Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S P R I N G 2 0 1 7 82 F O R T H E L o v e O F . . . ANOTHER OUTSTANDING MONTANA NONPROFIT. B A C K C O U N T R Y H O R S E M E N O F M O N TA N A Back country Horsemen is a Montana-made idea that has its roots deep in the spirit of Montana's wild back country. e concept began on a chilly late fall evening in 1971 when four men sat around a campfire deep in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. e cold north wind kept them close to the warmth of the fire while they discussed the challenges of keeping public access in the re- cently designated Bob Marshall Wilderness. As they stared into the bright red and orange coals, they began contemplating how horsemen/women could work collaboratively with the federal agencies, primarily the Forest Service, Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management to further protect and keep access open on our public lands and meet the mandates of the Wilder- ness Act. While the coals and embers of the campfire eventually died, the concept of building a service-based organization that furthered the use of horses and mules in Montana's back country grew stronger and brighter. In 1973, the first meeting of the new organization called the Back Coun- try Horse Users Club was held at the Flathead National Forest Office in Kalispell. It was led by the four men who had sat around that campfire. In 1974, the Missoula chapter of Back Country Horsemen was established and the organization became the Back Country Horsemen of Montana. Now, 43 years later, 17 chapters spread across Montana, with nearly 1,300 members working tirelessly to assist with trail clearing, maintenance, construction and facility repair. Since that time, 37 States across the U.S. with almost 16,000 members have become Back Country Horsemen of America, continuing the work of keeping access open for the American Public into our wilderness and back country Public Lands. D O YOU ENJOY HORSEBACK RIDING, HIKING, HUNTING, FISHING OR BACKPACKING IN MONTANA'S BACK COUN- TRY AND WILDERNESS AREAS? Chances are, you have benefit- ted from the volunteer work done by Back Country Horsemen of Montana (BCH MT). Last year alone, 4,384 miles of trail and 21,287 hours were spent on trail work by BCH MT. With our federal land management agen- cies being forced to operate with declining budgets, volunteer efforts are increasingly important to help keep trails open for all public users. A B O U T 1 , 3 0 0 M O N TA N A N S W O R K T I R E L E S S LY T O R E PA I R T R A I L S

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