Bay Area Barn and Trails :: Programs and Projects

BAY AREA BARNS AND TRAILS
Helping Preserve Equestrian Lands and Trails in the Great Outdoor San Francisco Bay Area

Bay Area Barns and Trails (BABTT) Grants Available to Bay Area Equestrians
Equestrian coalitions, public and private landowners, land and trail trusts, and non-profit equestrian organizations are invited to apply for small grants ($500.00-$2,500.00) to support land, trail and barn acquisition, restoration, construction, public education, and capacity building. Preference is given to applicants that have raised matching funds during equestrian-sponsored rides or events.

Since 2000 BABTT has helped conservation minded equestrians preserve and restore natural areas and wildlife habitat, maintain parks and public open space, equestrian facilities, trails and trailheads by awarding $114,094. in matching funds to thirty land trusts, agencies and/or equestrian organizations.

The application form for 2008 Stewardship, Acquisition, Education and Capacity Building Support can be downloaded here. 2008 Grant pdf

NEW! View an inspiring video documenting BABTT Grant funds helping to build a new shelter at Lake Sonoma Horse Camp site. Hope you enjoy this Video! Click here to view.

Being Resourceful with self-directed "Stewardship"!
- Photo from Maureen Pinto, Golden Gate Dairy Stables, Muir Beach

2007 Education, Preservation, Stewardship, and Capacity Building Grants = $16,075
2000-2006 Education, Preservation, Stewardship, and Capacity Building Grants*= $98,019
TOTAL = $114,094

Alameda/Contra Costa County: October 2007	$5,000
Tilden/Wildcat Horsemen/Metropolitan Horsemen/6th Annual 5-Day Labor Day Weekend Ride: Benefits East Bay Regional Parks District and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council: Stewardship

Contra Costa County: September 2007	$2,500
Solano Land Trust: Support Lynch Canyon Grand Opening: Stewardship

Contra Costa County: July 2007	$2,600
M & M Stables: Support Stable & Creek Cleanup: remove accumulated horse manure: Stewardship

Marin County: May 2007	$2,500
Friends of Marin Stables/Marin Municipal Water District: Support restoration of seasonal creek adjacent to horse paddocks: Stewardship

Marin County: November 2007	$500
Alto Bowl Horseowner’s Association/Marin County Open Space District: Habitat Restoration/Invasive Plant Removal: Stewardship/Volunteer Support

Solano County: May 2007	$2,500
Solano Land Trust: Support Lynch Canyon Trails Stewardship

Solano & Contra Costa Counties: October 2007	$2,500
Michael Muir/Access Adventure: Assist with Corrals construction/Rush Ranch Solano Land Trust properties: Education

Sonoma County: May 2007	$475
Back Country Horsemen/North Bay Support construction of manure bunker in Annadel State Park

2006 Education, Preservation, Stewardship, and Capacity Building Grants

Alameda/Contra Costa County: September 2006	$5,000
Tilden/Wildcat Horsemen/Metropolitan Horsemen: 5-Day Labor Day Weekend Ride: East Bay Regional Parks District and the Bay Area Ridge Trail Council: Stewardship

Contra Costa County: December 2006	$2,500
Muir Heritage Land Trust: To support trail planning, construction and organizational needs: Stewardship

Marin County: May 2006	$2,500
Friends of Marin Stables/Marin Municipal Water District: Purchase new manure storage bin to prevent drainage into neighboring creek: Stewardship

Marin County: October 2006	$500
Alto Bowl Horseowner’s Association/Marin County Open Space District: Habitat Restoration/Invasive Plant Removal: Stewardship/Volunteer Support

Marin County: December 2006	$1,000
Golden Gate National Recreation Area/Marin Headlands’ Mounted Horse Patrol: Education/Program Support

Santa Clara County: May 2006	$1,000
Santa Clara County Land Conservation Initiative: PLAN Help protect hillsides, watersheds, ridgeline and other valuable natural areas: Education & Capacity Building

Santa Clara County: May 2006	$500
Friends of the San Jose Mounted Unit: 20^th Anniversary: Capacity Building

Solano & Contra Costa Counties: May 2006	$2,500
Michael Muir/Access Adventure: Assist with purchase of two Thornlea Carriages for Disabled visitors to Muir Heritage & Solano Land Trust properties: Education

Solano County: December 2006	$2,500
Solano Land Trust: To support equestrian trails: construction and management: Stewardship

Sonoma County: May 2006	$2,500
Back Country Horsemen, North Bay Unit/ Army Corp of Engineers Construction of a Shade Cover within the Dining Area of the Lake Sonoma Horse Camp: Stewardship

STEWARDSHIP, ACQUISITION, CONSTRUCTION AND ORGANIZATION GRANTS 2000-2005

2005: Alameda & Contra Costa Counties	$5,000
Tilden/Wildcat Horsemen/Metropolitan Horsemen: Bay Area Ridge Trail improvements/maintenance

2004: Alameda & Contra Costa Counties	$6,525
Tilden/Wildcat Horsemen: 2,100 gallon Water Storage Tank and Horse water trough: Es Anderson Horse Camp, Tilden Regional Park-East Bay Regional Park District; Tilden/Wildcat Horsemen/Metropolitan Horsemen: 5-Day Ride: Bay Area Ridge Trail improvements

2001: Contra Costa County	$ 2,500
East Bay Regional Parks and East County Horsemen's Association (ECHO) Restore 'Tank Trail' in Antioch's Contra Loma Regional Park.

