MICKEY THOMASON Ocala, Florida Cross Florida Greenway Manager, Florida Park Service
www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/cfg/default.htm
1. LEARNING TO WORK TO- GETHER. Different user groups need to work together, and the overall benefit is that everyone has to make compromises. Everyone should work together for the greater good. Trails are in a huge upswing here in Florida. We are seeing more and more trails being developed including major regional connec- tions.
2. TIGHTER BUDGET S . With the econo- my, everyone is tightening bud- gets. In Florida, we have been very fortunate. Our leaders saw how fast the state was growing in 1980, and in 1990- 2000, the state bonded money to purchase environmentally sensitive land for conser- vation and recreation called Preservation 2000. With $300 million dedicated for 10 years, it was, at the time, the largest public land buy in the world. Ten the program was rolled over for another 10 years and during that 20-year period, a huge amount of land was acquired. Te Cross Florida Greenway is about 70,000 acres and a mile wide. We have dedicated horse trails, biker trails and walker trails.
Mickey Tomason
3. NOT IN MY BACKYARD OWN- ERS (NIMBO) DON’T EXIST (FOR THE MOST PART) IN FLORIDA. People are realizing the in- crease of outdoor space is relevant to their quality of life. Te Office of Greenway and Trails—statewide-interconnected trails—is proactive with developers. We try to work with developers to have a com- munal access point. Many equestrians who live in Marion County want to buy farms close to the Greenway trail. Te top information request at Florida Visitor Centers is trails. More people want trails near where they live. Te public will go out and fight for their trails.
WWW.TRAILBLAZERMAGAZINE.US • November 2012 | 57
MICHAEL McCLENN Bellingham, Washington Back Country Horsemen of America
www.backcountryhorse.com
1. ACCESS. We had a situ- ation last spring when a hiking group sued the National Park Service in California to keep packers and equestrian stock users out. We’ve had to get involved to try to retain trails for stock users. Tere is no end of folks who can’t see that sharing trails can be done. Congressman Devin Nunes from California’s 21st District, along with input from equestrians, guides and outfiters, intro- duced a bill, pushed it through Congress and then the President signed it, which required the park to issue the permits. It was a major feat of political work. We got the whole thing done in three weeks. Tis is happening all over the country and it takes time and money to solve these issues.
Michael McClenn
2. AGENCIES’ LACK OF MONEY. Te first thing agencies say is we don’t have any money and don’t want to talk to us. We say, let’s talk about a plan so that when there is some money, the plan is already in place. If we had a plan, we might even be able to find the money. If we can’t, we’ve got people with tools, equipment and pack stock, who would love to come and help you do the project. Our philosophy is to be a litle different than the average group that comes to an agency and complains. We come with a complaint and an offer to solve it. We don’t come with a lawsuit in our hip pocket.
3. WORKING TOGETHER BETTER. Our Washington Trail Association does a fantastic lot of trail work. Working with the hiker groups and BCHA, we can pack equipment
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