Written by: c2itconsult
1/12/2010 10:28 AM

Northwest Indiana Trail Happenings
By Lawrence Turnquist

     There was a notice in Trail Rider magazine that Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, specifically Cynthia Higgs, Equestrian Partners Coordinator, has done a report on “models for equine-based use of State Fish and wildlife Lands”.  This is a 33 page report which is extremely relevant to our situation in Northwest Indiana. These areas represent a huge untapped resource for equestrian trails and it would be a shame if we didn’t do our best to gain access to them. This report gives examples of several other states that have given access to these areas. It also provides sound factual information to defeat the reasons we have traditionally been given, for not permitting equestrians access to these areas.
     November 21st 2009 Maureen and I attended an eight-hour school put on by the National Park Service, at the library in Chesterton, on friends groups and working with the National Park Service. The two gentlemen who put on the program were Mike Pflum and Marty Sterkel have may years of experience working for Uncle Sam and were honest about giving us some incite into changes that have taken place in the National Park Service. The program provided a valuable insight, which should make working with the National Lake Shore or any of the other parks, forests or recreation areas much smoother. There were also an interesting group of people in attendance, this included Constantine Dillon the superintendent, Dale Engquist the past superintendent and several others from various branches of the park service besides the two presenters. There were also people in attendance from Eppley Institute, Nature Conservancy, Shirley Heinze, Northwest Indiana Paddlers and numerous other organizations. It was time well spent if you’re an aspiring trail advocate.
     Next was a Crown Point Chamber of Commerce breakfast at which Mitch Barloga “ AICP” brought us up to date on trail development in northwest Indiana. Mitch is a non-motorized transportation and Greenways Planner for the Northwestern Indiana regional Planning Commission. It was supposed to be a 15-minute presentation but as there weren’t many people there and those who had to leave did, it lasted much longer. The two of us who are really interested in trails (Mitch and I) were the last to leave. My only problem is I think Mitch must believe horses have motors because he doesn’t often include us in the plans.
Tomorrow is the beginning of a new direction in our local trail advocacy.
     Stay tuned will see if it works.  

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