Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands director snowmobiles Moosehead region

To the Editor;

After a slow start to the winter of 2021, mother nature finally came through in late January. Over a long weekend I closed the laptop, turned off the cell phone and headed with my family and dog to Moosehead Lake. While we couldn’t scare up an auger for ice fishing, we burned some calories on cross-country skies and burned some fuel on a Ski-Doo. My daughter had never been on the back of a snowmobile, and I turned around occasionally to see if she wanted to head back. Each time I heard her excited voice loud and clear through the helmet — “Keep Going Dad!”

Snowmobiling not only gets Mainers outside in the coldest, darkest months of the year, it’s also big business, annually generating more than $600 million dollars for the state’s economy. In the last five years snowmobile registrations have increased by 35 percent, to more than 83,000. With support and partnership from the Maine Snowmobile Association, the Bureau of Parks and Lands’ Snowmobile Program plays a central role in sustaining this important winter activity. Through the Snowmobile Trail Fund and Capital Grant Fund, the Bureau provides critical support to 290 snowmobile clubs across Maine. This funding only partially covers the grooming and maintenance needs of a 14,000 mile trail system. Snowmobile clubs raise private funds for the remainder of the expenses through the dedicated work of club volunteers, who contribute countless hours on the trails through all seasons.

From Rockwood to Kokadjo, it was great to see so many people of all ages out enjoying the trails a few weeks ago. My daughter hasn’t asked for a snowmobile yet, but Christmas is still 10 months away.

Andy Cutko

Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands director