Horse Shelter Replacement Project Status
11/1/2013  New Horse Shelter Open
 --See blog posted on 11/3/2013

9/18/2013  Construction began
The posts were installed for the first new horse shelter today.

9/7/2013  Construction contract awarded.
Bids for the construction of the first replacement shelter have been taken and the bid awarded to  Klesner Construction.  Construction should begin soon!

8/21/2013  Site prepared for construction
DNR Staff have taken down all the old posts and smoothed the surface where the new horse shelter will be built.

7/13/2013  FOS began taking down old horse shelter
FOS volunteers removed and stored gates and removed and stored stall boards that were usable from the old horse shelter.

7/15/2013  Grant  for First Replacement Horse Shelter Awarded to Friends of Shimek

      The Lee County Charitable Fund (LCCF) has notified the Friends of Shimek State Forest Equestrian Trails that they have been awarded a grant of $4,000 toward the construction of a new horse shelter in the Lower Campground of the Lick Creek Unit of Shimek State Forest. Friends of Shimek and DNR Shimek Staff will provide in-kind labor to deconstruct the dilapidated shelter that is being replaced. Friends of Shimek will raise the remaining cash to complete the construction which has been estimated at $5,800 for a roofed, 8 stall pole structure with gutters. Volunteers will construct the internal stalls and hang gates.

         Lee County Charitable Fund is a non-profit foundation established by the Community Foundation of North Lee County and the Keokuk Area Community Foundation and serves only Lee County, Iowa.  The Fund’s charitable interests include arts and culture, community betterment, education, health, and human services.

With the assistance of LCCF's grant, the Friends of Shimek volunteers and the DNR Shimek staff plan to take down the most deteriorated roofless set of stalls and have the new horse stall building in use by the end of the year.

         FOS President Ann Bennett said: “We are most appreciative of the grant from the Lee County Charitable Fund. This grant will help us provide safer, better facilities for the use of campers at Shimek. Thousands of riders use the trails each year, many camp out and need access to horse shelters. This will make camping safer for the horses and increase the attractiveness of the facility to equestrians from around the state and nearby states a well.” She went on to say: “We are in the midst of raising funds to complete this shelter and to prepare for upgrading the remaining two old shelters. We are pleased to announce that a generous, anonymous donor has awarded us $1,000 which will go toward this project.”

During the workday, a team of volunteers took down the old gates and stall boards and moved the gates to storage for reuse. FOS Board member Ringo Covert will direct the project and work with Forester John Byrd to assure that the project is completed satisfactorily. The next steps are that Shimek Forest staff will take down the old poles and Ringo will obtain bids for construction of the shelter, followed by constructions as soon as possible.

We are raising funds for match on this project and toward the replacement of the other two roofless shelters in the future. Any donation you can make to help us with this project will come back to you as better camping and riding facilities at Shimek. Send donations to  Lee County Bank c/o Debbie Miller, 2501 Avenue L, Ft. Madison, IA 52627.. Make checks payable to Friends of Shimek.