July 11, 2017, Rockville, Md.—Today, Montgomery County Council President Roger Berliner introduced a resolution asking the Council to formally take a stand opposing a new Potomac River bridge crossing. The proposed project would include extending Route 28 in Virginia to the portion of the Intercounty County Connector (ICC) that is in Montgomery County.
Read MoreMarch 3, 2015—Sunday hunting is continuing to spread across the state, on a county-by-county basis. Even if you already have some Sundays in your county when hunting is allowed, you may see efforts to add more Sundays. The Maryland General Assembly is now considering several bills that would allow for hunting on private and, in some cases, designated public land in numerous counties.
Read MoreMarch 19, 2015—Funding for Maryland’s parks, recreation and farmland preservation is in jeopardy.
Maryland preserves important land all across our state through Program Open Space, which is funded by the real estate transfer tax. In recent tough economic times these funds were diverted and replaced with bonds. In this year’s proposed budget, $115 million of funding is being diverted, there are no promises for future repayments and previous promises to repay are being stripped from the budget.
The list of Montgomery County, Maryland, park closures for deer population management for the upcoming 2013-2014 fall and winter seasons has been announced. *Many closures affect parks with equestrian trails/access. M-NCPPC Department of Parks, in order to reduce and maintain deer populations in accordance with the goals of the County’s deer management plan, conducts managed deer hunts in select parks during the Fall and Winter.
Read MoreJanuary 23, 2013 — PLEASE HELP PRESERVE TRAIL RIDING!! We need everyone’s help to prevent the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission from implementing a regulation precedent that could impair riding at any venue. Please come to testify at WSSC’s hearing this Thursday, January 24, 2013, 7–10 p.m., at the WSSC Auditorium, 14501 Sweitzer Lane, Laurel, MD 20707.
Read MoreJuly 28, 2011–There is an urgent issue that needs your attention having to do with federal recreational trail spending. The Recreational Trail Program (RTP)–the primary source of trail funding in this country–is in great jeopardy. Horsemen should contact their federal legislators immediately to help preserve funding for recreational trails. If we do not act, many trails will be closed and there will be little in the way of new trail construction or federal funds for maintenance (which will lead to more closures).
Read MoreJune 26, 2011—The agriculture appropriations bill just passed by the House of Representatives dramatically slashes funding for conservation, including major cuts in the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program and the Grasslands Reserve Program. These cuts are a double whammy in that cuts now affect the budget baseline available for conservation programs in the next farm bill.
Read MoreOpen 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.
Read MoreANNAPOLIS, MD (March 2, 2010) The Maryland Horse Industry Board (MHIB) has commissioned the United States Department of Agriculture to conduct a census of the Maryland equine population starting in May 2010. The 2010 Equine Census will be the second count in Maryland of all breeds (horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys) regardless of ownership or use.
Read MoreMarch 16, 2010–The Maryland General Assembly is in the process of reviewing Governor O’Malley’s budget, including a proposed recommendation from the Dept. of Legislative Services (an arm of the General Assembly) that would delete funding for Maryland Environmental Trust (MET) and repeal the statue that created MET.
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