b'TRAILS REPORTBy Matt Tetreault, VAST Trails AdministratorThe warm summer days are passing usnot be completed by the end of the by quickly, and soon enough, trail signsfiscal year. In the end 100% of the costs will be dotting the landscape across thewill be covered and the trails will be in hills of Vermont. We are comparablebetter shape for it.to squirrels during these summerOf the 114 projects, there were 49 months, darting around the world inbridge projects, 23 trail relocations, 28 preparation for the winter that liestrail tread repairs, ands 14 culvert/ahead. Wood is being delivered andgate installations. Clubs will be hearing stacked, gardens are beginning toback on the funding amounts for each produce, freezers and canning jars areof these projects in early August and being filled to the max (do not forgetthe work will begin on many of them the proper amount of head space) inSummer smoked food selfie! Our latesoon after the clubs hear back about the hopes we make it through the winter,president Tim Mills was famous for postingfunding. As the projects are completed, warm and well fed. Soon summerphotos of smoked meats on Facebook. Inthe trail system will slowly mold into honor of Tim, take some time during this camps will be ending, summer projectsoff-season to enjoy a smoked brisket, ribsshape for the upcoming season.wrapping up and school busses backor pork.In addition to the Grant-In-Aid on the roads. In between this craziness,funding for trails and equipment, the we are all trying to find a few relaxingsummer has been filled with multiple days of vacation if we can. These grants will be paid out to clubsmeetings with counterparts from Life in the VAST office mimics thethroughout the late summer monthsother states and provinces in Canada.trend above and summer has beenand into the fall as the clubs prepareThis is done in part of with the busily passing by. I know that manyfor the upcoming season. International Snowmobile Congress as people are surprised to hear that thereAs clubs were hearing back on thewell as locally with the VAST Board of is a year-round staff at VAST, but yes,status of their Equipment Grant-In- Directors, Trails Committee and a Work there is. From the trails side of things, aAid Applications, they were also busyGroup which is a sub-committee of the lot happens in the spring and summer,obtaining quotes from contractors,Trails Committee. The Work Group or grant season, as I call it. Theretalking to landowners and lining uphas been fine tuning some great work is no license required for this season,their scheduled summer maintenance/ from the Resource Committee, a sub-and no bag limit, but it is a seasonconstruction projects too. For thosecommittee of the Board of Directors, nonetheless. During the grant seasonwho have never been involved in thiswhich attempts to change the structure we are still, believe it or not, trying toprocess, you should try it at least once.of the 105 grooming contracts issued wrap up the grooming payments andIt will give you a whole new respectto clubs and contractors each season. related items from last season as well.for snowmobiling. One will soon comeThere is no argument that winters have It should not be this way, but it is! to realize that a section of trail they ridebeen different than what they were in June brings us to the first round ofthrough in less than two minutes onthe past, and snowfall is different than our Grant In Aid programs, with thetheir way to lunch on Saturday couldit used to be. Trying to fund grooming deadline for the Equipment Grant inpotentially have 80 or more hours ofin an appropriate manner which entails Aid Program on June 1. This year, thevolunteer time planning and obtainingfunding grooming where it is needed, VAST clubs and contractors submittedpermission for a project/relocationaccounting for clubs that simply over-a total of 13 grant in aid applicationsalong it. The 80 hours may not evengroom trails, and keeping enough for equipment. Of the 13 Equipmentaccount the debrushing, signing andmeat on the bone for clubs that do not Grant-In-Aid Applications, two weregrooming that also takes place alonggroom frequently due to lower snow for power units, four for drags andthat section of trail annually. On aconditions is always the challenge. We seven for capital repairs to existinggiven Saturday ride in February, atry to keep grooming contracts of all equipment. A total of $148,000 wasrider may run through 30 or moresizes and needs/wants balanced.spent on equipment grants this season.sections of trail with this same level ofThe Work Group is close to what may This is a bit lighter than the normalinvolvement in a matter of minutes.be a reasonable solution and hope requests, but clubs are certainlyThe deadline for the Constructionto have final proposals to the Trails hanging onto their equipment longerGrant-In-Aid Applications is June 30,Committee and Board of Directors than they used to. The average age ofand this year, we received 114 projectsin the month of August. The higher our grooming fleet remains around 16from 50 different clubs. The totaldiesel fuel prices and increasing costs years of age (2007). Ideally, we wouldamount requested for these projectsto run grooming equipment is at the like this number a little lower but givenwas $652,086. Ideally, we will beforefront of everyones mind. This is the increasing costs of the equipment, Iable to fund 85% of this cost with thebeing taken into consideration as well, suspect that it will remain here into theunderstanding that some projects willand a grooming rate increase will likely future. come in under budget and others willresult. We are not planning to increase 14 | Snowmobile VERMONT'