8620-R1_MSA_February2024_Newsletter_Web

From The Executive Board

teered just two hours to a club to do trail work. The small, but mighty trail crews across this state could sure use the help and a break at this point. Something for everyone to think about. With less than ideal conditions in much of the state, club events have been postponed or can celed. This means those clubs are not receiving the income generated from these events.Please consider helping the clubs in any way as they depend on the fundraising events to cover some of their costs. Before you head to an event that has always happened, check with the club to make sure they are still doing it. With that said, On Feb. 17 th , if you receive this paper in time, there will be an Eastern Region showcase ride starting at the East Branch Sno-Rovers in Medway. Plan to be at the club by 8:30 AM. That night is the Febru ary MSA directors meeting also at East Branch Sno-Rovers. If you want to know what MSA is doing, come to the meeting. They are open to the public. If you want to eat, please go to the MSA website and register for the meal. It is contest time! Please send in your nomi nations for the MSA contests by the end of this month. We really want to have many nomina tions to choose from. Recognize those who support your club, are your club and all your club does. If chosen, the recipient is recognized at the MSA annual meeting in April. That’s it for February. See you all in March. Eileen Our goal is to give as much as we can for as long we can. If any club or individual has an idea of a fundraiser, grant or donor that might like to help please contact one of us and we’ll be glad to follow up. Remember scholarship applications are due in the MSA office by April 1 st ! checks are made out to the student’s schools in the winner’s name and sent directly to the business office of each school as well as a con gratulation letter to the student letting them know the scholarship check has been sent. Special thanks to Liz at the MSA office and Donna at Camden National Bank for their help in getting the payments out. This year’s winners are Alicen Higgins of Fairfield going to UMA, Thomas Watt of Greenville going to UMO and Kathryn Smith of Holden going to Gordon College. Congrat ulations to all three! The scholarship committee is very happy to announce that this year the two scholarship winners will receive $1,500 each. Like every thing else the cost of education continues to rise and many cases creates a real hardship for students and their families. The committee is very mindful of that and we want to do as much as we can to support our fellow mem bership families. We take great pride in the process and we are always excited to know that we helped in some small way.

W e have SNOW YAY!!! Club’s across the state are cleaning up trails, Grooming, and our Volunteers are doing an excellent job! Thanks to all. It certainly has been an interesting start to the season. The MSA is always looking to make snowmobiling in Maine the best it can be. Right now, we are looking for ideas to close the gap on funding our trails without raising our registrations again. We’re looking for your input on other options to do this. Please reach out to me if you have suggestions. I would like to thank the clubs who have already done so. I ask all of you to ask a friend to “Join a club” It is always needed. Ride right, Ride safe, and enjoy your ride. Dave There’s a myriad of other activities taking place, perhaps too many to write about in this column, but rest assured that MSA is actively working on issues from rider safety, to fund ing, to trail protection and access each and every day. We’ll continue to work steadily on these priorities, and I look forward to keeping you updated and seeking your input along the way. Safe and happy riding to you all. Thanks for your support. James Cote Vehicles and Make Recommendations for Changes- this legislation was introduced in 2023 and continues to be worked in the Maine Legislature. The objective of the legislation is to enhance funding (especially) for ATV and snowmobile programs here in Maine. The bill is currently being re-referred to the Trans portation Committee after being thoroughly discussed in the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee. MSA continues to work the legis lation, in hopes of attracting a couple hundred thousand more dollars per year to the State’s snowmobile program. While this is not a sil ver bullet, it is a step in the right direction. After the recent storm damage we also met with about 20 local clubs in Strong to discuss how the clubs could work together, and with the State, to get the trail network to an opera ble condition. The meeting was very success ful at getting important conversations going amongst clubs and other key stakeholders. Our thanks to the High Peaks Alliance, repre sentatives from the State such as Joe Higgins and the Maine Warden Service, and local leg islators who participated. Many of us continue to strategize on the best path forward for increasing funding for clubs and the State program going forward. Again, this discussion and strategy will take time, but thanks to the many members of MSA that are participating, we continue to refine ideas in hopes of bringing a proposal forward in 2025 for the Legislature to consider.

Capitol Report

Scholarship Committee

James Cote MSA Lobbyist

H ello MSA Members! Despite the slow and stormy start to winter, I hope your club work and riding are in much better shape as we approach the mid dle of winter. MSA has been busy for several weeks working on a variety of things to help support local clubs and improve snowmobil ing in Maine for all. I think it is also important for all MSA members to know just how much work that your volunteer leaders of the asso ciation are doing for you. They are working tirelessly to bring more attention, and more funding, to the issues that concern us all and have the interests of members and clubs front of mind. So here’s what we’ve been up to recently: Meeting with Governor Mills- MSA leaders Al Swett, Mark Chinook, Matt Stedman and I met with Governor Mills earlier in January to discuss the recent storm damage to trails and to underscore the importance of enhanced funding for clubs. While this is an ongoing discussion and will take time, Governor Mills did express her support for the industry and committed to having more discussions as we move forward. LD 977- Resolve, to Study the Gasoline Tax Allocations for Nonhighway Recreational

Harvey Chesley, 207-314-0637 25 Hillcrest Dr, Clinton ME 04927 harv.chesley@gmail.com

H ello fellow members, hope this article finds everyone in good spirits and with plenty of snow for riding in your area and across the State. January is also the month that the MSA scholarship looks forward so excitedly, the month we get the request from the scholar ship winners to pay their awards. This year we had three winners and awarded each a $1,000 scholarship payable on notification that the applicant successful completed their first semester and is enrolled in their second. The

Eastern Region VP

Coastal Region VP

Eileen Lafland, 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com W elcome February Everyone!! Well its a very interesting winter, as I write this we are getting the BIG one inch storm, hope I can get out to get bread and milk, haha. I want to give a BIG THANK YOU TO ALL VOLUNTEERS who have worked their hearts out clearing trees, rebuilding bridges, re opening trails and making the trails safe for everyone to ride. These volunteers have many, many hours in just in January, not counting what they had before the storms hit. It sure would be nice if EVERYONE reading this paper volun

David Watson 207-205-1558 412 Roberts Ridge Rd East Waterboro ME 04030 dwatson6841@gmail.com

MSA CLUBS:TO ORDER NEEDED ITS & JCT SIGNS

MSA MEMBERS CHANGE OF ADDRESS Let us know when your USPS mailing address has changed - so you won’t miss an issue of the Maine Snowmobiler Members Name: ________________________________________ Old Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ NEW MAILING ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ Mail to: Maine Snowmobile Association, PO Box 80, Augusta, ME 04332 fax: 207-622-7669 or e-mail info to: editor@mesnow.com

Contact Mike Grass Sr. MSATrails Committee

252 Condon Rd • Plymouth, ME 04969 207-368-4914 home • 207-745-2745 cell Grasslands252@gmail.com TO ORDER CLUBTRAIL SIGNAGE Candice Pinkham DACF/Snowmobile Program 207-287-4957 Office • 207-878-8111 Fax Candice.M.Pinkham@maine.gov

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