HEY YOU! STAND UP AND BE COUNTED

Making it happen
Photo by Jeff Phaneuf

Mahatma Gandhi once said, "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history."  And someone once described Eventers as a group of individuals who, despite all that can go wrong and all that seems insurmountable, come together for the love of a great (if not extreme) sport and GET IT DONE!

Remember those calls for help that came over the past several years, like the havoc and destruction of GMHA and Huntingdon after Hurricane Irene?  And who can forget how we all came together after the fire to help rebuild True Prospect Farm?  When there is a call to arms, Eventers rise up and take charge much like attacking a difficult cross country course...  "I see it, I know it needs to be conquered and I sit up and kick until I cross the finish line".

Folks...  UNH still need us even more now than ever before!  "But", you say,"I thought it was all ok now!  It is, isn't it?"  (And some of you might even be saying... "Huh?  What's up with UNH?  Didn't they have a Horse Trial a couple of weeks ago?")

Let me see if I can simplify a somewhat complicated situation...

• The Problem - NH State budget cuts reduced funding to the University by $48 million.  UNH developed a Campus Master Plan (CMP) which originally planned to lease out lands used by the Agriculture/Equine/Life Sciences programs for commercial development to bridge some of the shortfall.
• That means RETAIL stores - think Big Box Stores.
• The Outcry - Two public meetings were held.  Over 600 people attended and the support against this development was astounding.  As a result of this outcry, the Master Plan Steering Committee changed the language to "limit" potential development in these areas.
• "Limit" does not mean no commercial development
• More of the Problem - The public meetings were contentious and the Master Plan Steering Committee along with the Consultants were caught unprepared for such a reaction from the community.  Now, they meet quietly until the next public release.   There are Plans to move the Equine program in order to make way for commercial/business development eliminating the current facilities (parts of the XC course, stabling, paddocks, farm buildings, indoor and stadium jumping course). 

So, the Master Plan Steering Committee feel that by moving the facilities, all will be well and that we will be silent.  Where is an already cash-strapped university going to find the money to replace what is being "moved"?

Remember Over the Walls
Horse Trials?  Gone!

It's kind of like a shell game...  they are not canceling the plans for development they are just shuffling it around.  And, for how long will the shuffling last?  Will the Equine Program be able to survive if it continues to be squeezed slowly and consistently like an anaconda eating its prey?

Some of you are all fired up, right?  We're Eventers and we love a good challenge!  And maybe some of you are thinking...  "Well, it's kind of out of my hands and really,  I don't live in NH and haven't ever competed at UNH."  (I actually hope that's just my mom and not an Area 1 Eventer.)

Here is why its important to all of us... even those Eventers outside of New England. 

• Every time Commercial or Retail development occurs on green space we all lose.  Think of all the Commercial and Retail lots in your area that are still "For Lease", half empty or that have signs in the window "Store Closing".  Do we need more on our open lands?
• UNH is one of the first Land Grant Universities whose mission was to, among other things, teach Agriculture using the land granted to them.  If we continue to erode our Agriculture/Environmental Educational base, who will teach our future horsemen? 
• And is a Green/Sustainable future really possible if these colleges continue to be pathed over to make way for the Walmarts of the world?

Photo used with permission
www.flatlandfoto.com

If you love a good gallop, or a great XC run and if you want to continue to see Horse Trials throughout New England...  WE ALL NEED YOU NOW!

Take a few moments and email the following key individuals:

• UNH President, Mark Huddleston - Mark.Huddleston@UNH.edu
• UNH Board of Trustees Chair, Ed Dupont - EDupont@DupontGroup.com
• UNH Director of Advancement, Peter Weiler - Peter.Weiler@UNH.edu
• UNH Chairof the Steering Committee of the CMP, Paul Chamberlin - Paul.Chamberlin@unh.edu
• University Architect and Director of Campus Planning, Doug Bencks-Doug.Bencks@unh.edu

Express your concern over the proposed development and kindly demand:

1. that the Campus Master Plan be revisited and redirected
2. that they must discontinue the plans for any large scale retail development on UNH land,
3. that Agriculture, Dairy, Equine, Organics and Sustainability are very important and should be invested in rather than squeezed out.
4. that the President meet directly with the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture to hear their input

Change happens when we make it happen! Get emailing!

REPRINTED FROM USEA AREA 1'S NEWSLETTER - OPTIMUM MINUTES (http://www.area1usea.org/Resources/Newsletter/2012-may28.pdf)