Category: Idaho Horse Council Activity:

(From Daniel Waugh , Idaho Horse Council)

Hello,

I want to officially invite you to the 2024 Fall Non-Motorized Trails Summit on Nov 6th at 2pm. The summit will be held at the main conference room at IDPR at 5657 Warm Springs Ave Boise, Id 83716. Additionally, the Idaho Horse Council will hold a zoom meeting for those unable to attend in person. 

The Director of IDPR would like to discuss our draft legislation with all of us. Additionally I know I have spoken to many of you about possible presentations for your organizations. If you have something you would like to present, get with me and I will add you to the agenda. I will send the agenda as soon as it is finalized. I believe this is a great venue to share projects or ideas and collaborate with each other. 

I apologize for the date change in advance, but it is increasingly difficult to schedule around so many organizations and peoples schedules, however many of us felt it necessary for certain entities to be able to attend in person and discuss this with us. 

If you cannot attend we will record this and share the link to watch after the event.

Idaho Horse Council Administrator is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: 2023 Fall Non-Motorized Trails Summit
Time: Nov 6, 2023 02:00 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83583672887?pwd=RURLK2dEdjVlTGk3MlY4WkIzNjA2dz09

Meeting ID: 835 8367 2887
Passcode: 096665

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Meeting ID: 835 8367 2887
Passcode: 096665

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kevE8IGp8z

Proposed Non-Motorized Trails Permit..

IHC statewide trails committee is working on getting a statewide funding program started.  This would be similar to the Park and Ski passes or what the motorized people pay for their stickers.  

Below is the program publicity flyer.  There is a draft proposed for the next state legislative session.  

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Popularity of Non-Motorized Recreation in Idaho –

In a survey of 1,000 Idahoans, 67% of people requested more access to hiking and walking trails, 31% requested more mountain biking opportunities, and 18% requested more equestrian opportunities. 1

Poor Trail Conditions –

70% of trails on federal land in Idaho do not meet National Quality Standards, as defined by the United States Forest Service. 3

Economic Impact –

Outdoor recreation generated $7.8 billion in Idaho in 2022, equivalent to the value of statewide agricultural production. 4

Success Stories –

Both winter and summer motorized trails enthusiasts self-tax through registration programs. Those funds maintain approximately 5,600 miles of trails in the winter (snowmobiles), and 2,500 miles of trails in the summer (off-highway vehicles). 5

Other States –

Montana, Oregon, Washington, Utah, and Colorado all have dedicated funding sources for non-motorized trail maintenance. These funding sources are key to maintaining safe and accessible non-motorized trail opportunities. 2

A Solution –

If all non-motorized trail enthusiasts purchase an annual trail pass with a similar fee structure and similar participation rates to their motorized counterparts, over a million dollars will be generated annually for non-motorized trail maintenance, education programs, and mapping improvements.

1 Hall, McAllister; Pape, Emily; and Fry, Vanessa. (2022). “Idaho Parks and Recreation Survey of Idahoans 2022”. Idaho Policy Institute Reports. https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/ipi_reports/70.

2 Cook, P. S., Courtney, M., & Becker, D. R. (2017, September). Maintenance of Non-Motorized Trails on National Forests in Idaho: Funding Background and Opportunities for State Assistance. https://www.uidaho.edu/-/media/UIdahoResponsive/Files/cnr/research/PAG/Issue/PAG-IB21-trail-maintenance.pdf

3 United States Forest Service, & Meyers, C. L., Trails Management Handbook (2008). United States Forest Service. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://www.fs.usda.gov/cgibin/Directives/get_dirs/fsh?2309.18.

4 Kelly Davis. (2022). State of the Outdoor Market. Boulder, Colorado; Outdoor Industry Association. Retrieved June 2023,.

5 Robinson, M. (2023). Miles of Trail Maintained by Motorized Program. personal.