Winter 2010/2011 EPIC Newsletter

Find out what’s going on in Montgomery County, Maryland’s Agriculture Reserve for equestrians. Click HERE to read the winter 2010/2011 EPIC newsletter.

EPICenter News

Poole’s Store Closing

Poole’s General Store on River Road, along the C&O Canal towpath in Seneca, will end its 45-year history of serving the local equestrian, farming and hunting communities on December 31.

The family that gave its name to Poolesville did not renew their lease with Montgomery County Department of Parks, which purchased the property from the Allnutt family in 1972. Built in 1901, Poole’s Store is the oldest general store in continuous operation in Montgomery County.

Octogenarians Billie Poole and her husband Raymond, along with their children, made the decision to close due to health issues and slowed business during the difficult economic climate of the last few years.

The county is looking for a new tenant, and hopes are that the property will continue to serve the community as a general store. Community hearings will take place in early 2011 so county residents can offer input and suggestions regarding future plans for the property. There already have been inquiries by several interested parties.

For recent information from Montgomery Parks on future plans for Poole’s Store, visit Montgomery Parks Committed to Preserving Poole’s Store Function as 40-Year Business Prepares to Close its Doors.

Public Access to New Equestrian Park Amenities May Be Delayed

Due to recent budget cuts, the Montgomery County Planning Board added new additions to Woodstock Equestrian Park to its delayed park openings list. While trails throughout the park are already open to the public, the new amenities, including a fenced outdoor sand arena and a professionally designed Beginner-Novice cross-country course, that are scheduled to be completed by fall 2011, may not be available for use until 2014.

The arena and cross-country course, as well as several other improvements, are being funded by a private grant from William Rickman Jr., as well as by state funding in the form of bonds. The $500,000 in state grant funds must be used by the end of 2011, or it will be forfeited.

Drastic budget cuts mean that Parks cannot afford to maintain the new amenities, including mowing the cross-country field, dragging the arena and maintaining the cross-country jumps and land, for the next several years. To keep these facilities affordable to the equestrian community, user fees will be kept to a minimum, and they won’t be able to support the maintenance. However, if an individual or group is willing to step up to offer financial assistance or labor, Parks may be willing to open these facilities to riders as soon as they’re completed.

If you have any suggestions or offers of assistance, please e-mail info@epicmontgomery.com.

Little Bucklodge Branch Loop Opens with Trail Ride

By Naomi Manders

EPIC hosted its fall trail ride on October 16 on its Breezy Loop in Boyds, celebrating the addition of the newest trail, Little Bucklodge Branch Loop.

Beautiful fall weather provided a perfect backdrop for the 55 riders who attended the ride on the well-groomed and signed trails. The ride left from the Potomac Pony Club field on Bucklodge Road. The field may be used for trail access at any time.

The entire loop takes about two hours to ride at a slow pace. A GPS map of Breezy Loop showing both the Turtle Trail and the new Little Bucklodge Branch Loop is available at www.EPICmontgomery.org.

Maryland Trails Summit Report

By Naomi Manders

More than 200 attendees from trail users’ organizations gathered near Baltimore in October to discuss the state of trails in Maryland and adjoining states with the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Transportation, and national and county parks officials. Some of the users represented included EPIC, Trail Riders of Today (TROT), Maryland Horse Council, Mid-Atlantic Off-Road Enthusiasts (MORE) and many other users of natural and paved trails.

The focus was on the overall statewide trails system to identify priority needs. The keynote speaker, Tom Horton, a local outdoors author and avid hiker, bicyclist and kayaker, pointed out that the impact of growth was the loss of freedom — something we all have experienced. Some benefits of trails are that they are a relatively inexpensive way to increase health and water quality and introduce the public to the care of our environment. Horton itemized some “needs,” such as accesses, trailheads, camping spots, maps, bridges and “shuttle services,” like ferries, to span gaps. He says the biggest thing trails do is “slow us down.”

