I understand that the Iowa DNR is considering closing the horse trails and horse campgrounds at Shimek State forest, Stephens Forest, andBrushy Creek due to budget cuts. Does anyone know anything about this?
Posted 2011-04-23 8:20 AM (#133370 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Veteran
Posts: 170 Location: Minnesota
The IA DNR letter does not state Brushy Creek is being considered - that is where the meeting was held. The IA DNR release states Shimek, Stephens & Yellow River may be considered depending on how the budget works out. It is good to know the rumor mills are really helping this. For the record I beleive the DNR in any state can mess up anything they touch.
Posted 2011-04-23 8:54 AM (#133373 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Regular
Posts: 93 Location: Cherokee, Ia
This doesn't surprise me at all. Lived in Iowa my entire life, and this state is so "horse un-friendly". Brushy is the only close place to ride near here and camp overnite., and now they want to close it and Shimek and Stephens?? Just where is all of the money that is allocated for state parks goin then???? We had a nice little park (county) close to us, donated money to help with the trails,build cabins, etc. then all of a sudden, we can't camp there anymore. Can only day ride, which if the DNR really understood, it's a lot of work to hook-up, load, unload etc. that we WANT to be able to camp overnite. We clean up after ourselves, our camping fees help with expenses. WHAT IS WRONG WITH IOWA??? We ride in Nebraska and South Dakota, and Illinois as much as we can, and they WELCOME horse owners. I would say we need to approach the people who think they know what's best at the State, and ask why...because, most of the parks are used the MOST by horse people.
Posted 2011-04-23 10:59 AM (#133376 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Elite Veteran
Posts: 690 Location: missouri
I don't wanna bang on Iowa, but it does seem they are horse haters... some friends of ours ( 7 LQ trailers total) on a trip up through Iowa on way to South Dakota/ Colorado traveling up I-29... were stopped, searched, picked down on trailer weight/ truck tag weight, etc... got gi-hugic tickets, and sent on their way over to Nebraska. We don't go there... that is why horse people from there are all moving down here ( and Arkansas), to the trails.
Posted 2011-04-23 1:49 PM (#133378 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Veteran
Posts: 186
? truck tag weight ? Is that something specific to Iowa? I didn't know there was such a thing for horse trailers. I know about heavy machinery hauling permits and loging trucks haveing to have so many axles per so many tons but never heard anything about horsetrailer tag limits, tell me more. thanks
Posted 2011-04-23 5:59 PM (#133383 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Expert
Posts: 1205 Location: Arkansas
I have friends who bought a new trailer in Minnestoa, coming back to Arkansas, were stopped in Iowa and ticketed multiple times with an empty trailer. They had all their purchase papers, and proof of insurance, and do not haul commercially.........it can be pretty tricky getting through there.
Posted 2011-04-23 8:22 PM (#133386 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Veteran
Posts: 170 Location: Minnesota
This is the release from IA DNR. I live in Minnesota. Pull a 4 horse with LQ with a 1 ton dually - 57ft long when hooked up. Go to Brushy and Yellow River several times a year and never had a problem. Spend 45 years running a truck line so know a little about BS and state laws.
The DNR is not planning to close the trails at Stephens or Shimek state forests, but it is an option being considered depending on what final budget figure we get for an appropriation. Myself and Kevin Szcodronski have already been contacted by some of the trail riding organizations and we will be having a discussion with some of them in the near future about potential solutions/partnerships depending on how the budget situation unfolds. Some of have stepped forward and – quite admiringly – asked what they can do to help if budget constraints force consideration of closing those two trails.
What has to be remembered is that at this point, the Governor’s general fund recommendation (which funds most of Parks and Forestry’s operations) is at a level that it was in 1987 – not adjusted for inflation, but in real dollars. We cannot sustain every program at this level and the potential of closing these trails is just one option being considered at this point. It is NOT a final decision and won’t be until the final appropriation decision has been made by the Legislature and Governor.
Kevin Baskins Communications Bureau Chief Iowa Department of Natural Resources 515-281-8395 kevin.baskins@dnr.iowa.gov
Posted 2011-04-24 7:06 AM (#133400 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Veteran
Posts: 186
This might help put things in prospective. Two years ago at a state campground in Michigan a state summer employee told us that the lab fees cost around $1,200 a year to test the one hand pump at the rustice park we were in. (a year up here is 6 months they can not test ice) PLUS it required one person and a truck full time job to get the drinking water testing done as required by the State of Michigan, he was talking about just our region. I am going to send some emails to my state representitive. These rules have to be changed. I suggested and have put this on Surveys to the State of Michigan that they "do not have to provide potable drinking water at rustic campgrounds". yes the Vault toilets are required to keep people from ...all over. The cost of pumping those is nothing in comparison to water tests.
Posted 2011-04-26 6:31 PM (#133582 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 522 Location: Tucumcari NM
I try real hard to never have to pull a trailer through Iowa, even if it means driving 500 miles around. Iowa has a weigh station every ten or twelve miles which are manned by some of the mose exasperating inspectors in the world. Takes many hours longer than it should to get across the state.
Posted 2011-04-27 5:44 PM (#133617 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 322 Location: Fort Madison, Iowa
I called and talked with our local guy about Shimek and he said they were told the parks will remain open to the public after July 1 but that they may not have funding to maintain the parks.
We've asked in the past if we could go out with chainsaws and help keep the trails clean and at the time we were told "no". He didn't understand that and I said it was for liablity reason so he was going to look into that further.
It was mentioned there might be a need for partnerships for groups or saddle clubs to pull together to help maintain our parks.
It's time for everyone to make themselves heard. The following is what I received in an email where we can do that.
You'll need to enter name, address, e-mail. And select "Budget" from the drop-down menu for the topic. Then you can enter your opinion in a text box.
In reference to traveling across Iowa; I don't think they're out to get horse people. I was at a restaurant once and there was a couple of patrolmen eating there so I approached them and asked them about what happened in Kalona with them checking vehicles and trailers at the sale barn.
One of the gentlemen said he was one of them involved there and laughed and said he was surprised I even wanted to talk to him, he wasn't use to that. I asked him what they were looking for so if I ever was pulled over I'd have everything Ok. He said they would ask you for your registration to make sure your paperwork was Ok and would ask safety questions like; "show me how you would stop your trailer without using your brakes" Basically he wanted you to show him how you'd use your hand brake inside your truck to stop your trailer, just making sure you knew how and that it was working properly.
The laws they're enforcing have been on the books for years and they're just doing their jobs. Now if they're being tactful about it, that may be another subject.
Posted 2011-04-27 6:14 PM (#133621 - in reply to #133354) Subject: RE: Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
Veteran
Posts: 170 Location: Minnesota
I am 57" long and never have had a problem. Most states are checking for people hauling "for profit". If you charge, you must comply with state and federal laws.
Iowa Horse Trails being closed????
