Did any of you folks get the survey?  I have a question.  I am pretty sure that some of the riding at Big Creek Trailride at Hartshorn is on public land but I don't know what that area is called.  I e-mailed Big Creek to ask them, but I haven't gotten a reply.  Does anyone know? 

Leanne,  Just looked at that area on the map and they don't have any numbers on it. I'd just put Scenic waterways. I think they are just looking at the marked trails but who knows. I filled it out best I could. Some of the questions were hard to answer because sometimes we day ride and sometimes we camp and use different trailers.

Crowleyridgegirl, I think they are trying to see what areas are getting the most use. What kind of trails people prefer and how much money is spent in those areas. Hopefully everyone will send in their surveys and we'll get more trails and places to camp.

Yes, it was very hard to fill out especially if you do go to the organized rides.  For example, if you go to CCTR most of the time you will hit at least 3 of the trails in a day's ride.  So it asks, what trails do you ride the most???

I'm pretty sure that riding from Big Creek over to the river when you get close to Whispering Pines there are trail signs, bathrooms, etc. but I can't remember who was responsible for marking them, Federal, State?  But that area should be on that map. 

It is strange who got these surveys.  I wasn't sure how they got my name and address.  Yesterday in church one of my neighbors asked if I got one.  He had gotten one too and he doesn't even trail ride.  He does have horses and maybe used to ride in his younger days.

Yes, I hope we can do some good and show the government that we aren't tearing up the countryside, polluting the rivers.  I know at the trail rides down South Missouri there is a lot of discussion about the government trying to get us off the riverways so that it will be clean for the people who float and canoe.  A large percentage of them are young college kids that don't even pay taxes.  If you check out the kind of rigs we trailriders are riding in and the money that we spend in taxes, not to mention the revenue the trail rides bring into the areas from out of staters, that is quite a bit of cash.  I think the survey is taking that into account by some of their questions.   

I hope they aren't trying to use this survey to ban or limit the amount of trails and it's use around the Scenic Riverway area. Shawnee Nat'l forest has been ruined by the reduction of trails. What these non-horse law making tree-hugging people does not realize is less trails to use results in more erosion and wear on the trails - not less impact on the forest.

I'm a canoer too and I'm disgusted by the amount of trash located on the sand bars and at the bottom of the river. The Buffalo River in Ark is not frequented as much by horse use as Big Creek/Whispering Pines/CCTR area is and it has just as much of a trash issue. Hence it's not the horse back riders causing an enviromental impact, but the weekend party goers that pitch the beer cans into the river and do their "business" in it or near it. Same issues for the hiking only trails. I'll take a bit of horse poop any day over someone doing their business in the river.

I believe that the people getting this survey, are the people that subscribe to the Missouri Conservation magazine. I got one, but several of my friends did not. I called and asked for more forms, so that I could pass them out to anyone that did not get one. I am hoping that if we get enough of them sent in, that maybe the State will realize just how much we do use these trails, how much revenue we create and listen to what we have to say.

They are sending me 100 more forms. The email address is Horse.Survey@mdc.mo.gov