Current Issues

Summary: The desire of some states and local governments to own or control federal public lands carries significant repercussions for backcountry pack and saddle stock users. State-managed lands, for example, typically do not embrace the multiple-use mandate that guides federal land management agencies and includes promoting diverse opportunities for public outdoor recreation. There remains great uncertainty as to whether the … Read More

BCHA is one of the organizations supporting the the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Please read the letter in support of the LWCF bill supported by BCHA and many other similar organizations. The United States’ Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is a Federal program that was established by Act of Congress in 1965 to provide funds and matching grants … Read More

Dr. Rob Atwill of the University of California-Davis was a fantastic guest speaker during BCHA’s recent National Board Meeting held in Sacramento. He summarized the latest science that demonstrates native mammals, including squirrels and marmot, are far more likely to be the source of water-borne pathogens than either livestock or pack stock. In one study at Yosemite National Park, a … Read More

Last week, the National Forest “trails bill” we supported last year was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Cynthia Lummis  (R-WY)  and Tim Walz (D-MN). The bill, the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act (H.R. 845), continues to spur high-level dialogue and a search for solutions to the growing trail maintenance crisis on our national forests. BCHA strongly … Read More