The Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) gained strong support recently when Bayer Animal Health agreed to be the exclusive sponsor of the 2011 ELCR Conservation Partners program.
The program is a national membership program for conservation minded organizations. The Partners and their members educate horsemen nationwide about the immediate need to conserve land for equine related activity.
The grassroots program continues to grow at a rate of about 25% annually and its success can be directly attributed to the diverse collection of member groups that include breed and discipline associations; trail and recreational riding groups; equestrian parks and facilities; land trusts and government agencies; media companies; and equine retail and wholesale companies. ELCR’s Partners reach 1.2 million horsemen and equestrians across the United States.
Bayer’s sponsorship was strongly supported by Scott King, DVM. Dr. King is the Equine Products Manager at Bayer Animal Health and actively serves on ELCR’s Board of Directors. His zeal for riding coupled with his love for the great outdoors led him to realize the immediate need to conserve land for equine related activities.
“Bayer’s financial support for ELCR’s mission to actively conserve land for horses demonstrates their leadership role in the industry. The critical issue of land loss already plagues the horse industry and Bayer’s attention to this issue will help further our educational outreach”, says Deb Balliet, ELCR CEO.
Bayer is highly committed to the discovery and manufacturing of products that will improve the health of humans and animals worldwide. The company has strong conservation initiatives in place and they have been a partner of the horse industry for decades.
“By combining our sustainability interests with our dedication to the horse industry, it is a natural fit for Bayer to be the 2011 Conservation Partner Program sponsor”, said Dr. King. “We want to help curb the rapid loss of land used for horses and farming, as this is bound to have a long term impact on the horse industry.”
For more information on becoming an ELCR Conservation Partner, or to get involved in equine land and trail conservation in your community, please visit www.elcr.org or contact ELCR directly at (859) 455-8383.
About the Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR): The Equine Land Conservation Resource is the only national not-for-profit organization advancing the conservation of land for horse-related activity.
ELCR serves as an information resource and clearinghouse for land and horse owners on issues related to equine land conservation, land use planning, land stewardship/best management practices, trails, liability and equine economic development.