9225-R1_MSA_December2025_Newsletter

From The Executive Board

CLUB MEMBERS Once grooming begins submit your trail reports to: EDITOR@MESNOW.COM Please include your name and club affiliation So in short, there is lots more information to come and 2026 will be busy! Stay tuned for more updates, ways to engage, and informa tion that may impact you and your club. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy a wonderful holi day season and a healthy happy start to 2026. James Cote MSA Lobbyist Safe snowmobilers know they are respon sible for the sled and how it operates. And how they respect the landowners’ property, on which we are privileged to ride. You have to use good judgment; you have to maneuver through a variety of trail conditions, maybe ice, dirt, or deep snow. The trails change from location to location. Prepare for emergencies. Bring a cell phone, a spare drive belt, electrical tape, duct tape, an extra key, fire starter materials if you get lost, a first aid kit, a flashlight, a spare headlight bulb, and a spare taillight bulb, knife, fuses and tow rope. With today’s technology, satel lite-tracking devices can save your life. I’ve seen them work, and they are available at dealers. These days, we have to be aware that many bad people want your sled and trailer. Prevent theft by removing your key when making a pit stop. Never leave your sled unattended. Use cables and secure padlocks to keep your trailer and sled where they should be in your possession. Watch out for black ice when towing with a trailer or when driving anything on the roads. Towing a trailer on paved and dirt roads is a challenge; be careful going down hills. Secure your sled with a tie-down bar to prevent it from moving in the trailer. Many secure the rear with a strap. Always check your lug nuts after each trip. Check the tire pressure and confirm your trailer’s weight capacity. Don’t overload your trailer. Use extended mirrors to see behind you while towing. A spare tire is a must. If you have trailer brakes, make sure they work. And have you registered? Your first ride of the season is always mem orable, and most accidents happen in the first month. That’s why we all need to take it easy and enjoy the trails slowly, get reacquainted with your machine. We have many clubs in the MSA. They’re the best; their passion and dedication are sec ond to none. Every one of their members goes out of their way to make Maine a worldwide destination point for snowmobiling. Thanks! Be safe out there! Al relationships with your legislators, no mat ter who they are, as we need their support in Augusta! Take the time to have a cup of coffee with them and introduce your club. With the November election will also come a new governor, new commissioners, and other key state staff. I will be monitoring this closely for MSA, and introducing candidates to our issues over the coming months. We want to have great relationships with whoever is elected heading into 2027. Additionally, overall, I’ve been pleased with the general reaction and response to the Maine Trails Bond program. And while there are certainly continued improvements to make, I think future years will continue to provide sig nificant opportunities for local clubs. Matt Stedman and I also monitored and par ticipated in a recent stakeholder process on the future of recreational access to private land in Maine. That process continues to wind down and we will be sharing the final report and any subsequent actions from the Legislature. And recently, we’ve begun a dialogue with the Maine Forest Products Council about potential impacts of the next Comprehensive Land Use Plan by the Land Use Planning Commission and issues that MSA will have to keep our eyes on as that plan is developed over the coming months and years.

valuable opportunity for clubs to connect and discuss important matters. It is important for each club to designate at least two directors, and these directors are encouraged to attend all statewide MSA Directors Meetings, whether in person or via Zoom. The statewide meetings are designed to be both informative and beneficial, keeping clubs up to date on key topics such as legislation, grant opportunities, and issues affecting landowners. If your club would like to discuss any of these topics further, please feel free to reach out. Landowner Appreciation In a recent conversation with a trail master, we discussed ways to express our gratitude to Landowners who generously allow us to use their land for our trails. Hosting trails is a popular way for landowners to support the community. Additionally, groomed trails during deep snow provide significant benefits for wildlife. Deer, moose, and other animals are able to travel more easily, conserving energy as they move across the landscape. The MSA, along with myself as Central Region VP, are committed to supporting you. Please do not hesitate to reach out whenever you have a need or concern. Upcoming Events Reminder: The Director’s Meeting and Super Raffle are scheduled for December 11th at Jeff’s Catering & Event Center. Thank you for your continued support and dedication! Ron Nunes, Central Region VP Eastern Region Clubs- MSA is trying to determine how long clubs have been 100% affiliated clubs with the MSA. This means we are attempting to see how long each club has been established, and all their members have been MSA members. We know we have clubs that have been around over 50 years. Please send me an email of the name of your club and when your club joined MSA or if it was established before MSA, I would like to know that as well. I know Eastern Maine Snowmo bilers in Holden was established in 1969 and joined MSA in 1970, making this their 55th year of continuous operation. Anyone else? As we look in to the new year, each region will be sponsoring a ride and the MSA direc tors meeting at some point. Thanks to Charlie Huntington, Northern Timber Cruisers, East Branch Snow Rovers, and Jo- Mary Riders and especially MOTHER NATURE and OLE MAN WINTER this event will happen on Feb. 7 th for the Eastern Region. Watch the January paper for more info! Until next month- Help a club by donating a few hours for trail work, join a club or two or three, attend a club meeting, attend a MSA Directors meeting, register your sleds, and service your trailer but most importantly- Get ready to RIDE!! Have a safe Holiday season and enjoy the time with family and friends! Eileen D ecember checklist; Register sled, service sled, check gear, check helmet, Snow Dancing all the time!!! Happy Holidays to all. Congratulations to all Super Raffle winners. I hope you enjoy all that you won. It’s been a great start to the season with cold temps freezing up the ground and lakes, snow is falling on a regular basis, clubs are out doing trail work getting ready to ride. Thank you to all volunteers who make our trails the best in the EAST!!! I don’t have a lot to report this month so, I’m heading out to my garage and put new carbides on my sled. Ride safe and enjoy the ride. Dave given work day, clubs report they can’t seem to get people to assist. I would like to chal lenge everyone who is reading this right now to contact a local club, or any club and ask what you can do to help them. We all like to ride on trails that are brushed, signed well, and bridges that are strong, but this can’t and doesn’t happen by itself. I hear it frequently that the trail crew people are getting older and tired and may not get everything done. PLEASE, PLEASE help them out!

