SUMMER IS HERE - Have a great one!

PUBLIC LANDS

At podium, pictured from left to right: Congressmen Ruiz (D-CA), Vasquez (D-NM), Zinke (R-MT), Simpson (R-ID)

Public Lands Sell Off Defeated

in House of Representatives!



You may recall that BCHA issued an action alert on May 15^th, titled “Return of the Great Public Lands Heist.” We asked members to contact their representatives in Congress to request they not support the sale or transfer of federal public lands as a way to pay for tax cuts or reduce the deficit. 

Thank you for taking action. Your calls and those of our partner organizations worked!

A bipartisan group in the US House of Representatives recently formed the Public Lands Caucus, who committed to work together to conserve America’s public lands and expand access for all Americans. A list of caucus members can be found at the bottom of this link.

We learned on May 21^st that the Public Lands Caucus and, particularly, co-chair Ryan Zinke (R-MT), insisted that a wide-ranging public land sell-off for Nevada and Utah be pulled from the budget reconciliation bill (also known as the “One, Big, Beautiful” bill). Caucus members serving on the House Committee of Natural Resources stood strong, forcing leadership to pull the public lands provision. By doing so, Congressman Zinke and members of the caucus quickly established themselves as the new champions for “keeping public lands in public hands.” For that we are grateful. 

How To Thank Them!

It is important for BCHA members to call and/or write letters of thanks to Representatives on the Public Lands Caucus. Those members are listed here, at the bottom of the news release. Leave a message with your contact information and a quick thank you, along the lines of:

1. “My name is (full name) and I volunteer for the Back Country Horsemen of (state).” 
2. “Thank you for being a member of the Public Lands Caucus.” 
3. “I appreciate your recent efforts to prevent large-scale federal land transfer as part of the budget reconciliation process.” 
4. “I can be reached at (phone number).”

BCHA thanks you for Taking Action! It worked for the House of Representatives. Yet the fight over public lands transfer this week moved to the Senate. Click here to see BCHA’s new Action Alert on this topic. 

Public lands sale may return to ‘big, beautiful’ bill with Senator Lee amendment



On June 2^nd, 2025, Utah Senator Mike hinted that he might propose an amendment to the budget reconciliation bill to reinstate a large-scale public lands transfer in Utah and Nevada   that was defeated in the House of Representatives in late May by the Public Lands Caucus. Sen. Lee chairs the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and, as such, might be in a position to leverage this and future large-scale public land transfers. Doing so would side-step public debate about the pros and cons of such transfers and eliminate any need for environmental review and public comment, including whether the lands in question are important for public access and recreational use.

READ MORE...

2025 YOUTH GRANT

The 2025 Youth Grant applications are now open.

Get your application in soon!!

YOUTH GRANT APPLICATION HERE

Riders Rally to Restore Trails at 2025 Rocky Gap Roundup

By Tabby Harris MOUNTAIN REST, SC — From May 2–5



Riders from across the Southeast gathered at Rock Gap Trails and Whetstone Horse Camp for the 2025 Rocky Gap Roundup—a weekend of trail riding, restoration, and camaraderie hosted by Back Country Horsemen of South Carolina. In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s damage, certified sawyers from BCHSC, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Northeast Georgia Back Country Horsemen worked together to clear storm-blocked trails, reopening major loops through the Sumter National Forest. The event also featured educational sessions, guided rides, and shared meals, culminating in the presentation of the first-ever Volunteer of the Year Hard Hat Award to Frank and Judi Jones for their tireless service across multiple ranger districts. With smiling riders, freshly cleared trails, and strong support from regional chapters and USFS partners, the Roundup proved once again that preserving public lands is a mission best tackled together.

Horse Education Day for the Bike Team

By Marge Lewter, Secretary Back Country Horsemen of Virginia

On April 13, 2025, the Eastern Divide Chapter of BCH Virginia gave a presentation about horses to the Blacksburg High School Mountain Bike Team. It was based on the Trails and Tires program developed by the Trail Partners Foundation (trailpartners.org).

At our recent State BCH meeting, Curt Kruger from BCH of North Carolina gave a presentation on sharing the trails and stressed the theme of “ Slow and Say Hello” which focuses on communication between trail users. He shared with us the great resources on his Trail Partners Foundation website for planning an informative session with other trail users. Curt inspired our club to take action to reach out to the young trail users in our area.

One of the popular trail systems used heavily by equestrian and bicycles is called the Poverty Creek Trail System in Jefferson National Forest. Located in close proximity to Blacksburg and Virginia Tech, there are over 20 miles of trails maintained primarily by the bike community volunteers. Users include college students, high school teams and many local endurance riders. The parking area is filled with cars and horse trailers on a typical weekend. The vast majority of trail interactions here are uneventful yet once in a while there is evidence that someone just doesn’t have a clue about horses. Trail etiquette and knowledge improves everyone’s safety and enjoyment.

READ MORE HERE

Also read...Ebiking by Equestrian

Let BCH know what your chapter has been up to, send articles and pictures to michellewade@bcha.org

Exercise for People Over 60

1. Begin by standing on a comfortable surface where you have plenty of room on each side.
2. With a 5-lb potato bag in each hand, extend your arms straight out from your sides and hold them there as long as you can.
3. Try to reach a full minute, then relax.
4. Each day, you’ll find that you can hold this position for just a bit longer.
5. After a couple of weeks, move up to 10-lb potato bags.
6. Then try 50-lb potato bags... and eventually work your way up to where you can lift a 100-lb potato bag in each hand and hold your arms straight out for more than a full minute! (I'm at this level.)
7. After you feel confident at that level, put a potato in each bag.

Do you have a joke or a riddle, that is family friendly? Send them my way at michellewade@bcha.org

CHECK OUT BCHA PROMOTIONAL ITEMS

BCHA PROMOTIONAL ITEMS HERE

Check out T-Shirts, Safety color long sleeve shirts, and more.

Also, new hats are on the way, keep checking back.

MOBILE INCIDENT REPORTING FORMS

You might have seen the request to submit “incident report forms” for e-bike interactions and horse camps occupied by non stock users, to help provide record of the issue. Of course it is always great to talk to people directly if you can do so safely, however submitting a report can demonstrate a pattern of issues to help change rules or encourage enforcement.

Did you know that you can add these forms to the home screen of your smartphone? Instructions on the website here https://www.bcha.org/incidentreportingform/

Hello Members,

BCHA Volunteer Hours Committee has updated the volunteer hours reporting form. The reason for this change is because we feel we are missing out on opportunities through the USFS and other organizations by not providing trail information that you all have volunteered to maintain. By collecting trail names we open the doors for potential grants and other funds paid to BCH states for their time.

The updated form is available by clicking the link below. And please reach out to the volunteer hours committee if you have any questions. volunteer@bcha.org

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SHARE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS!

Does your chapter have a trail, project or great story you would like to share? Please send them to michellewade@bcha.org. We will do our best to include them here.



• Please send as Word doc and pictures as attachments not in the word doc.
• Provide description: project, place, purpose, etc.
• Please include the name of person and chapter submitting the pictures.

2025-2026 BCHA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE