9 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT is still by far not why most don’t ride any more. The ones who have left this sport, sadly, are Vermonters themselves. Vermont is well known for low paying jobs and a very high cost of living, and when the economy went south, folks had to make some tough choices about where to spend their extra money. In reality, it does cost more to ride in Vermont than neighboring states, but those states continue to raise their prices too and also some cut off grooming before the season ends to not go over their budget, leaving clubs and members to fend for themselves. Riding in Vermont costs more, but we offer more with incredible trail signing and maintenance, vibrant clubs, a strong volunteer base, statewide riding, top notch mapping systems, free trail map apps and much more. This association is run by six full time staff people, where other states are run by whole state agencies and double or triple the employees. This year, we continue to keep staffing costs level, while putting more money into marketing Vermont and into our clubs for their hard work. This past summer, the VAST leadership (Long Range Planning Committee), Board of Directors, Alternate Directors and County Trail Coordinators met again to go over the future direction of VAST. We looked at ways to save money, promote VAST more, drill down on better and leaner ways to operate, etc. It was a good two days and some action items came out of the meeting. These are baby steps for us and while we see other states taking much more drastic steps, our goal is to be doing what we can to save money so we can put it where it is needed. Change is always tough, but it’s important to always keep evaluating our organization, procedures and outcomes. Since Vermont is by far a family destination, this is going to be in the forefront of our promotions this year. We are changing the look of our Traveler’s Guide book to appeal to families more than before. Once again we will hit the road in the fall to attend and exhibit at trade shows all around the Northeast. New this year, we will also be offering online TMA sales right from our Vermont booth at these shows: NY Powersports Show, Maine Snowmobile Show, NH Grass Drags, SAM Show and PA Powersports Show. Going along with VAST are a number of great volunteers to help promote all the great reasons to ride in Vermont! This past legislative session was a tough one, and I spent a lot of time in the state house and in meetings with legislators, agency leaders, and administration leaders. Constantly having to defend outdoor recreation in Vermont can be frustrating. I am hoping that with more common efforts between VAST and other outdoor recreation leaders as hosts of trail systems, we as a group can influence more change to benefit our members in the future. It’s very important that, when you can, you speak up for VAST at public meetings and when talking with folks running for office that you have the information you need. Here is some great VAST info you can carry with you when you are asked questions about VAST: ABOUTVAST VAST was founded in 1967 as a non-profit 501-c-3 membership association. VAST maintains 4,700 miles of statewide groomed trails. VAST has 23,000 members (largest outdoor recreation association in VT). VAST members contribute $500,000,000 a year to Vermont’s economy. VAST has 127 volunteer clubs statewide to maintain and