Help Shape the Future of Equestrian Activities in Montgomery County!

SEPTEMBER 7, 2010, BOYDS, MD — You have an opportunity to speak up for and help shape the future of equestrian activities in Montgomery County, Maryland!

Montgomery Parks, M-NCPPC and the Montgomery County Department of Recreation are currently participating in a process to develop a vision and strategic plan for park and recreation services in Montgomery County. The project is being coordinated across both departments by GreenPlay, LLC and will take up to 18 months to complete.

Montgomery Parks, M-NCPPC and the Montgomery County Recreation Department are hosting two public meetings this month.

They’re seeking feedback from the public on which types of activities and programs they should be offering, which should recover all costs through user fees and which services should be primarily covered by your tax dollars. Your input will help guide the long-term planning for our county’s parks and recreation services, facilities and programs.

• Public Meeting #5
  Monday September 13, from 7:00 PM- 8:30 PM
  Gwendolyn Coffield Community Center
  2450 Lyttonsville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910
• Public Meeting #6
  Tuesday September 14, from 7:00- 8:30 PM
  UpCounty Regional Services Center
  Meeting Room A
  12900 Middlebrook Road, Germantown, Maryland 20874

Past meeting information and links have been posted on the project calendar. Focus Group meeting notes are also available for you to review here.

Please plan to attend a meeting and make your voice heard. If YOU don’t speak up for the future of equestrian activities in our county, YOU risk losing them!

Support HR 1912 the “Complete America’s Great Trails Act”

Contact your Representative and encourage them to support HR 1912, the “Complete America’s Great Trails Act” -

The Complete America’s Great Trails Act would provide a tax credit to private landowners who grant conservation easements to National Scenic Trails. Private landowners would have a new incentive to allow trail users to pass through their property, and establish a guaranteed corridor that protects the continuity of the trails. (Read more)

Proposed House Energy Bill Fully Funds LWCF

The House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee is preparing energy legislation and strongly considering full and dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at the authorized annual level of $900 million. The funding amounts to $450 million for state and local matching grants to acquire and develop recreation parks, forests, and recreation facilities and $450 million to expand and protect national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges as well as other federally managed public lands. The bill will be introduced upon legislators’ return in September after the August Recess.

Your support is needed NOW to let your members of Congress know how much you care about the LWCF and the special places that it protects such as parks, refuges, trails, cultural and historic places, public lands, and access to close to home recreation areas in your community. It is important for parks and recreation advocates to connect with legislators during the August recess, through meet and greet events and arranged meetings with district offices. Tell your Representatives that their support is needed to ensure that an LWCF full funding provision is a top priority in the Energy Bill and that you will be counting on them to help get this provision enacted into law. The link below is a briefing paper with key message points on the Land and Water Conservation Fund to bring up while you meet with legislators .

Copyright 2009, National Recreation and Park Association. All Rights Reserved.
22377 Belmont Ridge Road, Ashburn, VA 20148-4150, Phone 703.858.0784 Fax 703.858.0794

Council OKs $750K for Woodstock fixes

From Gazette.net, Maryland Community Newspapers Online

“The County Council unanimously approved $750,000 in improvements to Woodstock Equestrian Park in Beallsville on Tuesday.

The special appropriation will fully fund the design of the second phase of development at the 872-acre park, according to Mike Riley, deputy director of the county parks department…”