News from our Directors
President’s Report for 2012 The Minnesota Trail Riders Association had another busy and eventful year in 2012. I will note the highlights here: · In our January meeting we reaffirmed the two year MTRA officer positions, and Committee Chairs were filled by Board Members. We established a treasurer’s internal audit process. We adopted our 2012 provisional budget (as prepared by Treasurer, Kris Patten). Annual membership dues were verified, NL advertising fees were verified and we established a “billboard” type website ad opportunity for certain qualified NL advertisers. o We adopted an on-line membership renewal program, with PayPal opportunity. o We agreed on the wording of necessary By-Law changes to accommodate a full year membership, whereby renewals and new memberships would be assigned an anniversary date system whereby the membership would be in effect until the first day of the month, a year from the anniversary date. o We developed a series of e-mail alerts for members reminding them of their upcoming membership expirations. These would be automatically triggered and would be managed by our website membership management system. o We authorized our matching grant resolution requesting funding from the FRTP to support our grant program. o Our membership in the Equine Advisory Group (EAG) is composed of Terry Leary, Marvin Breitkreutz, Irv Parker, and Russ Wright. We met in January with other EAG members and our DNR counterparts to make preliminary proposals for distribution of the 2011 Trail Pass revenues. Then there are follow-up meetings during the year to monitor progress on the selected projects. o The Promotions committee conducted a membership survey via email, direct mail, phone and newsletter current and non-renewed MTRA members to learn why they join and stay or leave our membership in an effort to improvement our efforts and retain members year-after-year. Results were summarized and reported to the BOD by MTRA member and committee volunteer Frieda Bruck, both verbally and in written formats. The results and suggestions to the Board are already being incorporated into our activities and management decisions. o The MTRA display at the MN Horse Expo featured information about MTRA efforts and riding in MN. Two new promotion items, MTRA T shirts and truck or trailer stickers, were available to members along with caps and tickets for the $500 cash raffle. Many current and new members visited the display to get information and share ideas with the volunteer workers while joining for the coming season. · In February, Ken Olson, Marvin Breitkreutz and I met with a number of DNR Parks and Trails representatives, to have close discussion on issues important to Trail Riders in general and the MTRA in particular. We met at the DNR building in St. Paul and supported our topics with a written agenda. Our primary interest was in moderating the effects of the motorcycle use in the Zumbro Bottoms unit (representing trail rider concerns over the course of the year). We also made a case for a way forward for the numerous active Green Corridor initiatives that would create a new category of recreational use definitions, allowing for all the various DNR stakeholders to stop hiding behind one or more existing rules and regulations. We had a productive conversation in that we were able to share a number of our concerns, and these are now a part of a public record. · We made our slide show presentation to the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota, illustrating the widespread impact of the MTRA. Although primarily bicyclists, this group is in full agreement with our aims as they are similar to their own. Their President was one of the guest riders at our DNR invitational ride in early May. · We were able to successfully change our Newsletter layout person from Betty Harguth (retirement) to Linda Dahl of Dahl Graphics. We were very pleased with Betty’s work and now with two issues done by Dahl Graphics, we believe the quality of our Newsletter is continuing in the same high quality vein. · We wrote a support letter regarding the joint application of the City of Duluth and the Duluth Area Horse Trail Alliance for their grant request of the Local Trail Connections Program. Their application appears to fulfill all of the intentions of the Program Purpose, in establishing a relatively short trail connection between Spirit Mountain and Jay Cooke State Park. Such a trail would certainly connect “people to the outdoors.” · Several of our Board and other MTRA members participated in the retirement get together for Terry Helbig, longtime DNR Forester. This was held in Lake City. · We allocated roughly $8,000 for matching grants (allowing $16,000) to be available for improvements requested by park managers in both DNR and non-DNR parks, parking lots, and trailheads. These grants have a two year window in which they can be utilized so tracking them requires a good deal of time. · Ken Olson, our Trails Development committee chief once again led a very successful MTRA/DNR joint trail ride and general discussion in early May at Zumbro Bottoms. Although he could not stay for the ride and discussions, Commissioner Tom Landwehr and his daughter were able to stop for a visit prior to the ride. We appreciate his interest in Minnesota Trail Systems. Today Zumbro Bottoms is considered by many to be the crown jewel of Minnesota Trail Riders, based on the high usage and varied terrain. · Marvin Breitkreutz, MTRA BOD member, also established a new avenue for coordinating multiple group efforts in developing a “shared landscape” recreational proposition