Trail Resources and Advocacy
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IMPORTANT LINKS:
WI Nonmotorized Recreation and Transportation Trails Council (DNR Website) Link
WI Nonmotorized Recreation and Transportation Trails Council Facebook Page Link
Governor's Wisconsin State Trails Council (DNR Website) Link
Horses Have Road Rights Pamphlet - WI State Statutes (PDF)
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ExtremeTerrain Clean Trail Grant Program
ExtremeTerrain, the auto parts retailer known for customizing Jeep Wranglers and Toyota pick-ups, continues to give back through the Clean Trail Initiative program in 2019. Launched in 2015, the program seeks to reward local clubs and organizations with small, project-specific, grants to be used for trail maintenance and restoration.Those who maintain equestrian trails are welcome to apply. The program has already given out $21,650 in trail project grant funds. Learn more and apply here: https://www.extremeterrain.com/clean-trail-initiative-program.html
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TRAIL SAFE!
TRAIL SAFE! is a unique safety training program designed specifically for National Park Service (NPS) Trail Volunteers, but is useful to everyone! It's based upon NPS Operational Leadership Training, where the Human Factor of safety is explored. Trail Safe! allows volunteers to learn from their own homes on-line.
The Trail Safe! series is found in eight video lessons, each ranging in length from 18 to 40 minutes long. Viewing the entire eight lesson series will take approximately three hours. Watch them over the course of multiple days, or "binge watch" the entire series in three hours—it's up to you—but please watch them in numeric order from Lesson 1 through Lesson 8. Or, watch them as a group/club and learn together. This is a great activity for part of a club meeting. Remember – this is a program to further educate volunteers on working safely while working on trails. Click on this link to be redirected to the lesson site. https://www.nps.gov/iatr/trail-safe.htm
WHC Equestrian Representation Back on the Governor's State Trails Council - by Kricket Jewett
We are pleased to announce that Kricket Jewett, WHC Director has been appointed to the Governor's State Trails Council. Congratulations, Kricket!
Please click on the link below to read an article that Kricket wrote regarding this appointment.
EQUESTRIAN REPRESENTATION BACK ON THE GOVERNOR'S STATE TRAILS COUNCIL - (PDF)
TRAIL SAFETY BROCHURES
Check out our new Sharing Trails Safely with Horses Brochure! Simply click on the link below to open a PDF that you can then read and/or print out. Happy Trails!
WHC Sharing Trails Safely with Horses Brochure - (PDF)
Also, please click on the link below to view the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource's "Wisconsin Trail Etiquette & Safety Guidelines Tips for Trail Users".
It covers tips and responsibilities for all trail users and specific tips and rules for walkers, hikers, backpackers, runners, in-line skating, bicyclists, mountain bikers, equestrians, cross-country skiers, snowshoers, snowmobile, ATV, off-highway motorcycles and 4WD operators.
Please take a moment to read and/or print out this helpful brochure so that everyone may become educated and safe on the trail systems.
WDNR Wisconsin Trail Etiquette & Safety Guidelines Tips for Trail Users
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Quick Links: Horse Trail Advocacy| Funding and Grants | Economic Benefit
The following links are provided as resources only and not as endorsements. We do not assume responsibility for content of these sites and views expressed are not necessarily those of WHC.
Horse Trail Advocacy
- American Trails
- Back Country Horsemen of America
- Caledonia Conservancy
- Equestrian Land Conservation Resource
- Recreational Trails Program - Planning and Environment - FHWA
- Trails are Common Ground
Funding and Grants
- Nelson-Knowles Stewardship Funds - Knowles-Nelson Stewardship funds support several DNR-administered grant programs. Available to local governments and nonprofits, Stewardship grants fund recreational development and conservation land purchases statewide.
- Kodak American Greenways Awards Program - Kodak, The Conservation Fund, and the National Geographic Society, provide small grants to stimulate the planning and design of greenways in communities throughout America. The annual grants program was instituted in response to the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors recommendation to establish a national network of greenways. Made possible by a generous grant from Eastman Kodak, the program also honors groups and individuals whose ingenuity and creativity foster the creation of greenways.
- Recreational Trails Program - This is a federal program administered in most states. Municipal governments and incorporated organizations are eligible to receive reimbursement for the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance of recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both motorized and non-motorized recreational trail uses.
- Patagonia - Patagonia funds only environmental work. We are most interested in making grants to organizations that identify and work on the root causes of problems and that approach issues with a commitment to long-term change. We look for programs with a clear agenda for change and a strategic plan for achieving the organization’s goals. Because we believe that true change will occur only through a strong grassroots movement, our funding focuses on organizations that build a strong base of citizen support.
- River Alliance of WI - The River Alliance of Wisconsin is a non-profit, non-partisan group of citizens, organizations and businesses dedicated to advocating for the protection, enhancement and restoration of our rivers and watersheds.
- Tourism Grant - The Wisconsin Department of Tourism administers a $1.13 million Joint Effort Marketing (JEM) Grant Program. JEM provides partnership funding to help non-profit Wisconsin organizations promote tourism in their area.
Economic Benefit
- American Trails
- Economic Impacts of Recreation and Tourism - Recreation and Tourism Activities have significant impacts on regional economies. This site summarizes economic impact concepts and methods, focusing particularly on their applications to recreation and tourism.
