8944-R1_MSA_January2025_Newsletter

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U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Maine 967 Illinois Ave Bangor, ME 04401 www.rd.usda.gov/me

Grand Boost for Grand Isle Winter Economy The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (CMSC) is based in Grand Isle, Maine. Located in the St. John Valley, the town is in the northernmost region of the state, where snowmobiles are an important feature of winter life. Businesses rely on local snowmobile traffic and the extensive trail network also helps attract out of-town visitors. Unfortunately, the equipment necessary to maintain snowmobile trails is expensive, and it is often difficult for rural clubs to replace old machinery. Fortunately for the CMSC, USDA Rural Development offers grants that can help cover the cost of such equipment. CMSC needed a new trail dragger, a heavy piece of equipment that is towed behind another machine and used to level and smooth the trail. Walk most Maine snowmobile trails in the warm months and you’ll notice that they are uneven and rough. With a trail dragger, club volunteers can drive over miles of snowy trails, smoothing out hills and dips in the surface as they go. But the club’s dragger was old and needed frequent maintenance, putting a strain on their volunteer hours. Allen Morneault had been a member of the club for more than thirty years. He heard about USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program at a club meeting, but no one had time to work on the grant application. A year went by, and the club’s old dragger continued to deteriorate. Morneault had a little experience writing grant proposals and encouraged the club to apply to Rural Development for RBDG funds. Together with the club’s pres ident, treasurer, and trail master, they put together a plan and drafted a grant pro posal. Parts of it were challenging, such as putting together the budget spread sheets. “I am not an accountant. I didn’t know how to do that,” said Morneault. “But we put together the numbers the way we thought they should be, and asked questions of the program specialist.” Their work paid off when the club learned USDA was awarding them a $28,000 RBDG grant. The club’s American made Track “Trail Paver II” was delivered in late October 2024. The new equipment will be more efficient, require less maintenance, and be safer to operate. It is designed to operate well in a range of conditions and should last for decades. (The company’s website promises it “will produce the flattest, hardest, trails ‘at any temperature’ that your Club has ever had!”) CMSC contrib uted $8K from its treasury to the total cost of the dragger. For area businesses, better trail grooming means better access. Snowmobile users travel around town and between towns on the major trails, using connecting trails to approach businesses like stores, gas stations, and restaurants. With the new equipment, says Morneault, the club’s trail master “will be able to groom right up to the front door” of those businesses. For riders, the new equipment will make the trails smoother, safer, and more enjoyable to drive. With robust safety features, the dragger will be safer to operate as well. The club will be able to groom its trails following fresh snowfall and can also use the equipment to clean up trails after heavy use. Maine has more than 14,000 miles of snowmobile trails in its Interconnected Trail System (ITS). Thanks to the Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club, together with a grant from USDA, some of the northernmost routes will be in great shape this winter. Con sider touring the Grand Isle area (perhaps starting out from nearby Madawaska) on your next northern Maine snowmobile adventure!

USDA Awards $118K forTrail Maintenance in Grand Isle and Hermon Grants Reflect Agency’s Commitment to Rural Health and Wellness