Safety Committee

Eastern Region VP

Eileen Lafland 207-843-7813 PO Box 733, Holden ME 04429 L.andE.lafland525476@gmail.com H appy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Best Wishes for 2026 Everyone! WOW!! Another year is almost in the rear view mirror. It doesn’t seem possible that time flies by so fast. Maybe by the time you are reading this, the ground will be frozen and covered in snow so everyone can get out there and ride. Be very careful if you do ride as early season can bring challenges. I am still hoping to set up regional meetings in areas of the eastern region. By the time this paper hits your mailbox or inbox, there may have already been one and another one in the works. It seems like time catches up to me so quickly and I don’t accomplish what I plan to but my intentions are there. Eastern Region clubs are still doing a great deal of trail work to get ready for the season. It is difficult for all clubs in the state to get volunteers to come help. MSA has roughly 5,000 members as I write this but on any

Alan Swett 207-872-7282 234 County Rd, Waterville ME 04901 snowtraveler@roadrunner.com H ello Snowmobilers! We’re starting with early snowfall and freezing temperatures. This will lead eager riders to get out and hit the newly fallen snow. The first ride is like getting back on your horse after a while. This is when accidents and mis haps happen very quickly. Remember how your sled operates, check over the controls while it’s sitting still and not running. Throt tle brake levers, all the things that make it go. Oil levels, grease fittings, chain case, lights, front and rear. Common-sense items we take for granted. Start slow and easy. You should be able to identify the standard parts of your snowmobile. Look them over for any defects. Mirrors, windshield, hood, skis, know your control switches, hand/thumb warmer, park ing brake, emergency stop button, starter switch. Will my battery make it through this season? Or my track, drive chain, drive belt, clutching, spark plugs, and fuel filter? Suspen sion and shocks between the front and rear are crucial, too. Have a trained dealership look it over if you cannot do it.

Central Region VP

MSA Lobbyist Capitol Report

Ron Nunes, 401-527-5370 260 Last Round Up Rd, Lexington Twp, ME 04961 Thelastroundup2018@gmail.com G reetings to Central Region Members and Riders, I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving! As you may know, clubs across the Central Region have been working diligently to prepare for the upcoming season. Volunteers have been clearing brush, repairing bridges, and ensuring that tracks are in top condition. All that remains is for us to wait for a heavy frost and a blanket of snow so we can officially kick off our activities. Directors Meeting Recap We recently held a Central Region Directors Meeting, which was attended by approximately 30 participants. This gathering provided a

James Cote MSA Lobbyist

H

appy Winter Maine Snowmobilers! I have been excited to watch the snow and ice build up in Western Maine over the last couple of weeks. As we are all talking about, hopefully these cold temperatures will make for a splendid winter riding season! Over the past several months, MSA leader ship and I have continued to work on our ideas for the upcoming legislative session and how we will approach our bill that was carried over last spring. We continue to meet and talk regu larly with various stakeholders, including leg islators and state agencies about how we can craft a proposal that can obtain broad support and deliver critical additional funding to our member clubs. The Legislature will reconvene in early Jan uary to continue this work and we will con tinue advocating as aggressively as possible for additional funding. We will continue to report in to you as we progress. I expect that the legislative session will move fast and furi ous this year, as many legislators and candi dates will want to be out on the campaign trail as early as possible in advance of the election this November. Which is a good reminder to encourage all clubs to continue to build strong

Coastal Region VP

David Watson • 207-205-1558 412 Roberts Ridge Rd, E Waterboro, ME 04030 Dwatson6841@gmail.com

7

w m

n o

o b

0 2 5 l M a i n e S

i l

e r

D

m b e r 2

e c

e