9044-R4_MSA_May2025_Newsletter

From The Executive Board

From the President

with. I appreciate the opportunity and hope the coming year brings more of the same. Definitely, less miles on the odometer this season, but I found the season to be very rewarding. The annual banquet was amazing, clubs and snowmobilers from across the State came out to recognize many award-winning individuals and groups who contribute all year to the sport, their club(s) and communities. It continues to amaze me all that people have to give as snowmobilers. Folks work hard all year long to retain & improve the trail network. Some really deserving awardees at the banquet please take the time to read through the articles. We are in the midst of the legislative process with LD1547, hoping that we can come out of the taxation committee with a positive outcome. At the very least, a chance to have good conversations as well as educating another group of legislators. The committee was very inquisitive during the public hearing. Please get out and attend a Maine Trail Program grant class put on by Doug Beck. This is the key to understanding this grant process and opening up a new funding source. If you feel uneasy, reach out to your local MSA director or VP and we can get your club some help with the grant. We have asked for money, voted to get the money now let’s use it! I know there are projects that need to be done, this is a way to do it without eating into your winter grant budget. I know each club has struggles and successes. I would love to hear about them both, help collect concerns to determine how the MSA & I can help or connect new or struggling clubs with ideas or people who can help them move forward. There are SO MANY new people in club positions and it can be overwhelming to determine how to best spend your volunteer hours. I am again challenging all clubs for the Even though we had an abbreviated season, the MSA, its 280 clubs, the snowmobile program through Joe Higgins office and our lobbyist at the State House all had an extremely busy year. The MSA had a very short break after the Annual Meeting last April. We picked back up in June with an informational Summit at Eastern Maine Snowmobile Club in Holden and never looked back, with the Annual Golf Scramble later that month, a number of club events, barbeques, brewfests, grass drags and a host of other club related events that were attended throughout the summer. The Fall brought on more events, more grass drags, snowmobile show in Mass as well as our own show in October, followed by the Super Raffle in December, not to mention the MSA stated Directors meetings, E-Board meetings, Steering Committee meetings, Trails Workshops as well as other various committee helping me through my first year as President as our MSA family worked its way through some tough personal challenges and to my Vice President Matt Stedman who stepped up and took care of business when I wasn’t able to. It truly amazes me just how fast time goes by. For instance, wasn’t it just yesterday that I was writing my first column for the September paper and in a blink of an eye here we are and I am writing for the Season Wrap-up. It absolutely is true that the older you get the quicker time flies and every once in a while you find yourself reflecting back on memories recent and distant ones, and it makes you realize just how precious time and these memories truly are. So cherish these moments that make the memories that make you smile and live life like there’s no tomorrow. W hat a season we had! Many challenges were met—many more to overcome. But we’ll make it happen because we’re the MSA! We have a great team of folks statewide with determination and leadership who have the snowmobiler in mind and protect the land owners. Thank you all for your hard work; many of you go above and beyond. I have an angel with me today. He’s on my right shoulder, whispering in my ear, letting me know how proud he is of us and wanting Alan Swett, 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com

meetings each month. These are just a few of the things that the MSA and its clubs were up to BEFORE the snow came. After the Christmas and New Year’s break and the cold and snow came, this brought on a whole different set of duties if you will and we looked forward to reaping the fruits of our labor. You hear me talk about passion all the time, passion for the sport that we love and I feel that I can say this with confidence that everyone, whether it be on the club level, MSA or State level deep down has that passion and wouldn’t change it for the world. Our Lobbyist James Cody along with the MSA funding committee, in conjunction with Joe Higgins office and the State departments have had an extremely busy year over to the Statehouse creating bills, testifying on bills, and laying out the groundwork for a newly passed Trails Grant. All with one goal in mind and that is to pump more revenue into the Snowmobile program and ultimately more money back into the hands of our clubs. The season is over for now, but that’s ok because with the ending of one snowmobile season starts another one, and for a lot of us that begins right now! I am super excited to get out and see everyone in my extended snowmobile family soon at all of the Summer and Fall events that we will be attending and hosting. Again, thank you to you all and until we meet again please stay safe and don’t stop building on those memories. And remember, I am very easy to find so please reach out to me and let’s talk Snowmobiling. Yes, even if it’s July folks, I am always up for it! Mark 2025-2026 season to join forces with their local warden to set up a trailside safety check and learning session. I envision a club setting up trailside, maybe doing a hot dog roast/ membership drive, having club members and a warden (or two) there to interact with sledders. Talk with them about the importance of riding right, in control & sober. Inform them about the awesome privilege we have due to the generous PRIVATE landowners. Talk to them about how much time/effort & money the clubs and their volunteers spend all year long to make sure they can enjoy the trails. We (MSA, clubs, individuals & the Maine Warden Service) need to do more to make sure the riders understand our system, think about themselves and the others on the trails and all return home to their friends and families in the same condition they left. Please reach out to me, I want to make this happen and can help your club get it setup. Check out the summer calendar of events Statewide, there are some great club & motorsports events to attend. Check out a region you may snowmobile in the spring/summer/fall season and support the organizations hosting the events as well as local businesses. Events such as Golf Tournaments, Chicken BBQ’s, Spud Speedway events, Square Body rally, Big Woods Grass Drags are just a few of the events between now and snowfall to take part in. One last thing, Capitol Equipment grant deadline is June 15 th . There is some homework to be done before submitting so print it off and ask questions to give your club the best chance. Enjoy your summer, do your snow dances, and make sure you and your club are ready for the coming season. us to continue our journey. I miss our good friend Larry every day. He was a very special gentleman in my life. Mark and Matt have done a great job leading the way. I’m very proud of their accomplish ments. The show will go on this year, only with a new title. It’s time to shake things up a bit. The new show will be titled “The Maine Snowmobile Association Powersports Show.” We’ll invite vendors to display their products, whether snowmobiles, ATVs, side-by-sides, or motorcycles. So far, the vendors we’ve con tacted have supported our change. We’ll still have most of the show be snowmobiles, but I think the change will attract more people from Matt Stedman, Executive VP