Maryland Department of Natural Resources secretary John Griffin represented Governor Martin O’Malley emphasizing trail planning and maintenance. He pledged the state’s commitment to creating the best trail system in the country. A Trails Development Office has been created, and a website is in place for mapping, planning, etc. For more information or to add a trail to the interactive map, visit www.dnr.state.md.us/land/MD_Trails/index.asp.

Rick Potts spoke for the National Parks Service, emphasizing public and private partnerships and mentioning the availability of grants. He encouraged trail users to create coalitions and avoid discussing differences in public to win support from agencies.

Dianne Kripas spoke for Pennsylvania whose map shows very little land conserved in State Parks. Their main contribution is the Great Allegheny Passage, a major greenway. Pennsylvania is developing county greenways plans as their research shows the most desired public amenity is trails, especially for walking.

The Delaware speaker noted, “Your back door is your trailhead.” This applies precisely to Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve. EPIC understands the need to keep equestrian facilities from isolation. Doing so is good for business.

Virginia has many trails, such as Appalachian Trail, Potomac Heritage, James R. and New River. It has been successful in doing some gap analysis and has prepared a map of existing and proposed trails. Over and over, we heard the phrase “planning is key,” and it must be done far ahead.

TROT emphasized working together behind the scenes before a meeting and joining state and county volunteers to build sustainable trails. Sustainable trails are those designed to avoid erosion to make maintenance easier and honor the environmental issues. This takes planning and volunteers to build and maintain.

The use of trails for ATVs was addressed with some suggestions, such as providing a place to do this and to ramp up law enforcement and education.

EPIC Comings and Goings

The EPIC board accepted the resignation of vice president Pam DuBois for personal reasons. We would like to extend our sincere thanks for her service and valuable contributions over the last several years.

EPIC board member Jay Cinque was put forth to take over the role as vice president and was unanimously voted in. Jay is a scientific review administrator for the National Institutes of Health. He and his wife Anne have been longtime residents of upper Montgomery County, moving to Boyds in 1973. Jay has been very active in land preservation and community organizations for many years. He has served as president of the Boyds Civic Association, the Sugarloaf Citizens Association, the Northern Montgomery County Alliance and the Peachtree Civic Association. He has also served as president of the Sugarloaf Riding Club, and is currently a board member and treasurer for the Sugarloaf Countryside Conservancy.

We would also like to welcome Neil Agate to the board. Neil is the principle of Four Gates, LLC, a business and technology services firm. He is a former board member and co-chair of the British American Business Association communications committee, a founding member of the Capitol Polo Club in Poolesville and an avid polo player. He serves as the announcer for the annual Green Cup of Polo tournament that serves as a benefit for EPIC as well as other nonprofit organizations. Originally from England, Neil has lived with his wife Kathy and two daughters in Darnestown for the last 20 years.

40 Tips for the Trail Rider

By Lynn Palm

Trail riding is an excellent way for riders and horses to bond and work on communication aids in a new environment. Training outside the box is something Palm does with all her horses in training, especially the competition horses. It is an opportunity to strengthen the bond by overcoming new obstacles together and encountering situations not found in an arena setting. However, riders must always be prepared to confront the unexpected when out on the trail. Here is a list of 40 tips for the trail rider to be prepared, confident, and successful.

Preparation
1. Before hitting the trail, you and your horse should have mastered basic skills in an arena such as stopping and turning, as well as having control at all gaits.

2. Make sure the distance and duration of the trail ride is within your horse’s current fitness level.

3. Keep tack in good condition to prevent anything from breaking when out on the trail.

4. Groom your horse thoroughly before trail riding.

5. Use protective legware such as polo wraps or boots. I love to use Professional Choice boots!

6. Use insect repellant for both you and your horse.

7. Remember to check the weather before you ride and dress accordingly.

8. Riders and light pigmented skin horses should use sunscreen to protect against harmful UV rays.

9. Before leaving the barn, trailer, or campsite, check to see if your horse’s shoes are tight and tack is fitting properly.

