The Maryland Horse Council Has Been Busy! continued
numerous federal and state legal and regulatory issues, and we weighed in on contentious trail use issues in the WSSC watershed and the Patuxent River wildlife refuge. We secured a place for our Executive Committee member Steuart Pittman on the committee that is drafting the regulations that will implement the new Maryland Ag Certainty Law,
a
volunteer program within the Department of Agriculture, administered in cooperation with the Department of Environment, to recognize the environmental stewardship and contribution of Maryland farmers who implement and maintain best management practices. We also began taking active steps, which will continue next year, to strengthen and improve the eff ectiveness of our presence in Annapolis. T ese not only include the activities of our PAC (reported elsewhere in this issue), but also the possible formation of a Horse Caucus within the legislature. We invited legislators to a special tour of the Horse World Expo in Timonium in January, and then to our Quarterly meeting in the evening. We had quite a good response, especially considering that the legislative session was already underway. Our Farm Stewardship, Trails and Greenways, and County Issues committees, as well as our PAC and our off shoot, the MD Fund for Horses, have been hard at work. Read more about their achievements elsewhere in this issue.
Bylaws
T e Board of Directors voted to clarify the term of service for Director(s)-at-Large and members of the Executive Committee.
Administration
T e Executive Committee agreed to amend the contract with Mythic Landing Enterprises, to provide for an increase in compensation. T is was the fi rst increase since the contract was initially signed in 2009.
County Forums Update
- Steuart Pittman and Margaret Rizzo McKelvy T anks to some wonderful volunteers,
our County Forums are well on their way to becoming a great tool for Maryland horse people. Each County Forum includes links to the 2010 Equine Census data for that county, zoning regulations for that county, email contacts for
local government offi ces of relevance to horse farms and horse owners, elected offi cials at the county, state, and federal levels to contact about issues of concern, upcoming events in the county, local horse organizations in the county, and links to statewide horse council blogs and news. Our moderators’ job is to encourage positive discussion and news sharing on the site among county horse people and to fi lter out inappropriate content. T ese forums are a great tool to helping build a sense of community and support within the horse industry at the local level, and providing a voice to members of that community on the issues that aff ect them most and are closest to home. For example, building and zoning codes are established and enforced at the county level. When changes to these codes are proposed, these forums can help get the word out, so residents can weigh in with any concerns. Special thanks to our current Forum
Moderators: Steuart Pittman (Anne Arundel), Debbie Sharp (Baltimore), Nancy Toby (Caroline and Talbot), Luke Welling (Carroll), Karen LeValley (Charles),
Judy Smith
(Frederick), Emma Gutierrez (Howard), Neil Agate (Montgomery), Erica Lancaster (Prince George’s), and Diane Zrimsek (Saint Mary’s). T is does mean, however, that we have
quite a few counties without moderators! If you’re interested in taking on the job, please email Margaret Rizzo McKelvy at admin@
mdhorsecouncil.org. T e following counties need moderators: Allegany, Baltimore City, Calvert, Cecil, Dorchester, Garrett, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, Washington, Wicomico, and Worcester.
Farm Stewardship Committee 2013 Accomplishments and 2014 Plans
- Jane T ery T e 2013 goals for the Maryland Horse
Council Farm Stewardship Committee were to raise the profi le of well-managed horse farms as healthy for horses and healthy for the environment, connect horse farm owners and managers to quality information, technical assistance and fi nancial resources needed to improve their farm management, stay ahead of the curve on new laws and regulations aff ecting land management—including participating in
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October headlines you may have missed if you do not subscribe. • Government Shutdown Could Impact Horse Industry • Convincing the WSSC Commission to reopen trails to winter riding • Maryland Million Day Headlines • Penn National promises to support the horse industry • Baltimore A-rabber Update
10 | THE EQUIERY | NOVEMBER 2013
regulatory drafting and promoting new ideas for eff ective manure management—and to sign up at least 10 horse farms in the Maryland Farm Stewardship and Certifi cation and Assessment Program (FSCAP) which recognizes environmentally sound farm management. T e Committee Chair is Jane T ery and the
Vice Chair is Amy Burk. During the year, we held a meeting each quarter, at Wyndham Oaks Stables, the University of Maryland Pasture Management Facility, Sagamore Farm, and (forthcoming) the Potomac Hunt Club. About thirty participants attended each meeting. In addition to the host venue, Piedmont Insurance Group sponsored each meeting. Accomplishments are: • Eleven horse farms in the Farm Stewardship and Certifi cation Assessment Program (FSCAP), protecting 1,140 acres in eight counties; • A letter from Governor Martin O’Malley lauding each horse farm owner for his/her FSCAP certifi cation and recognizing the importance of horse farms in preserving farm land, open space and the environment; • Inclusion of a senior Maryland Horse Council offi cial on the advisory committee of the Maryland Agricultural Certainty program to represent horse farms; • Formation of a new alliance with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to promote the voice of the horse community in discussions of environmental regulations and explore options for upgrades in horse manure management; • Presentation of a grant proposal to the Maryland Horse Industry Board to survey horse farms, haulers and end users of horse manure and investigate new options for the use of this organic resource; • Strengthening the relationship between the Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts and the horse community through their equine specialists and the FSCAP program; • Technical briefi ngs on pasture management, native plants and wildlife habitat, composting, energy-effi cient stable design and environmental regulations; • Maintenance of a “blog” on the MHC website to share meeting results and links to resources for horse farm owners and managers.
Goals for 2014 are to sign up at least another 10 horse farms in the FSCAP program, participate in the design of the regulations for the Agricultural Certainty program to make sure they are horse farm-friendly, provide horse farms with updated information on environmental regulations, continue to promote links between horse farmers and resources
continued on pg 12 800-244-9580 |
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