Work Days At The Park, 2003. . . .

The Shelby Farms Equestrian Alliance hosted the 2003 Trail Seminar on January 4-5 at Shelby Farms with financial support from Outdoors, Inc., the Friends of Shelby Farms, Nashoba Carriage Association, and City Slicker Endurance Ride who underwrote the fees for three participants. Participants included the Georgia Park, Recreation and Cultural Affairs representative, representatives from the Arkansas Horse Council and Arkansas State Parks & Tourism, Holly Springs National Forest, Meeman Shelby Forest Trail Savers, the Girl Scout Council of the Mid-South, and the GovernorÕs Council on Green-ways and Trails.

The Alliance brought in Dr. Gene Wood of Clemson University. Dr. Wood holds degrees in forestry from Virginia Tech, and wildlife management and agronomy from Penn State University. He is currently a Professor of Forest Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University. In addition to his university duties he has been a consultant to the forest products industry on endangered species conservation from 1987 to 1998. He has testified before the House Committee on Resources on Forest Health and served on a Committee of Scientist selected by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural resources to review the USDA-Forest Service Plan for Conservation of the California Spotted Owl. He gave expert testimony in Seattle court hearings on the conservation plan for the Northern Spotted Owl. He also represented the Society of American Foresters to give testimony to the House Committee on Resources regarding reauthorization of the Endangered Species Act. He has published approximately 100 technical and semi-technical papers, most of which were peer reviewed.

Dr. Wood also works with the Forest Manager to coordinate planning and management of the 110-mile trail system on the Clemson Experimental Forest. He has been invited to speak on trail conservation topics in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wyoming.

After picking Dr. Wood up at the airport on Thursday Jan. 2nd, Alliance President Peggy Hart and Shelby Farms Park Administrator Steve Satterfield spent two days with Dr. Wood surveying all of the trails at Shelby Farms including the Tour De Wolf bike trail, trails along the river, the 10K course and the new north equestrian trail.

On Saturday, January 4th, Dr. Wood presented a classroom presentation on trail design emphasizing the importance of getting water off of the trails, construction using hand tools as well as track equipment, maintenance on how to keep new trails and existing trails usable for years and regulations that must be followed in regard to endangered species and state and federal laws.

Sunday found Dr. Wood and the trail seminar participants out in Shelby Farms actually working on existing trails and putting into practice what they had learned on Saturday. They learned what a fire rake and Pulaski were and how to use them to help build a trail as well as how to handle an adze hoe and fire shovel. We wish to thank Supervisor Melinda Mosser of the Holly Springs National Forest for the loan of these tools.

Everyone also had a chance to participate in the hardening of a trail where water tended to collect. Using Ògeo-techÓ type fabric and limestone layered so that water could move through it the area was stabilized so as to provide a solid surface for trail users to cross. Participants also learned of the various ways to divert water off of a trail so as to stop erosion.

The Alliance hopes that this seminar will help to focus the need for the cooperation of all Shelby Farms user groups to help with the maintenance of existing trails and development of new trails within Shelby Farms. By working together the shared use trails at the park can only improve. Peggy Hart, Alliance President stated that, ÒThe Shelby Farms Equestrian Alliance will also be working with other parks and recreation areas to help develop not just equestrian trails but shared use trails that will be correctly designed from the beginning to take in to account the highly erodable soil in the area. It is our desire to create trails that are so constructed that they will last many years and will allow the public whether on a bike, walking or on horseback to have the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the native woods and wildlife that we are blessed to have in Shelby County and the surrounding area.

Special thanks to Jimmy Chancellor of Chancellor and Sons for the geo-textile, Williams Equipment and Supply Co. for their donation of a skid loader to use, Susan Wilson for powerpoint equipment and Ron Read for the use of his saddle.