10. Plan your route and stick to equestrian-approved paths.

11. If you plan to stop and tie your horse bring a halter and lead with you.

12. Make sure you let someone know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Also let a friend or family member know where the keys to your various vehicles are. They should be assessable in case anyone is injured.

13. Do not go on the trail without some warm up for you and your horse. I always do stretching exercises to loosen up and longe my horse on a 20-meter circle for at least 20 minutes.

On the Trail
14. Never hit the trail without a buddy and never leave the buddy behind.

15. Wear a certified helmet that fits snugly and always buckle the chin strap. I love the Troxel helmets!

16. Always carry a fully charged cell phone or satellite phone, first aid kit (EquiMedic has the best First Aids kits on the market), flash light, water, hoof pick, map, compass, and GPS receiver if able. Take advantage of the technology available to you!

17. Carry an ID and place identification information inside your helmet. Be sure to include your name, address, phone number and emergency contacts.

18. Be prepared to confront common problems that can go wrong with your horse such as lameness, laceration, colic, tying up and snake bite.

19. Know how to monitor your horse’s vital signs and be able to administer first aid to both horse and human.

20. Make sure to rest and walk after periods of trotting. Don’t overdo it!

21. Use your manners! Be friendly to other people you encounter on the trail.

22. Leave one horse length between horses, two if trotting.

23. Pass on the left at reduced speed after giving the person you are passing a verbal “heads up!”

24. Always be aware of your surroundings and think ahead so you don’t put yourself or your horse in a dangerous situation.

25. Be a proactive rider! Avoid riding on footing that can be hazardous to your horse such as roots, holes and debris.

26. Change positions and do transitions often! This will help the horse wanting to be at the front all the time, as well as keep the horse concentrating on you and not the outside environment or other horses.

27. If your horse spooks on the trail, it is okay to get off the horse to address the spooky obstacle or the “boogie man” in the woods. It is safer to deal with a sticky spot on the ground then under saddle.

28. To encourage your horse to be willing and obedient on the trail, be his leader! This means you, the rider, are always in control. Move your horse the opposite way he wants to take you. If he goes left–go right, if he goes right-go left, if he backs–go forward, if he goes forward without you asking-stop and back a few steps. This works the horse’s mind and reminds him that you are the leader. As your horse’s leader, he will trust you!

29. When approaching new obstacles that may frighten your horse, stop and let your horse address them in a safe manner. Let him swing his head to see it from both eyes and let him smell it. Take your time. Once your horse learns to trust you, the next obstacle you address will take less time to accept.

30. If your horse gets too close to a tree or obstacle and may hit it, slightly turn his head pointing his nose towards it and use your inside leg aid (leg closest to the obstacle) to yield him away from the obstacle. If you use too much rein aids, you will actually turn him more into the tree!

31. Use your body position to help maintain your horse’s balance while traveling uphill (tilt upper body forward, extend arms up the horse’s neck to give him his head) and downhill (lean upper body back, push feet forward in stirrups so legs are in front of the cinch/girth, and hold reins approximately 3 to 4 inches higher than usual).

32. At a water crossing, pond, river, or lake, stop and offer the horse water.

33. Try to know the depth of a water crossing before attempting to cross it.

34. Always remove a tie-down or martingale before crossing a water obstacle in case you encounter a deep spot. These devices restrict your horse’s head so much that he won’t be able to swim.

35. Socializing on the trail with your friends can be fun, but remember always pay more attention to your horse and his body language than to a conversation.

36. Always have your horse walk on the way back to the barn to prevent him from learning to rush home.

After the Ride
37. Make sure to cool your horse down properly to relieve and prevent lactic acid buildup in the muscles.

38. Check to see if your horse sweated evenly under the saddle pad to make sure your saddle doesn’t have any pressure points that can make your horse uncomfortable or cause long term problems.