2001-2005: Marin County	$ 830
Alto Bowl Horseowners' Association/Marin County Open Space District: Volunteer Support for Habitat Restoration: remove non-native plants; strengthen public/private partnerships

2001 - 2005: Marin County	$ 6,000
Ocean Riders of Marin: Assist with production of video describing San Francisco Police Department's 'Wilderness Program' for inner city children; Assist with purchase of tractor to facilitate manure recycling to Green Gulch Organic Farm Green Gulch Farm/Zen Center where composting program demonstrates beneficial use of horse manure in organic gardening; install flexible water dams and roofing to redirect rain runoff and reduce sedimentation in Redwood Creek, a Coho and steelhead spawning site near Muir Woods.

2002 & 2004: Napa County	$ 3,503
Bay Area Ridge Trail Council & Tuteur Family Trust for Napa/Solano Ridge Trail Construction & Maintenance fund; Skyline Wilderness Park for 10 Poplar Trees for Erosion Control/shade in Horse Camp.

2004: Santa Clara County	$ 2,500
Friends of Westwind Barn: Replace Sliding Barn Doors

2001: Sonoma County	$ 1,000
Back Country Horsemen of California/North Bay Unit: construct a horse corral in Annadel State Park for the California State Park Ranger Horse Patrol Program with a second stall added to care for injured horses. Exemplifies public/private partnership: the Silverado State Parks District and other donors, such as the Sonoma County Riding and Driving Club, Wine Country Peruvian, Sonoma County Horse Council, and Martin Ranch Supply

2002: Sonoma County	$1,917
BCHC/North Bay: Spring Lake Park: Manure Bunker/hitchrails

2003: Sonoma County	$3,514
BCHC/North Bay: Four Manure Bunkers: Sonoma County Regional Parks/Shiloh, Foothill, Crane, Ragel Ranch; Water trough: Bodega Dunes Equestrian Staging Area

2004: Sonoma County	$4,101
BCHC/North Bay: High line poles, water troughs and a manure bunker in Lake Sonoma Lone Rock Parking and Horse Staging Area; Horse Bridge across feeder creek on Main Horse Trail in Little Warms Springs Creek Drainage at Lake Sonoma; Land Paths/Willow Creek Staging Area: manure bunker, hitchrails, drainage repairs

2005: Sonoma County	$2,500
Sonoma Horse Council: Reconstruct Equestrian Parking Facility adjacent to Bodega Dunes State Park.

2005: Sonoma Horse Regional Parks Foundation	$1,600
Matched $1,610. contributed by Sonoma County equestrians for acquisition of Tolay Lake Regional Park.

REGIONAL ‘Weed Free Feed’ Website - annual support	$1949.50
For design and maintenance of Weed Free Feed www.weedfreefeed.com - established by Bonnie Davis, free lance writer and owner of Two Horse Enterprises. The award-winning site is designed and maintained by Debbie Smith, Bay Area Equestrian Network: www.bayequest.com/

Bay Area Resource Conservation District Equestrian Facilities Assistance	$500
Co-sponsored Alayne Blickle's 'Horses for Clean Water' presentations to Bay Area Horse owners/stable managers: Mud and Manure Solutions. Horses for Clean Water www.horsesforcleanwater.com/ -2000

NATIONAL ‘Plant Growth and Potential Spread of Noxious Weeds from Horse Manure’	$1,000
Research to determine the role of horse manure on the spread of noxious/invasive weeds.’ Dominican University/National Park Service. Help defray expenses incurred by research facilitator Bonnie Davis. -2005

Environmental and Public Health Impacts from Horses	$5,750
To support research by Dr. Rob Atwill, DVM, MPVM, Ph.D. / University of California-Davis. A total of 500 manure samples were collected from 2500 horses in nine Bay Area stables. 5 samples of fresh manure tested positive for E. coli O157:H7 and ZERO were positive for salmonella. ALL manure pile samples aged for more than 24 hours tested negative." www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sitemap.html -2000

Envirohorse

$500

Provided 'seed money' to support the formation of 'Envirohorse' whose mission is to identify, gather, and disseminate information, and to ensure/enhance equine access to public / private lands. Where data gaps exist, Envirohorse sponsors research with others to fill them.
Envirohorse@yahoo.com
-2000

- updated January 2008