GHC TRAILS COMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENT

The Georgia Horse Council Trails Committee was established to unify equestrian trail users throughout the state. In so doing, GHC hopes to demonstrate the public desire and need for ongoing trail and trailhead facility development in the state as well as serving as a central agency with which public land managers and other trail user groups can communicate. By bringing the numerous trail groups and saddle clubs in the state under one central umbrella, GHC hopes to develop a pool of manpower resources to help create and maintain a system of trails and trailhead facilities throughout the state, demonstrating our commitment to equestrian trails and facilities. GHC and the state's equine trail users will develop a program to educate trails users concerning trail etiquette, sharing and preserving our trail resources, trail safety and proper trail development and maintenance.

The following are the specific Goals and Objectives of the Georgia Horse Council Trails Committee:

• Identify and unite all equestrian trail user groups and saddle clubs throughout the state.
• Solicit Association membership in GHC from these groups and encourage each group to select a delegate to sit on the Trails Committee.
• Identify and catalog all existing equine trails in the state. Publish a listing of all such trails with pertinent information.
• Work in partnership with public land managers to identify new equestrian trail opportunities.
• Provide a resource to public land managers for maintenance of existing and proposed trails and facilities by identifying local user groups that can provide manpower resources to such projects.
• Assist trail groups in working with public land managers and in applying for grant funding.
• Develop guidelines for shared use of trails, through effective lines of communication with other trial user groups in the state.
• Develop educational materials regarding trail use, including trail etiquette, sharing our trail resources with other user groups, trail safety, trail riding techniques to preserve our trail resources, working effectively with public land managers, and proper trail development and maintenance

SUB-COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

TRAILS COMMITTEE CHAIR - Joan Grant
Coordinator of meetings, workdays and other committee events. If you wish to serve as a Project Leader for any of the sub-committees, or would just like to serve as volunteer, please contact Joan at (706) 654-3752 or email jgrant@fhlbatl.com or contact the project leader listed below:

LAND MANAGER LIAISONS
Establish an open line of two-way communications between various levels of land owners/managers and the equestrian community
Contact: Cindy Farmer (706) 652-3647 or cindyfarmer@alltel.net or Joan Grant (706) 654-3752 or jgrant@fhlbatl.com

EVENTS CALENDAR
Record and distribute information on trail rides, trail project fund-raisers, trail seminars, trail workdays, and trail-related events
Contact: Donna Pieper (770) 466-1181 or horsesdp@bellsouth.net

GEORGIA TRAILS DIRECTORY
Catalog new trails and additions to existing trails for future updates and reprints
Contact: Joan Grant (706) 654-3752 or jgrant@fhlbatl.com

DATABASE OF TRAIL CLUBS & CONTACTS
Record contact information for all existing equestrian trail advocates, and perform annual updates
Contact: Debbie Crowe georgiacrowes@hotmail.com or Joan Grant (706) 654-3752 or jgrant@fhlbatl.com

PUBLICITY
Promoting trail-related projects by publishing articles, setting up display booths and keeping the web page updated
Contact: Joan Grant (706) 654-3752 or jgrant@fhlbatl.com

EDUCATION
Attend Trail Seminars, Develop Educational Outreach Programs to the Public and Report on the annual Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference.
Contact: Diane Ayres dmayres@alltel.net

FUNDING FOR TRAILS PROJECTS
Monitor RTP funds, locate private foundations and sources for funding trail projects
Contact: Volunteers and Project Leader needed

LEGISLATION & ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP ACTIVITIES
Report on proposed legislation and lobbying efforts of groups that could influence politicians to enact laws that would affect equestrian use of public lands
Contact: Volunteers and Project Leader needed

TRAIL ORGANIZATIONS COORDINATOR
Serve as a contact for information to flow between the Trails Committee and various trail groups on a local, state and national level
Contact: Sharon King gatrail@bellsouth.net

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NEW TRAILS AND WORKDAYS
Why should you volunteer to participate in a trail workday? Workdays are:

• A great forum for meeting other trail riding enthusiasts willing to share first hand knowledge of a variety of trail systems (some Trails Committee meetings are held at workdays)
• The most convincing way to demonstrate your concern for preserving the environment and horse trails in Georgia
  Instrumental in promoting good public relations with public land owners/managers, which will assist us in keeping our riding privileges on public lands
• A wonderful excuse to get out in the woods to trail ride, picnic or camp with friends and family when the work is finished!
  
  No special skills or physical ability is necessary. Dates will be published as they become available and may appear in our "Calendar of Events". If you wish to participate in workdays at any of the following locations, or would like to be added to our workday email list, please contact Joan Grant at (706) 654-3752 or contact the organizer listed below:

Tribble Mill Park and Yellow River Park; Gwinnett county. Contact Donna Pieper (770) 466-1181 or horsesdp@bellsouth.net

Cochran Mill Park; south Fulton county. Contact Bobby Mitchell days (770) 946-3897 or evenings at (770) 412-1177 email bmitch72@bellsouth.net

Georgia International Horse Park; Conyers, GA. Contact Mike Medlock (770) 760-0537 or email medlock30012@bellsouth.net

Hard Labor Creek State Park; Rutledge, GA. Contact Bobby Mitchell days (770) 946-3897 or evenings at (770) 412-1177 email bmitch72@bellsouth.net

Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park; Pine Mountain, GA Contact Cindy Farmer (706) 652-3647 email cindyfarmer@alltel.net

A. H. Stephens State Park; Crawfordville, GA. Contact Linda Antopolsky (706) 863-4578 or antopl3@comcast.net

Charlie Elliott Wildlife Management Area; Jasper county. Contact Mike Medlock (770) 760-0537 or medlock30012@bellsouth.net

Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area; Banks and Stephens counties. Contact Joan Grant (706) 654-3752 or jgrant@fhlbatl.com

Blue Ridge Wildlife Management Area; Lumpkin county (Bull Mountain/Jake Mountain/Turner Creek trail system) Contact Diane Ayers (770) 653-1139 dmayres@alltel.net

Tuckahoe Wildlife Management Area; Screven County Contact Tonia Marynell at home (478) 552-6145 or tmarynell@yahoo.com

Pinhoti Trail/Dry Creek Horse Camp; near Dalton, GA. Contact Larry Wheat l.wheat@mindspring.com

Ocmulgee Camp, Oconee National Forest; Monticello, GA. Contact Tom Dixe (770) 483-3007 or tomdixe@netscape.net

Concord Church Trails #107 & 108, Oconee National Forest; Jackson, GA. Contact Patrick Harmon (770) 775-1210. or email shoe4u@bellsouth.net

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Good News from the U.S. Forest Service

The Forest Service just reported that the contract tree removal (both dead standing pine and deadfall) has been completed on the Iron Mountain loop trail and on the lengthy dead tree section of the Sumac Creek trail. Both trails are now open. Sumac has remained open but difficult to use as many off-trail detours had to be made around deadfall. Iron Mountain trail connects directly into the Cottonwood Patch horse camp, and Sumac Creek is less than 10 miles away.

The district's latest newsletter that announces this opening may be read at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/conf/ac_vol_news/acvolnews200508.htm

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Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference

Click here to view the 2005 Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference Report by Diane Ayers and Ellen Stara

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Looking for places to ride in Georgia?

Try our list of Equine Opportunites by clicking here