39. Rinse or hose off sweat and always offer fresh, clean water.

40. Do a visual and tactile evaluation of your horse. Check his legs for swelling or any cuts he may have from the ride. Treat accordingly.

Lynn Palm’s career highlights include 2007 American Quarter Horse Association Horsewoman of the Year, a record four AQHA Superhorse wins, AQHA Female Equestrian of the Year by the Women’s Athletic Association, named one of the top United States clinicians by Horse & Rider magazine, more than 34 AQHA World and Reserve World Champions, more than 50 bridleless dressage exhibitions at events including the National Horse Show, 1989 World Cup and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, and World Cup. Palm and Cyril Pittion-Rossillon are co-founders of three horse industry companies: Palm Partnership Training, Women LUV Horses and Alliance Saddlery USA.

President’s Letter

As I write this year-end letter, I am struggling with EPIC’s response to two issues of concern to us horse folk here in Montgomery County’s Agricultural Reserve — the closing of Poole’s Country Store and the possible delayed opening of new amenities at Woodstock Equestrian Park. (You can read more about these issues in the News section.) The potential delayed opening of Woodstock lends itself to some editorializing, so here goes.

For more than the four years I’ve been with the Department of Parks, there have been evolving attempts to offer more than just the miles of well-maintained trails at Woodstock. The original master plan for the park included references to elaborate facilities (indoor arena, stalls, steeplechase course), most of which were either rejected for lack of funds or community concerns about traffic, water, etc. What was funded, by private donors and state grants, and eventually designed with the input of equestrians of all disciplines, was a plan for a fenced outdoor sand arena and a Beginner-Novice cross-country course on the northeast side of Route 28.

The Department of Parks is about to solicit bidders on the construction and hopes that the work will be completed by late summer or early fall 2011. In the interim, drastic cuts in the Parks operating budget threaten to postpone the opening of the new facilities because of a lack of funds to maintain and oversee the park. In an effort to keep these facilities affordable, user fees will be kept to a minimum, so they won’t make up for the lack of budgeted funds.

This is where YOU come in. In order to make these new amenities at Woodstock available to the public when they are completed, the equestrian community needs to step up to help operate and maintain the facility. This includes mowing, dragging the ring and maintaining jumps. If it’s important to you that the county has an affordable and well-maintained outdoor arena and cross-country course available for your use, please contact me at info@epicmontgomery.org with your ideas or offers to help.

On behalf of the EPIC board, I would like to wish you and your equine family the happiest of holidays and ask that you remember EPIC in your year-end giving in the form of a tax-deductable gift.

Wishing you a year of fantastic riding in 2011!
David Tobin

How the Enhanced Tax Incentive for Conservation Easements Benefits You

By Rand Wentworth, President, Land Trust Alliance

After a year-long lapse that left many important conservation donations in limbo, Congress has renewed the enhanced tax incentive for conservation easements! As soon as President Obama signs H.R. 4853 (http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_satohr4853_txt.pdf), the incentive will be in effect through December 31, 2011 and be retroactive to January 1, 2010.

We’d like to say a big “Thank you!” to each and every person who made a phone call, visited their member of Congress, financially supported our work, or otherwise played their part at the local, state or national level. This has been a true community effort which would not have been possible without our national coalition and the help of many land trusts. Your hard work made renewal of the incentive possible and has laid the groundwork for bipartisan legislation to make it permanent.

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Let’s Make the Most of This News!

We must act quickly to ensure that landowners in your land trust’s priority areas hear about this incentive. Here are 4 steps you can take immediately:

- Alert local media using our sample press release (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/documents/9-Press%20Release%20Template.doc) or letter to the editor (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/documents/2-ltr-to-editor)

- Spread the word to landowners with the Grassroots Toolkit (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/policy-toolkit)
- Thank Congress – and urge them to make this incentive permanent! (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/policy-toolkit)

- Forward this alert to your board, staff, members and supporters

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Details on What Was Extended

The incentive, which now applies to donations in 2010 and 2011:

- Raises the income tax deduction a landowner can take for donating a conservation easement from 30% of their income in any year to 50%;

- Allows farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their income; and

- Increases the number of years over which a donor can take deductions from 6 to 16 years.

