Loudoun County is to begin evaluations to potentially allow equestrian uses on the trails at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. At the May 7 Board of Supervisors Business Meeting, the Board passed a motion that directed an independent consultant to conduct a baseline study to evaluate the impacts of allowing equestrian uses at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve. This was in alignment with directives from the Board of Supervisors Transportation and Land Use Committee as well as the Parks and Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Board Meeting. Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy believes that the ecological impacts on Loudoun’s only nature preserve must be thoroughly examined before opening trails to horses. This baseline study is a commendable compromise, and a good place to start as long as the study contains explicit directives to evaluate all potential ramifications on natural resources.
Loudoun Wildlife acknowledges that there is a need for more equestrian trails, and there is a need to protect more open spaces for wildlife habitats (Banshee Reeks is the only nature preserve) in Loudoun County: solutions should be sought that satisfy both needs. Environmentally sensitive areas, such as those that make up over 50 percent of Banshee Reeks, should be protected, and studies show that environmentally sensitive areas are especially prone to negative impacts from equestrian use. We encourage our members to support protecting Banshee Reeks by advocating for the protection of natural resources as the first priority.
Photo by Lisa Streckfuss.
In accordance with the Banshee Reeks Master Plan and Addendum, currently the only equestrian trail that is permitted at Banshee Reeks is one along the northern perimeter of the property where there are no environmentally sensitive areas, if and only if an adjacent trail exists outside the property for it to connect to. The recent reopening of Evergreen Mills Hiking and Equestrian Trail included a multi-use trail around the perimeter of the Loudoun County Landfill and adjacent trailhead parking area, which satisfies the adjacent trail requirement and triggered the opening of equestrian access along a trail on the northern perimeter of the nature preserve. However, current discussion about equestrian uses has the potential to open more of the property to horses.
Banshee Reeks was created “exclusively for the purpose of conservation and related limited, non-intrusive education uses.” As Loudoun County’s only nature preserve, preservation and conservation of the wildlife and natural areas should be the top priority. As such, professional subject matter experts such as ecologists and wildlife biologists should be consulted during the evaluation by an independent consultant. The consultant must be given specific directives to ensure that the contractor is required to study all aspects of natural resources that horses have the potential to negatively impact. At a minimum, these must include:
- Soil erosion and compaction
- Horse excrement on trails as impacting water quality and other recreational users’ experience
- Impacts to native plants and sensitive habitats including, but not limited to, spread of invasive species
- Impacts of equestrians/presence of horses on wildlife and other recreational users
Loudoun County Parks and Recreation has stated that there is conflicting research surrounding the impacts of equestrian uses, a claim which has been discussed at recent PROS Board meetings on the topic. However, it must be noted that even within the conflicting research, one theme is that equestrian impacts are site specific. They must be carefully studied and planned to avoid and/or mitigate potential impacts, and research confirms that impacts are significantly greater in environmentally sensitive areas such as those that comprise the majority of land at Banshee Reeks.
Research must be conducted by accredited experts given specific directives to ensure that the environmentally sensitive areas at Banshee Reeks will not be disturbed or destroyed by allowing horses on any portions of the trails at the preserve. Loudoun Wildlife’s conversations with Virginia Department of Wildlife biologist Jordan Green have indicated a variety of reasons that horses pose a potential threat to environmentally sensitive areas. These potential threats must be evaluated as they relate to Loudoun’s only nature preserve before a recommendation on access is made to the Board of Supervisors. Other professionals must be consulted on this issue from subject matter experts in both recreation and natural resources.
Please refer to the following resources on the potential impacts of horses in natural areas:
- Letter from Department of Wildlife Resources biologist Jordan Green
- Research Article: Environmental Impacts Associated with Recreational Horse-riding
- Letter from Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy Executive Director Michael Myers to the Parks and Recreation and Open Space Board regarding a meeting held to discuss the opening of the trails to horses on February 8, 2023
In addition to the ecological implications, we continue to have concerns regarding the lack of comprehensive public engagement and public transparency on this issue. Little information on the process was publicly disclosed to the public or interested stakeholders. Additionally, concerns are still present regarding the integrity of and adherence to the results and recommendations of the study to be conducted. We are hopeful that more robust public engagement opportunities will become available as this item moves through the Board of Supervisors.