The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, Inc. (VAST) was founded in 1967 and is responsible for the organization of the sport of snowmobiling, maintaining and grooming over 5,000 miles of trails in the state of Vermont. [1] Based in Berlin, Vermont, VAST is a private, non-profit organization with six full-time employees and one seasonal employee. Across the state, VAST includes more than 120 clubs, with over 24,000 members combined. [2] Over 80% of the trails are on private land, and the clubs obtain landowner permission for trails on private property. [2]
According to state law, all snowmobile riders in the state must belong to VAST and a local club in order to ride on trails or else face a fine. [3] Use of VAST trails is permitted only in the winter, starting December 16th; other use is considered trespassing. [2]
The organization is also responsible for renovation and management of the 93-mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, which is open for recreational use year-round. [4]
Federal tax forms for 2017 show that VAST had revenues of $3.6 million (of which $2.1 million was membership dues) and expenses of $3.7 million. Over $3 million of that spending was on programs, with $625,811 dedicated to administration and $4,418 spent on fundraising. [5]
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages 193 million acres (780,000 km2) of land. Major divisions of the agency include the Chief's Office, National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations, and Research and Development. The agency manages about 25% of federal lands and is the only major national land management agency not part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, which manages the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.
Caribou is the second largest city in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. Its population was 8,189 at the 2010 census. The city is a service center for the agricultural and tourism industries, and the location of a National Weather Service Forecast Office.
Pittsburg is a town in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 869 at the 2010 census. It is the northernmost town in New Hampshire and the largest town by area in New England. U.S. Route 3 is the only major highway in the town, although the northern terminus of New Hampshire Route 145 also lies within Pittsburg.
The North Country National Scenic Trail, generally known as the North Country Trail or simply the N.C.T., is a footpath stretching over 4,600 miles (7,400 km) from Middlebury in central Vermont to Lake Sakakawea State Park in central North Dakota in the United States; connecting both the Long Trail with the Lewis and Clark Trail. Passing through the eight states of Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota, it is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress. As of early 2019, 3,129 miles of the trail is in place.
A snowmobile, also known as a motor sled, motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, Ski-Doo, or snowmachine, is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. It is designed to be operated on snow and ice and does not require a road or trail, but most are driven on open terrain or trails. Snowmobiling is a sport that many people have taken on as a serious hobby.
Polaris Inc. is an American manufacturer of motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATV, and neighborhood electric vehicles. Polaris was founded in Roseau, Minnesota, where it still has engineering and manufacturing. The company's corporate headquarters is in Medina, Minnesota. The company manufactured motorcycles through its Victory Motorcycles subsidiary until January 2017, and currently produces motorcycles through the Indian Motorcycle subsidiary, which it purchased in April 2011. Polaris produced personal watercraft from 1994–2004. The company was originally named Polaris Industries Inc. and was renamed in 2019 to Polaris Inc.
A rail trail is the conversion of a disused railway track into a multi-use path, typically for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding and snowmobiling. The characteristics of abandoned railways—flat, long, frequently running through historical areas—are appealing for various developments. The term sometimes also covers trails running alongside working railways; these are called "rails with trails". Some shared trails are segregated, with the segregation achieved with or without separation. Many rail trails are long-distance trails.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Currently the Director is Daniel Eichinger. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees.
Jericho Mountain State Park is located in the White Mountains in Berlin, New Hampshire, United States. The park offers trail riding for ATV, UTV, trail bike, and snowmobile enthusiasts, as well as camping, swimming, fishing, canoeing, and picnicking at Jericho Lake.
Burke Mountain is a mountain located in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, part of the Green Mountains Range. The bulk of the mountain is in Burke and Kirby, Caledonia County, but its southeast side is in Essex County. It is flanked to the east and southeast by Umpire Mountain and Kirby Mountain, respectively.
Raccoon River Valley Trail (RRVT) is a rail trail running 56 miles (90 km) from Waukee, Iowa, to Jefferson, Iowa. In 2013, an additional 33.1-mile (53.3 km) north loop was completed on the RRVT, making the RRVT nearly 90 miles (140 km) of paved trails and having a paved interior loop of more than 72 miles (116 km). The 39-mile (63 km) portion of the trail from Waukee to Herndon is part of the American Discovery Trail, which runs between Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware and Point Reyes near the Bay Area of California. In Iowa, the American Discovery Trail will be concurrent with U.S. Bicycle Route 50.
Camel's Hump State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Vermont. The park straddles the northern Green Mountains in an area bounded by Vermont Route 17 on the south and the Winooski River on the north. As of 2017, the park covered a total of 21,224 acres (8,589 ha), making it the largest state park in Vermont.
Groton State Forest covers 26,164 acres (105.88 km2) in Danville, Groton, Marshfield, Orange, Peacham, Plainfield, Topsham, Vermont. The forest covers areas in Caledonia, Orange, and Washington Counties. Major roads through the forest are U.S. Route 302 and Vermont Route 232.
Aitken State Forest covers 918 acres (3.72 km2) in Mendon, Vermont in Rutland County. The forest is managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation for timber resources, wildlife habitat, and recreational activities.
Calvin Coolidge State Forest, also known as Coolidge State Forest, covers 22,564 acres (91.31 km2) in two parts in Rutland and Windsor Counties in Vermont. The West portion cover 17,259 acres (69.84 km2) in Killington, Mendon, Plymouth and Shrewsbury in both counties. The East portion cover 5,305 acres (21.47 km2) in Bridgewater, Plymouth, Reading, and Woodstock in Windsor County.
Mount Carmel State Forest covers 263 acres (1.06 km2) in Chittenden, Vermont in Rutland County. Located in the Green Mountains, the forest's elevation ranges from 2380 to 3365 feet at the summit of Mount Carmel.
Martin is an extinct town in the northwest United States, in Kittitas County, Washington. The GNIS classifies it as a populated place; Stampede Pass is near to the west.
Downer State Forest, also known as Charles Downer State Forest, covers 705 acres (2.85 km2) in Sharon, Vermont in Windsor County. The forest is managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. The forest was established in 1910 by a gift from Charles Downer to establish a forestry demonstration area.
Mount Mansfield State Forest covers 44,444 acres (179.86 km2) in seven towns in Chittenden, Lamoille and Washington counties in Vermont. The towns are Bolton and Underhill in Chittenden County, Cambridge, Johnson, Morristown and Stowe in Lamoille County, and Waterbury in Washington County. Mt. Mansfield State Forest is the largest contiguous landholding owned by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
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