This package also extends the S Corporation donation incentive (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/conservation-donation-rules) and the IRA Charitable Rollover (http://independentsector.org/ira_rollover) through 2011.

Although the estate tax incentives (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/estate-tax-reform-and-land-conservation) for land conservation we championed did not make it in, this package does extend the 2001 law that removed the geographic limitations from the section 2031(c) estate tax exclusion for land protected by a conservation easement, through December 31, 2012. That means, even with a $5 million unified credit and 35% rate, landowners may still realize up to a $175,000 estate tax benefit for donating a conservation easement.

For complete details please see our Frequently Asked Questions (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/incentive-faqs) and Conservation Donation Rules (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/conservation-donation-rules) pages.

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Working to Make the Incentive Permanent Next Year

While this extension is good news, it’s also important to convey the message that land conservation projects can take many years to put together and the uncertainty that comes from renewing the enhanced incentive year to year prevents it from reaching its full potential. Working together with land trusts across the country, and our coalition of 65 agricultural, sporting and conservation organizations, we’ll be working hard to make the incentive permanent next year.

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Get a Head Start Today

You can help lay the ground work for next year by thanking your members of Congress for providing this extension today! Regardless of how your Senators and Representatives came down on H.R. 4853 (http://www.rules.house.gov/111/LegText/111_satohr4853_txt.pdf) , the important thing for us is to thank the 274 House and 41 Senate co-sponsors of H.R. 1831 and S. 812 (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/tax-matters/cosponsors) — bills to make this incentive permanent. Their support helped ensure that our extension was included today and your thanks will remind them that we’ll need their help next year.

The updated Grassroots toolkit includes a sample thank you letter (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/documents/11-Sample%20Thank%20You%20Letter%20to%20Your%20Representatives.doc) , but it’s even more important to thank them publicly! All press materials in the toolkit include sample language for thanking your delegation and you might also consider inviting your Rep. and the media to visit a conserved property in the spring (http://www.landtrustalliance.org/policy/advocacy-tips/meet) .

By helping modest income landowners deduct the full value of their contributions, this enhanced tax incentive has increased the pace of private, voluntary land conservation by about 250,000 acres a year nationwide, and is especially important now that the latest reports show that America is losing land to development at the rate of 1.5 million acres per year. Today’s renewal will create a permanent legacy of conserved land across America, and your work made it possible.

Foxhunters’ Focus on the Future: Land

By The Equiery Staff

Open land is disappearing at a rate of 6,000 acres per day, according to the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource.

There is no greater threat to the equestrian community than the loss of land. We need land for pasture and hay, for raising foals, and for our horse sports, including (but not limited to) trail riding, eventing, foxhunting, driving, and that most Maryland of all equestrian sports, steeplechase.

In Maryland, no single equestrian group has done more to preserve open space than foxhunters. Perhaps because foxhunters were traditionally landowners and farmers themselves, they seem to have understood – better than any other sporting group – that in order to preserve agriculture, it is critical to preserve contiguous productive land. It is not enough to save a patch here, or ensure a trail through there…one farm here with another farm three or five miles away. In order for farmers to farm, they must be surrounded by ag land. In order for farmers to have farm services (such as tractor repairs), there must be enough farm business for the support businesses to remain. Too many farmers these days in central Maryland must travel the distance of two or three counties in order to have their tractors repaired. This is not sustainable agriculture.

But foxhunters do seem to understand that contiguous farmland – while crucial for open space – is critical for the preservation of sustainable agriculture. For almost 100 years, foxhunters have been the driving force behind almost every large swath of open land in Maryland.

Read the rest of the article by clicking HERE.