for the Minnesota River Valley. This effort included an invitational trail ride with various DNR representatives, Redwood and Renville county officials, county commissioners, and a number of influential local organizations interested in the overall proposition. It was held at the Whispering Ridge site in Redwood County, overlooking the Minnesota River Valley. Much of this development effort has been led by Loran Kaardal of Redwood Falls, well known Minnesota River Valley economic and recreational development promoter. This is one of the primary areas in our state that can offer multi-use opportunities and is of prime importance to the Minnesota Trail Riders Association. We received a good deal of positive editorial articles in community and regional newspapers. · At State Fair time, Darrell Mead of the Minnesota Horse Council and I, representing the MTRA, were invited by the DNR to present Minnesota Horse Trail Riding opportunities offered on DNR administered land and to illustrate the use of the Horse Trails throughout the State. Traci Vibo of the DNR was our host and we made this presentation from the DNR Stage on Tuesday of the State Fair. · Our MTRA member Roundup rides (and of course the potluck suppers) were very enjoyable. They were at Stony Brook, Wild River, Forestville, and the west unit of the Zumbro Bottoms. · Our special promotions, the raffle and silent auction at the year-end Roundup Ride at Zumbro was a very successful event once again. There are plenty of winners. We call this the Patty Jones raffle since she is the prime mover. We also had a successful “Cash winner raffle”, initiated by Kris Patten. The first award was for $300 cash, and another two winners each received $100 cash. These monies are primarily dedicated to the trail systems and campsites as seed money for the matching grants. We want to thank all the ticket buyers for their investment in the MTRA….it all helps! · Ken Olson, Mark Fitting and Connie Erickson participated in a special fall work day on November 8 at Zumbro Bottoms to recycle composted manure from the last 2 or 3 years on the campgrounds and harvested fields and to re-gravel and level the tie lines base. This report got too long of course. But it represents only about 50 or 60 percent of the actual time and effort generated by the MTRA Board of Directors and by MTRA members across the state. A special thanks to all! We’d like to think that our organization is valuable to all trail riders, whether members or not. We will keep doing what we can. But please encourage trail riders to join…..and to ”Come along for the Ride”. Irv Parker, 2012 MTRA President
President’s Annual Report-2011 - Submitted by Irv Parker
2011 has been another productive year, one in which I believe we’ve advanced our equine related MTRA member interests in a number of ways. It has been busy for all our Directors and Committees. You’ll find their year-end reports in the MTRA newsletter and on the www./mntra.org website.
As per MTRA by-laws, as President, I am required annually to report on the business and condition of the corporation.
Financially, your organization is in good shape as per Treasurer reports for November and projected through December 31. We started the year January 1 with a checking balance of $26,450.20 Our projected year end checking balance is $31,785.41. The difference is not ours per se, since it is committed to unfinished Grant projects. So our membership dues, donations, advertising revenues, and special promotion events supported the layout, printing and mailing of over 550 Newsletters six times. And the same revenue sources allowed for over $16,000 of trail and campsite upgrades in city, county, and regional parks as well as in DNR administered State Parks, State Trails, and State Forests. I am proud to say that we have dedicated members and friends. No better place to say “thank you” to all these folks.
In a move designed to improve our member services and present a more robust communication tool, our January and February meetings led to the engagement of JMT Enterprises as our webmaster. The ‘new’ website is still a work in progress. We are currently in Phase 2 of a proposed 3 phase upgrade. Phase 2 became the driver of a change in the MTRA membership by-law to move memberships from a calendar year basis to an anniversary date basis in order that we can develop a web based relational data base system for membership management. We will act on that bylaw amendment in today’s meeting.
We had booths at the Horse EXPO’s at Baxter and at St. Paul. We visited with hundreds (maybe thousands) of horse folks. We signed up new members, renewed memberships, talked about riding spots, legislation that affects us, and in general fielded as many of your questions as we could. Most of the BOD members worked the booths, along with some of our MTRA member volunteers. Many thanks!
Once again we opened the riding season in early May with an open invitation to our DNR working partners and other interested equine supporters for a joint ride at Zumbro Bottoms Management Unit. We provide the horses and tack for as many of these folks as we can and ride enough of the trails to provide a nice outing and a look at the trail system from our point of view. We hosted a good number of folks in 2011 and had a productive meeting session to share our ideas for trailhead and trail improvements and to learn of the DNR approach to the systems we use. We think this could be a productive activity in other areas of Minnesota, involving local MTRA leaders and our DNR friends and other active regional, county, city, and local administrative personnel.
