Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 688 | Snowmobile VERMONT VAST News WOODFORD GROOMER HEROS Posted to Facebook by David Harrison A couple of weeks ago, my daughter and I headed out for a quick ride on a Monday night from Kelly Stand after getting roughly 14 inches of new snow. I hit a drift south of the fire tower entrance which threw my sled down over a culvert into a small brook. Luckily, I was not hurt but was unable to get the sled out of all the snow. My daughter and I rode back most of the way on her sled where we met up with Scott [Daniels] doing his grooming. He took my daughter in with him because she was getting cold by now and radioed another groomer, Greg [Rymski], who tried to help me get my sled out with no success. I headed back to pick up my daughter who was now riding with Brian [LaCroix] after they switched groomers. She was warm and always has talked about riding in a groomer (probably not under these circumstances though.) I rode up the next night with three others and got the sled out. Scott’s wife [Mary Beth Daniels] even called me the next day to make sure we were alright. I usually do not post things at all, but feel the need to say what a great group of people they are. It’s not often you come across a group so friendly and eager to help. I know they put in countless hours with little or no appreciation and have even gotten some negative comments which are not deserved. I am grateful for all the help I received and needed to let them know it. By Shane Prisby Here at the VAST office, the winter brings not only the snowmobile season but the legislative session as well. Beginning in January, our elected representatives convene in Montpelier to debate on new legislation. With the help of our lobbyists, we monitor these bills as they are introduced to see how they might affect snowmobiling. Every legislative session is different and it takes vigilance to stay on top of all the changing legislation. Overall, VAST interaction with the legislature can be broken down to three categories: New Legislation, Giving Testimony and Outreach. New Legislation: On occasion, it is necessary for VAST to ask for new legislation or the modification of existing legislation to meet the changing demands of snowmobiling across the state. This can come in a variety of forms such as legal protections for VAST, strengthening of safety measures for riders, or to address law enforcement through fines and penalties. This work is accomplished through the Governor’s Council on Snowmobiling. Together with DMV, legislators, and law enforcement, we discuss the issues facing snowmobiling in the state. If legislation is deemed necessary, we work together to draft a bill and introduce it to the proper committee for debate. Giving Testimony: A bill begins by being introduced in committee and testimony is taken on the bill. The testimony offers the legislators an opportunity to ask questions of interested parties to better understand the needs and impacts of the proposed legislation. While much of the legislation doesn’t have an impact on snowmobiling, some may. In those instances, we work with our lobbyists regarding the impacts, good or bad, may be and how best to address it. Sometimes it means having VAST staff speak on behalf of the organization to address our concerns or state our support. Outreach: VAST also spends time on outreach to legislators and other governmental officials. Sometimes we are invited to give updates before committees to discuss snowmobiling issues or the progress on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. We annually apply for our “Day Under the Dome” where we set up a booth in the State House to answer questions and let people know how we are doing. It provides us an opportunity to let the legislators know that snowmobiling is not only a big part of Vermont’s winter economy, but is the product of the passion and hard work of our dedicated volunteers. LEGISLATION, TESTIMONY & OUTREACH Beth Godin, Matt Tetreault, Mark Reaves and Shane Prisby spent a day in early March at the Vermont State House for VAST’s Day Under The Dome to speak with and educate legislators about our organization. Woodford SnoBusters’PistenBully