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From: Kathie Luedeke [mailto:KLuedeke@...]
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 11:15 AM
To: 'Kathie Luedeke'
Subject: American Horse Council - Senate Highway Bill-Recreational Trails
Funds-Equestrian Language









Senate Highway Bill - Recreational Trails Funds - Equestrian Language





The Senate has passed a $295 billion highway funding bill, which provides
approximately $270 million for the Recreation Trails Program (RTP) over the
next five years. The Senate bill provides more overall funding for highway
and transit programs, but allocates less money for RTP than the House
version of the bill, which was passed on March 3.



Differences between the two bills will now have to be worked out by a
Conference Committee of both House and Senate representatives. This
Committee is expected to convene shortly. While the hope is to reconcile
the differences between the two bills before the May 31 expiration of the
current highway funding aid expires, that seems unlikely given the
differences in the two bills and the difficult negotiations that will be
needed. It is likely another short-term extension, the seventh, will be
necessary by June 1.



RTP is important to recreational riders because the program provides funding
to build, maintain and improve trails for riders and allows the states to
decide where the monies should be spent and what trails need maintenance
work.



The Senate version of the bill is particularly important to riders because
in addition to the RTP funding, the bill contains a provision specific to
the equestrian community. Under current federal transportation law,
equestrians are not specifically included in the definition of allowable
activities on shared-use transportation paths. Some land managers have used
the absence of this recognition to deny access to equestrians, though that
was not the intent of the federal law. Section 1607 of the Senate-passed
bill specifically adds "equestrians" to the classes of users that may share
such paths for transportation purposes.



The AHC supports the RTP funding levels in the House legislation and the
equine-specific language in the Senate bill.



If you have any questions about this bill, please contact the AHC.