This is my response to Mari Radtke’s editorial “Betrayal on the Trail” published in the Sanborn Pioneer January 26, 2022
When the prospect of adding horse trails to the Hannibal Waterman Wildlife area was initially brought up in the fall of 2020, the O’Brien County Sportsmen’s Club (OCSC) put the issue on the agenda of a regular meeting and held a vote as to whether the club was in favor or not of the proposed change. OCSC has an interest in the management of this property as they provided a good portion of the funding for its purchase in 1989. The OCSC board of directors voted in opposition to the change based partially on the advice of two individuals consulted who hold Wildlife Habitat Management Degrees. I expressed this at the following Conservation board meeting.
Despite the club’s opinion (OCSC does not own the property after all), the O’Brien County Conservation Board requested an exemption for this property to change the allowed uses, specifically the addition of equestrian use. I wrote two letters to the Iowa DNR on behalf of the O’Brien County Sportsmen’s Club stating the club’s opposition to the proposed changes. Even though Ms. Radtke’s editorial would have you believe that horse trails were “Never the Issue when questions started getting asked” at last month’s meeting, this request was literally the issue on the agenda.
I received a copy of the official DNR Response to this request, which was ultimately denied. Here is an excerpt from the Letter from the Iowa DNR:
“The Wildlife Habitat Stamp grant program was intentionally structured to satisfy certain legal requirements of federal law under the purview of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). This consistency ensures Iowa is eligible for important federal Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Conservation Act
funds. The Wildlife Habitat Stamp grant program exists to help local entities acquire land for the development and enhancement of wildlife habitat. It is funded with a portion of state hunting license fees.
At this time, the FWS considers horseback riding to be an “incompatible use” of wildlife areas acquired with state hunting license fees. The FWS has repeatedly found that the cumulative impact of horseback riding, in particular the resulting routes or trails (whether formally or informally established), can cause species to exhibit avoidance behaviors, can fragment habitat and increase the presence of noxious weeds, and interferes with hunting and trapping.”
This response was consistent with the O’Brien County Sportsmen’s initial opposition to the proposed changes.
The O’Brien County Sportsmen’s Club is willing to work with any group to fulfill our mission or promoting the outdoors in this county. We are not opposed to additional uses of public lands, including but not limited to equestrian trails, In fact, equestrian trails were added to the McCormick area last year. We do not support the proposed changes on the Hannibal Waterman Area, especially considering the financial penalties involved with breaching the aforementioned Federal Laws. I’ll agree with Ms. Radtke on one point, this issue has been dragged out too long and it is time to move forward.
If any member of the public has an idea for the O’Brien County Sportsmen’s Club, please get ahold of a director or come see us at our annual event in Sheldon April 2.
John Farrell, President OCSC, Sanborn