Summer 2017 | 45 Windsor County - To actively seek and support the preservation and protection of our natural environment - To provide for the recreation and amusements of its members and to teach and encourage the safe, courteous, lawful and responsible use of snowmobiles The county supplements the needs of the local clubs with the focus on the secondary feeder trails. The county pays for grooming on all secondary trails. In 2017, over $10,000 in payments were made to local county clubs to cover this expense. It also pays for third night grooming on the main trails when the VAST budget can’t afford to do so. Currently, the county has over $100,000 in zero interest loans for several of the local clubs which helped them pay for grooming equipment. The county will also help with construction costs when money is not available through VAST. Each of these construction requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Windsor county implemented two new policies this year: the Windsor County Power Equipment Grant Writer Subsidy Policy and the Trail Maintenance Grant-In-Aid Policy. Many clubs utilize a grant writing process as an option to cover the cost of grooming equipment, knowing the VAST budget can’t meet the equipment needs of all clubs. The county will pay the first $1,000 towards a grant writer fee to help clubs in this area. The Trail Maintenance Policy focus is on debrushing support for the secondary trails. These expenses can be a financial burden on clubs. The county makes it possible for any club in the county to be in the position to have the best secondary trails possible. The secondary trails in Windsor county are sometimes referred to as the county’s best kept secret. These trails get less usage than the main corridor trails and this means they take less of a “beating” on weekends. It also means that since they are traveled less frequently, you have a better chance of seeing wildlife in the area. There are over 100 miles of secondary trails in Windsor county. When reading the Windsor County Snowmobile Trails map, the secondary feeder trails are easily identified by looking for those trails shown in red. Doub Jacobs of the Skitchawaug Trail Riders shared the following, “We have 27 miles of great secondary trail riding located in Weathersfield and Springfield. We have some beautiful scenic views of Mount Ascutney and many surrounding New Hampshire mountains. The county helps us out tremendously with the county grooming contract which they pay us for each year. Without this financial support, it would be very difficult to keep our trails in such great shape each riding season. Our club was just recently approved for a grant through the Recreational Trails Program in Vermont which will allow us to purchase a brand new 2018 Arctic Cat Bearcat with a 2018 Arrowhead Groomer to go with it. The county supported us with a temporary loan so we can fulfill the grant requirements, as well as offsetting the initial grant writer fee under the new policy. We currently use a 2000 Arctic Cat Bearcat with a homemade groomer, so this will be a huge improvement for us. Our trailmaster, Keith Young, does all of the grooming for our club and he also maintains the grooming equipment and does an outstanding job.” The Cavendish Green Mountain Snow Fleas know firsthand the value of the county. Right after the current officers were elected in the fall of 2014, they discovered a bridge on Corridor 12 near the Cook Shack had collapsed. A construction grant was submitted to VAST. All construction funds had already been allotted to other clubs, so the club approached Windsor county for an emergency loan. Joe Marini, club president, said this about some past support they received from the county, “They gave us the