| National guardsmen complete the remodel work at Potter’s Pond to accommodate horsemen. |
Campers with horses have four new reservable campsites at Potters Ponds. The campsites became accessible this week after the 1457th Engineering Battalion of the Utah National Guard established a crossing of the stream at Potters Canyon. Guardsmen from all over Utah contributed hundreds of hours to the project. Utah’s dedicated hunters had already volunteered 192 hours of labor to fabricate and install horse tie stalls near each of the new campsites.
In order to reserve the equestrian campsites, people should call 1-877-444-6777 or go online at www.reserveusa.com. If campsites are not reserved, they will be opened up to the camping public on a first-come, first-serve basis. To be assured of a campsite with horse stalls, people need to make a reservation.
| Several groups work on the four horse campsites at Potters Pond. |
Funding for the project was provided through a Congressional appropriation for projects implemented during the Centennial of the national Forest Service this year. Money was awarded in a competitive process within the forest service.
The Manti Forest Preserve was designated in 1903. In 1905 the United States Forest Service was established and forest preserves became national forests.
Several activities have commemorated the centennial, and Congress created the one-time fund for centennial projects seeking to improve the National Forests and encourage partnerships. The Potters Ponds project has benefited from partnerships with the National Guard, Dedicated Hunters and Back Country Horsemen.