Grand Boost for Grand Isle Winter Economy

The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (CMSC) is based in Grand Isle, Maine. Located in the St. John Valley, the town is in the northernmost region of the state, where snowmobiles are an important feature of winter life. Businesses rely on local snowmobile traffic and the extensive trail network also helps aHract out-of-town visitors. Unfortunately, the equipment necessary to maintain snowmobile trails is expensive, and it is oLen difficult for rural clubs to replace old machinery. Fortunately for the CMSC, USDA Rural Development offers grants that can help cover the cost of such equipment. CMSC needed a new trail dragger, a heavy piece of equipment that is towed behind another machine and used to level and smooth the trail. Walk most Maine snowmobile trails in the warm months and you’ll noTce that they are uneven and rough. With a trail dragger, club volunteers can drive over miles of snowy trails, smoothing out hills and dips in the surface as they go. But the club’s dragger was old and needed frequent maintenance, puUng a strain on their volunteer hours. Allen Morneault had been a member of the club for more than thirty years. He heard about USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program at a club meeTng, but no one had Tme to work on the grant applicaTon. A year went by, and the club’s old dragger conTnued to deteriorate. Morneault had a liHle experience wriTng grant proposals and encouraged the club to apply to Rural Development for RBDG funds. Together with the club’s president, treasurer, and trail master, they put together a plan and draLed a grant proposal. Parts of it were challenging, such as puUng together the budget spreadsheets. “I am not an accountant. I didn’t know how to do that,” said Morneault. “But we put together the numbers the way we thought they should be, and asked quesTons of the program specialist.” Their work paid off when the club learned USDA was awarding them a $28,000 RBDG grant. The club’s American made Track “Trail Paver II” was delivered in late October 2024. The new equipment will be more efficient, require less maintenance, and be safer to operate. It is designed to operate well in a range of condiTons and should last for decades. (The company’s website promises it “will produce the flaHest, hardest, trails ‘at any temperature’ that your Club has ever had!”) CMSC contributed $8K from its treasury to the total cost of the dragger. The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club (CMSC) is based in Grand Isle, Maine. Located in the St. John Valley, the town is in the northernmost region of the state, where snowmobiles are an important feature of winter life. Businesses rely on local snowmobile traffic and the extensive trail network also helps aHract out-of-town visitors. Unfortunately, the equipment necessary to maintain snowmobile trails is expensive, and it is oLen difficult for rural clubs to replace old machinery. Fortunately for the CMSC, USDA Rural Development offers grants that can help cover the cost of such equipment. CMSC needed a new trail dragger, a heavy piece of equipment that is towed behind another machine and used to level and smooth the trail. Walk most Maine snowmobile trails in the warm months and you’ll noTce that they are uneven and rough. With a trail dragger, club volunteers can drive over miles of snowy trails, smoothing out hills and dips in the surface as they go. But the club’s dragger was old and needed frequent maintenance, puUng a strain on their volunteer hours. Allen Morneault had been a member of the club for more than thirty years. He heard about USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program at a club meeTng, but no one had Tme to work on the grant applicaTon. A year went by, and the club’s old dragger conTnued to deteriorate. Morneault had a liHle experience wriTng grant proposals and encouraged the club to apply to Rural Development for RBDG funds. Together with the club’s president, treasurer, and trail master, they put together a plan and draLed a grant proposal. Parts of it were challenging, such as puUng together the budget spreadsheets. “I am not an accountant. I didn’t know how to do that,” said Morneault. “But we put together the numbers the way we thought they should be, and asked quesTons of the program specialist.” Their work paid off when the club learned USDA was awarding them a $28,000 RBDG grant. The club’s American made Track “Trail Paver II” was delivered in late October 2024. The new equipment will be more efficient, require less maintenance, and be safer to operate. It is designed to operate well in a range of condiTons and should last for decades. (The company’s website promises it “will produce the flaHest, hardest, trails ‘at any temperature’ that your Club has ever had!”) CMSC contributed $8K from its treasury to the total cost of the dragger. BANGOR, Maine, November 21, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson today announced that the agency is awarding $89,500 to the town of Hermon to purchase snowmobile grooming equipment. Recently the agency also awarded $28,000 to the Cold Moun tain Snowmobile Club in Grand Isle for equipment upgrades. The funding comes through USDA’s Rural Business Development Grant (RBDG) program and was announced on National Rural Health Day. “At Rural Development, we value these projects and choose to invest federal dol lars in them because we understand how vital it is to support Maine’s recreational economy,” said Director Hampson. “The trails help bring customers to businesses all over the state throughout the season. They are also spaces where locals can get outside with their families, gather with fellow enthusiasts, and enjoy other activi ties like skiing and snowshoeing. Maine’s outdoor recreation economy is creating spaces that are not only good for business, but they are also good for our health.” Maine has more than 14,000 miles of snowmobile trails in its Interconnected Trail System (ITS). Most are used for a variety of recreational activities year-round. Snowmobile clubs, municipalities, and other organizations are among those that maintain them, often relying on volunteer labor and local donations. Grooming the trails (compacting and leveling the snow with specialized equipment) makes them safer and more enjoyable to use. The recent trail projects funded by Rural Devel opment are: • The Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club in Grand Isle used a $28K grant to purchase a new trail groomer drag (contributing $8K to the total cost). The equipment was delivered in October, replacing older equipment that required frequent maintenance. At least five local small businesses bene fit from snowmobile traffic on the club’s trails. • The Town of Hermon will use a grant of $89,500 to purchase a used snow mobile trail groomer for the Penobscot Snowmobile Club (PSC). It is one 2 of the largest snowmobile clubs in the state and maintains portions of two intersecting ITS trails. At least eight small businesses benefit from the area’s groomed trails. In Hermon, Assistant Town Manager Scott Perkins emphasized that the local club fulfills multiple roles in the community. “In addition to trail grooming and main taining business connectors along two major trail systems, the PSC holds many community events providing economic development for the entire region for recre ational enthusiasts,” he said. November 21, 2024, is National Rural Health Day, a day to honor the efforts of rural healthcare providers, communities, and organizations that help to meet the unique health needs of rural America. Many of them play multiple roles. The thousands of people who work to ensure Maine’s outdoor spaces are safe and accessible for recreation deserve recognition in this cohort. “As I’ve traveled across Maine visiting our rural communities, I’ve seen the chal lenges people face accessing the health care resources they need and deserve,” said Director Hampson. “We know how to spend a dollar wisely here in Maine, and often that looks like investing in a project that can serve multiple purposes and many community members at the same time. Whether it is through grants to rural hospitals like Northern Light CA Dean in Greenville, or helping to maintain trails and community activities in Grand Isle and Hermon, Rural Development is here with resources to support rural health.”

About Rural Business Development Grants: USDA’s competitive Rural Business Development Grant program funds projects that provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Towns, nonprofits, business cooperatives, Federally-recognized tribes, and other entities are eligible to apply. Read more online (http://tinyurl.com/yhufpnam) or contact Ivana Hernandez- Clukey (email ivana.hernandezclukey@usda.gov or call 207-990-9127) with ques tions. The program is currently open and accepting applications through February 28, 2025.

Members of the Cold Mountain Snow mobile Club pose with the club’s new snow grooming equipment in October 2024. Pictured from left to right are Dennis Cyr (Trail Master), Morgan Fongemie (Treasurer/Secretary), Joe Thibeault (President), and Allen Mor neault, all of whom worked together to plan and submit the RBDG proposal. (Photo courtesy of the Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club.)

Track, Inc. exhibited the Trail Paver II at the Maine Snowmobile Association’s annual show in Augusta with a sign noting it was bound for the Cold Mountain Snowmobile Club. The company representative then delivered the equipment to far northern Maine following the show.

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender.

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