2 | Snowmobile VERMONT VAST STAFF Executive Director Cindy Locke cindy@vtvast.org | Ext. 11 Trails Administrator Matt Tetreault matt@vtvast.org | Ext. 12 Media Manager Beth Godin beth@vtvast.org | Ext. 16 Finance and HR Manager Sheila Fenoff-Willett sheila@vtvast.org | Ext. 14 Trails Manager Ken Brown ken@vtvast.org | Ext. 18 Office and Programs Manager Cyndy Carrier Brown cyndy@vtvast.org | Ext. 10 VAST OFFICERS President Tim Mills 802-234-5000 timmills1@myfairpoint.net Vice President Jeff Fay 802-238-2037 jfayvast@comcast.net Treasurer Sonia Koehler skoehler@gmail.com Secretary Jim Hill 802-343-4478 jh_builders@hotmail.com Snowmobile Vermont Magazine 26 Vast Lane, Barre, Vermont 05641 Tel: 802-229-0005 • Fax: 802-223-4316 editor@vtvast.org | vtvast.org Snowmobile VT Magazine (ISSN 2374-5630 is published five times: Fall (October), Early Winter (December), Winter (January), Late Winter (April) and Summer (August) by The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, Inc, 26 Vast Lane, Barre VT 05641. Periodicals postage paid at Barre, VT and additional mailing offices POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: VAST, 26 Vast Lane, Barre VT 05641-4477 VAST Direction MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS Patty Companik, Kim Davis, Dave Diminico Sr., Jeff Fay, Roger Haskins, Jesse Lambert, Brandon Phillips, Pat Poulin, Tim Mills, Mike Mutascio Snowmobile VERMONT VERMONT ASSOCIATION By VAST Executive Director Cindy Locke Of SNOW TRAVELERS What does it take to open each mile of the VAST trail system? How many volunteer steps are in each mile (2,300)? What happens when you add in elevation changes, bridges, trees down and signs to put up or take down? I think about all of this as I am out riding our beautiful trails in Vermont. I think about those who made this trail possible this year and also all of the folks no longer with us who walked those steps before with chainsaws, hammers, blood and sweat. If you don’t volunteer, what do you think about when you are riding? Do you consider that your TMA (trail pass) for $89 to $185 a year is what keeps these trails open and groomed? Do you think about the thousands of volunteers it takes to manage these trails? Do you think about the money it costs to buy, maintain and run a groomer? What about the landowners? Do you think about how landowners in Vermont get no benefit to opening their land to snowmobiling? When you or someone in your group rides off the trail, do you think about the damage that could do to the land and to the relationship with the landowner? Or are you just thinking about yourself and that $89 to $185 dollars you spent? You know what else I think about? I think about sleds like the ones in the photo below with no up-to-date registration or TMA. I think about how much damage that does to all the members who do buy a trail pass, who do follow the rules and support volunteers doing all the work on the trails and who build strong relationships with landowners. All that being said, I think many of you do think like me. Let’ all make a commitment to passing this along to others when we see them riding without a TMA or ripping it up off trail, that it is not okay. Tell them that they are hurting every volunteer and every landowner without whose generosity and dedication to snowmobiling in Vermont, none of us would have these amazing trails to ride. So, when someone says, “Who cares about VAST?” they are really saying, “Who cares about each person who volunteers and every landowner.” Kind of like kicking a puppy if you ask me… Fond Regards, Some of these sleds were seen on the VAST trails without valid TMAs or DMV Registration. This is an example of the complete disrespect and disregard for the thousands of volunteers and landowners who make our trails possible.