A Heartfelt Thank You

W e would like to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to the landowners of Maine. Without your generosity and willingness to share your property, our vibrant snowmobiling com munity simply wouldn’t exist. This past season, thousands of riders were able to explore the breathtaking beauty of Maine thanks to your open gates and welcoming spirit. From the rolling hills of Aroostook County to the scenic trails snaking through the western moun tains, your land provided the canvas for countless memories and unforgettable experiences. We understand that allowing public access to your land is a significant com mitment, requiring trust and a willingness to work with us. We deeply appreciate your understanding as we strive to be responsible and respectful guests. So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Maine Landowners. Your generosity is the cornerstone of our snowmobiling community, and we are incredibly grate ful for your support. We look forward to another wonderful season, working together to protect and preserve the beauty of our beloved state.

Mark Chinnock, President 207-754-9874 544 Plains Road, Poland, ME 04274 napadude66@hotmail.com

H ello Everyone, I would first like to thank all of the MSA Clubs and their membership for taking care of business and putting out the best product possible! From Trail maintenance to securing landowner permissions, building and repairing bridges to grooming and laying down the final product as well as everything else that needed to be done, you people are second to none and I thank you for making it all happen. Secondly, I would like to thank my team for From the Executive VP

Trails Committee Report

other walks of life. Hopefully, membership will increase for all those involved. The Raffle this year will be a bit different too. We’ll have a Polaris and Ski Doo sleds along with Alcom and Nitro trailers but this year a $5000.00 gift card will give a lucky winner to use at any Maine based MSA sup porting business dealer. Another big prize will be a stay at the Shin Pond Village 3 nights for up to 14 people. A $3,500.00 value! We had a quick winter; many folks got to ride, which was great, but we still had tragedy on our trails. Too many accidents and a few fatalities always tug on the heartstrings. Thanks, Al I have already scheduled a signage workshop for September. The fall is a great time to educate your trail crews on proper signage deployment, as the info will be fresh when you start trail work. If your club would like to schedule a workshop this fall, please reach out to me. Have a great summer! Brent G reetings from Brewer, The 2024-2025 is officially wrapped up. I want to thank the entire Trail Committee for their efforts this past season. While the riding window was shortened, they still managed to get out and inspect their beats. I received just over 140 inspection reports! A very strong showing! I also want to congratulate Camille Deschene of the East Branch Sno Rovers on his Groomer of the Year award (see full write up in awards section if this edition). If you were at the annual meeting then you already know this, but the membership voted to move forward with our own MSA Trail App. I will be working with Mapgears all summer to develop a user friendly APP that we can be proud of. There will be much more news on this topic in the fall. Brent Spaulding, MSA Trails Chairman 207-944-7762 41 Madison Ave Brewer ME 04412 msatrailchair@gmail.com

Matt Stedman 207-557-1921 (call or text) PO Box 621, Ashland ME 04732 Stedman.matt@jdirving.com

I t seems like it was just yesterday that we capped off 2023-2024 and were planning the MSA E-Board summer summit to welcome new members and help folks understand new roles within the Association. Time really does fly. Another winter behind us, another one different than the last. A season where, for a few weeks, there was riding statewide. We were all very fortunate to get snow leading into February break. Locals got to ride from home, tourists had snow to ride and many folks registered sleds! Even though the length of the season may not have met our expectations I’m sure most people were able to make some sort of special winter memory be it on a trail day or time spent with family and friends. I know I was able to! Many firsts’ as I complete my 1st year as your VP. It has been an honor to meet new people, get to new clubhouses, ride new trails and expand my knowledge of what clubs across the state do well with & what you all struggle

Director of Operations

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