GUTS Meeting (Grand Unified Trail System)
February 26, 2016
Tim Rogers from the Santa Fe Conservation Trust led the meeting. About 25 people attended; hikers, bikers, horsemen (4), and it seemed perhaps half of those in attendance were there in official capacities representing a Trust or other organization, Santa Fe City/County, Santa Fe National Forest, etc. GUTS meetings have been held for approximately one year.
Tim Fowler from Santa Fe Fat Tire Society, gave a brief overview of his vision for this project to connect all existing trails in and around Santa Fe using a wheel and spoke approach to the trail areas. Read more about GUTS
The purpose of the meeting was to provide an update on progress, raise awareness, and seek volunteers for the committees focused on one of the target areas for trail linking. Please report to your equine organizations that this is a long range multi-year project, and many more volunteers are needed in planning, reaching out, communications, and trail building. Focus Area map
If you can sign up for one of the Areas, or for one of these Committees: Communication and Outreach headed by Rachel Wexler, Trail Criteria, Guidelines and Guiding Principles headed by Tim Fowler, Mapping Gap Analysis and Route Planning headed by Tim Rogers, and Promotion and Events headed by Rachel Wexler, please email Tim Rogers at[[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). Currently, I think only 2 horsemen are on committees: Piar Marks and Julia Jarvis. So clearly, more equestrian participation is needed if we expect to have access to the resulting trails.
Partners in GUTS include public and private entities: Santa Fe City and County, Friends of Santa Fe National Forrest, Rancho Viejo subdivision, Federal and State Forest, Santa Fe Fat Tire Society, National Parks Service’s River Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, Santa Fe County Horse Coalition. More partners are sought from communities and government organizations including BLM which was not present at the meeting.
Each of the 10 areas being researched have a Champion leading that group under which volunteers can sign up for the area that has the most appeal to them. Each Champion gave a brief overview of their progress. There was much discussion about the efforts to communicate and convince private land owners to allow trail passage and the benefits to those areas. The Trails Alliance of Santa Fe, which is affiliated with the Santa Fe Conservation Trust, has some related talking points on their website. Las Campanas was mentioned as one important community to approach. Rancho Viejo has already signed the partnership agreement.
Each Area has planning team members as well as resources listed to consult and include relevant to a given area, such as County planning staff, National Park Service / National Historic Trails office and affiliates (for Camino Real, Santa Fe Trail, and Old Spanish Trail), and Fred Friedman and other railroad buffs on NMCRR, Chili Line, and other abandoned rail lines.
Jarratt Applewhite brought up the former NM Central Railway right-of-way through the Thornton Ranch as a possible mechanism to connect the Galisteo Basin and Petroglyph Hill trail systems with Ranch Viejo and the rest of the GUTS system. Several rail lines have been identified as possible trail sections. Tim Rogers said that the NM Central Line is a current focus, and that Julia Jarvis from the Santa Fe County Horse Coalition has been lobbying for long connecting trails through and around Galisteo Basin. Railroad lines are ideal because they 1.) Specifically follow the historic rail line, 2.) Due to their rail foundation, will require less trail building and maintenance, and 3.) Prevents the need to create additional trails across the landscape.
No date was given for the next meeting, but emails were collected so meeting announcements will follow and be distributed, or you can check back at Santa Fe Conservation Trust website. Ideally, more horsemen will participate in this expansive and important trail connecting plan.If you can contribute your time, please email Tim Rogers.
Meeting notes and photo provided by Sue Murphy