs put up more clearly indicating which trails are appropriate for each use.  I know the amount of work you put into fixing things and the impact that horses can have on the trails, but it will save you headaches down the road if you try to work through the PD first.  You really don't want to find yourselves in a battle with the horse people, as it can turn ugly if not handled in an open fashion.  Please also consider that if one of these horses steps on the cattle guard and breaks its leg, you risk getting sued, having horse riders retaliate, and/or making the park look at you negatively and taking away our ability to do things on the trails.  We've also had much better luck at other parks by meeting with the groups we were having problems with (i.e., landowners at the Ant Hills) and found that we could find compromises that suited both side's needs.  It probably sounds lame, but you actually might find these guys to be your allies later if you work with them.  Take this advice or leave it, but consider that there are other options available....my two cents.

Christina

 "jack_brooks_trails <jack-brooks-trails@...>" <jack-brooks-trails@...> wrote:

Just in, photos of the bridge that we have now and one of the first
projects that we are planning to undertake. 

For those that have joined the group, thanks!  Please let the others
know that they need to join the yahoo group so we can facilitate
planning, ideas and input from all members, locate necessary
materials and tools within our Volunteers.





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