HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-11-08 Equestrian Position December 11, 2008
PROST committee of the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board
Re: Equestrian Trails in Gallatin County
To Whom It May Concern:
In creating the Parks Recreation Open Space and Trails plan for the City of
Bozeman, the principal purpose addressed was development within the city
limits. There are currently no designated equestrian trails in the city. In the
past the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board has reviewed subdivision
plans that included equestrian trails but none of these came to fruition. We
would gladly assist any future development in designing trails for equestrian
use if the developer wished to do so and the location is deemed appropriate.
As for the existing trails in Bozeman, RPAB and the Bozeman Parks
Department have determined that existing city trail locations are not
appropriate for equestrian use due to safety and user conflict issues.
This being said, we recognize that horse travel provides great value for both
recreation and transportation. Horse travel also provides a connection with
our history that would be our loss if we allowed it to disappear. We would
like to clearly state that the absence of equestrian content in the PROST Plan
does not indicate a desire on our part to thwart the future development of
horse trails as long as the issues waste disposal/enforcement, user conflicts,
safety, impact, maintenance, and the necessary modification of existing
ordinances are addressed.
We urge those involved in trail planning for Gallatin County to look for ways
to preserve existing horse routes and ways to create new equestrian
pathways for the future.
Sandy Dodge
Chair, PROST Plan Committee
Bozeman Recreation and Parks Advisory Board