One of the fun new initiatives was the scheduling of the 5-Star Rides on a Saturday in June, where we had 5 locations across the state hosting MTRA day rides. Our objective was to offer ride leadership and an organized introduction to the joys of trail riding for new riders, and of course, seasoned veterans as well.
We became Advocacy Partners with the Back Country Horsemen of America. In general we have the same aims; to continue to have the ear and the good will of the public lands administrators. We want to keep trails open to horsemen and to open new trails whenever land is acquired by a public entity.
We continue to belong to the Minnesota Horse Council and the Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota and have representation at their functions to promote MTRA interests. We are firmly in support of efforts by several groups to develop a trail system in the Minnesota River Valley, including the Green Corridor group, the Tatanka Bluffs group and others.
In another specially scheduled event, well known horseman and horse trainer Dennis Auslam of Redwood Stables near Morton, Minnesota hosted a fun/work Trail Challenge clinic on behalf of the MTRA. This was a learning experience. Participants brought their horses for schooling and working through trail type obstacles both on the ground and in the saddle. Dennis gave personal attention to each attendee and to their horse or mule. In addition, Dr. Alana Altnow of the Crest Chiropractic clinic in Maplewood provided ‘live’ saddle fitting advice. She also did chiropractic work on owner horses under a personal contract with them. Both did an excellent job and the MTRA was well served once again.
At our spring Roundup Ride at Pillsbury State Forest, it rained and in general the weather was miserable. But dedicated BOD and MTRA members paid special tribute to the 100th anniversary of the State Forest system in Minnesota. Pillsbury State Forest is the first designated in Minnesota. The story was related by Forestry Division officers Paul Lundgren and Al Sharp as to the original gift of 1000 acres donated by the Pillsbury family. The final page of the Pillsbury horse trails story was told by Les Sellnow, long time trailmaker and promoter of the trails there. For this one, read the Becky Feist article in the June/July issue of the NL. I make a point of this because sometimes we need reminding of some of the ways we got here!
We also hosted weekend Roundup Rides at The Bunkhouse in Houston, and at Marvin Breitkreutz’ river ranch near Renville. We had a Skalbekken Park mini ride. We had a multiple day Adventure Ride at Willow Group Camp in Wisconsin’s Kickapoo Valley Reserve near LaFarge, and finishing at the End of the Trail Campground, Wild Cat Mountain State Park near Oregon. Our Trails Committee and the Rides Coordinator provided trails leadership for each ride.
The MTRA had a sizeable contingent of working members at National Trails Day in June at the Zumbro Bottoms Management Unit of the Richard Dorer State Forest.
Our Trails Development and Grants committees, by vote of the Board, allocated $9886 for DNR administered lands and $6112 (including FRTA match) for County, Regional, and City Parks in the 2010 grants for 2011 application. Finalizing grant projects has been relatively slow at the parks this year The Minnesota state government shut-down for most of July (with camping not allowed at DNR administered equine facilities) not only limited our camping and riding, but sharply reduced the time park managers could address the grant projects. These will be treated as carryover projects where necessary.
We supported these activities and funded projects with revenues from your advertising, your donations, and your participation in our raffles and silent auction. The raffles and the silent auction bring our MTRA riding year to a close at the Fall Roundup. The potluck meal and the horses-in-common visiting language of the group are a fitting setting for us. We place a great deal of value on our advertisers and our raffle contributors and appreciate their role in making a better MTRA.
Among us, we’ve attended dozens of meetings in various parts of Minnesota. These meetings may be for informational purposes on our part, to share the MTRA story. They may be legislative, sister organizations, DNR, area development or chamber of commerce meetings to represent our trail riding memberships via the MTRA Board. Annually we have at least three Board and membership meetings as well as specially called committee meetings from time to time. These activities are at our own expense and are not administrative costs to the MTRA.
We continue to believe in and promote the Horse Trail Pass in Minnesota. We have three members on the Equine Advisory Group, which allocates and monitors Trail Pass money allocations. The Trail Pass monies spent on equine campsites, trailheads and trails across Minnesota from the trail pass are now nearing $500,000 since its inception. Please encourage all users of the parks and trails to get their trail pass.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the need for all trail riders in Minnesota, MTRA members or not, to be prepared to journey to the Tamarack Horse Camp of the St. Croix next spring to assist in cleanup of the massive storm damage that occurred July 2, 2011 to the campsite and the trails.
Thanks again to all who financially and personally support our MTRA efforts on behalf of trail riders in Minnesota. We appreciate you!
Submitted by Irv Parker, President
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